Csalogany 26
Csalogany utca 26, 1st
Tel. +36.1.201.7892
www.csalogany26.hu
This trattoria has been gaining a reputation with foodies since it first opened. A closed-circuit, flat-screen monitor in the dining room shows the chefs preparing your dinner, the wine list has some great Hungarian varietals, but it's the really tender breast of guinea that everyone raves about.
Gundel
XIV Allatkerti ut 2
Tel. +36.1.468.4040
www.gundel.hu
This beautiful restaurant in the city park first opened in 1894. Purchased in 1991 by George Lang and Ronald S. Lauder, Gundel was beautifully restored, and now the quintessential Hungarian restaurant’s decor lives up to its cuisine. Along with the delicious food, they also have roving gypsy musicians that play while you eat.
Arany Kaviar
Ostrum utca 19, 1st
Tel. +36.1.201.6737
www.aranykaviar.hu
Yearning for caviar and homemade Russian food? Then come to this 19th century bourgeois-themed restaurant. Arany Kaviar is intimate and always scrumptious and consistently considered one of the best restaurants in Budapest.
Pomo D'Oro
B.Arany Janos utca 9
Tel. +36.1.302.6473
www.pomodorobudapest.com
Pomo D’Oro is a sophisticated restaurant focusing on pizza and pasta and is frequented by many of the knowledgeable locals. With daily menu changes, the chef always strives to be creative. Great wine list as well. Live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Abazint
VI., +Andrassy ut 34
Tel. 36.1.301.0844
www.abszint.hu
Situated on what looks like a Parisian street, Abzint serves the French cuisine to match. Only the freshest produce is used while the ambiance is relaxed and friendly. Expect live accordion music to accompany your dining experience.
Baraka
Magyar utca 12-15
Tel. +36.1.483.1355
www.barakarestaurant.hu
Opened in 2001, this is considered by many to be Budapest's best restuarant. The international menu changes daily while the service remains excellent. Popular with the local celebrities!
Vadrozsa
Pentelei Molnar utca 15
Tel. +36.1.326.5817
www.vadrozsa.hu
The mansion setting has a romantic, Old World garden terrace to complement Vadrozsa’s elegant and delectable food. With this combination you can't go wrong.
Déryné Bistro
Krisztina tér 3, 1st
Tel. +36.1.225.1407
www.cafederyne.hu
A warm and inviting atmosphere with a open fire, Déryné Bistro is a great place for a quiet and romantic evening. They serve light and fresh fare such as Bresaola carpaccio and vegetable julienne in an incredibly fashionable and hip setting, making the old world restaurants seem a bit passé.
Kerék Vendéglö
Bécsi út 103, 3rd
Tel. +36.1.250.4261
www.kerekvendeglo.hu
If you want the classic early 20th century Hungarian experience, then it doesn't get better than Kerék Vendéglö. Located in Óbuda (Old Buda), it maintains a family-oriented feel and serves classic Hungarian dishes like paprika chicken and bean soup with bacon and ham. The tables are set up in old stables and during the summer, there is a beautiful garden to enjoy.
Bagolyvár Étterem
Gundel Károly út, 14th
Tel. +36.1.468.3110
www.bagolyvar.com
With a name that translates into the “Owl's Castle,” it's appropriate that this restaurant is right next to the beautiful Budapest zoo. All the food is prepared in a traditional fashion and by women only. Their menu changes daily and during the summer, many people will visit the zoo after their meals since the restaurant offer free tickets to its visitors. They also offer cooking lessons for 5 or 10 people where they teach traditional Hungarian cooking.
Cafè Kör
Sas utca 17, 5th
Tel. +36.1.311.0053
www.cafekor.com
An incredibly pleasant and fashionable restaurant, Cafè Kör creates a relaxing atmosphere for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With a menu sporting such dishes as pörkölt (meat stew), goulash, roast turkey escalope with apricots and caramel-sesame sauce, and foi gras with apples and blueberries, you are bound to eat to your hearts content. Enjoy the dining room with its vaulted ceilings, green lamps, and armchairs to drink coffee and read a newspaper in.
Costes Restaurant
Ráday utca 4, 11th
Tel. 36.1.219.0696
www.costes.hu
A favorite of the capital's young, scholarly and international minded citizens, Costes Restaurant is the first starred restaurant in Budapest. With an impressive wine list, chef Miguel Rocha Vieira makes traditional Hungarian food with a French influence. Dishes include lobster ravioli with Aquitaine caviar, foie gras drizzled with Blue Mountain Coffee, and they also include a children's and vegetarians' menu as well.
Mák Bistro
Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4, 5
Tel. 36.1.30.723.9383
www.makbistro.com
Focusing on fresh and local ingredients, Mák Bistro makes offers contemporary takes on tradition Hungarian and Austro-Hungarian cuisine. Decorated in a casual but elegant style, they offer their take on classics such as sautéed foie gras on a bed of rhubarb flavored with a hint of Tonka bean, pig's ear with beets and pomegranate, and a poppy see tart with Bourbon-vanilla ice cream.
