Budapest has lots of incredibly cool, posh and stylish cafes and restaurants but I’ll only present here a few of them.
New York Café opened for the first time in October 1894. Rapidly it turned into one of the most famous coffee-houses of the city where the most famous artists or writers gathered. The architecture of the café is the main reason why currently people go there because it is a mix of Gothic and Renaissance influences and looks absolutely stunning. Due to its lavish style it once may have been the most beautiful café in the world where the most famous artists and writers gathered. After the second World War the café remained neglected. Thankfully the current owners have revived the place since 2006 and tried to restore as much as possible as its original glamour.
Because we had a reservation on a Monday afternoon we didn’t have to wait, but usually there is a long queue in front of the café. A friend told us his experience at the café where he went without making a booking in advance. Once a table was available, he only ordered drinks but half an hour later the waiter brought them the check as other people were waiting in line. Thankfully, our experience was better.
Regarding the food, I can not say the same thing. We ordered duck breast and traditional paprikash, but the food was average. This place is definitely not about food, but maybe this was only our opinion. The architecture and the symphonic music makes it so special. However, it is worth going for the aforementioned reasons.
We randomly found this restaurant while we were walking around that area. Because we had to reach a tourist attraction at that moment we decided to come back for dinner and good thing we did.
Once we were seated we received beer and chips on the house. While reading the newspaper menu we found out that the restaurant has been reopened after being involved in some legal disputes with Heineken. The Dutch giant brand sued Csíki Sör as this Hungarian name translates to “Ciuc” referring to Miercurea Ciuc, the city where the brewery was located. Heineken purchased that particular brewery and started to produce its own brand Ciuc. What pushed their buttons was that the Hungarians made a marketing campaign which advertised Csíki Sör as “the real Ciuc beer”. Heineken lost the lawsuit as they were claiming intellectual rights for the Ciuc brand. Now Csíki Sör is advertising their beer and restaurants with the fact they were closed by Heineken and now reopened, sort of reborn from their own ashes.
The restaurant showcases large tanks in which beer is brewed so, among the other decorations, this contributes to its unique vibe. At some point we noticed a couple dressed in traditional Hungarian clothes who started singing and dancing to entertain the customers. A nice surprise to watch a traditional dance show whilst dining.
We ate a burger & fried cheese with blueberry jam, both of them served with french fries.
When we arrived back home (in Sibiu) I found out that we also have Csíki Sör in our town (the same restaurant with the same menu, since it is a franchise, but smaller).
One of Budapest’s oldest, busiest and greatest ruin bars is Szimpla Kert. It has a lively ambiance and attracts a diverse population most evenings who come to chat, watch movies, listen to live music and dance. If you are not familiar with the concept of ruin pubs (like we were not ourselves) – they are bars opened in abandoned buildings that instead of being renovated and completely restyled, were only refurbished enough to be safe and decorated so that the old ruin feeling is still very much present. You might think that all the previously mentioned activities can be a theme for each night but no! It can all happen at once in a single night.
This particular ruin pub is immense! I counted at least 7 bars spread among around 30 rooms on 2 floors, both indoor and outdoor. It’s quite a unique feeling to enjoy a night out in a location that for some might seem like a contemporary art exhibition. Most drinks are reasonably priced, including artisan beers and cocktails. Fresh baked goods, homemade street cuisine, and delectable warm dinners are all available at the ruin pub.
We had plenty of time and room to explore it when we went there because we got there pretty early in the evening. But when going out we had a bit of a shock as the queue of people waiting to get inside was around the corner, counting at least 100 people. That’s how popular it is hence it’s a must go.
I found this restaurant on TripAdvisor and decided to go there as their reviews were good. When we arrived, the hostess told us we have to wait for up to 30 minutes until a table will be available. Because we were very hungry we were discussing whether to leave or not. In that moment a food deliverer who was waiting to pick up an order, turned around and started talking in Romanian. He told us to wait as it’s totally worth it. Naturally, we decided to remain and glad we did. Our waiting time was at the bar where I tasted a local wine and Andrei a local beer.
Not even 15 minutes passed and the waiter invited us to sit at a table. The food was incredibly tasty – we both served a traditional goulash soup and shared a main course, more precisely pork medallions with mustard and traditional Hungarian fried bread with sour cream. Everything was excellent, from the food, to the service, the decorations and atmosphere.
Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, before a trip, I always research for breakfast restaurants. I found this location from a food blogger that I follow (abreakfaststory – I could say she is an expert in all things breakfast). We didn’t have a reservation prior to going there (and apparently you need one even for breakfast), but luck was on our side and the nice waiters allowed us to sit at their table. Whilst browsing the menu I could not decide what to order as everything sounded very good – I wanted to try them all! We finally decided for eggs Benedict with salmon and bundas kenyer (a traditional Hungarian toast filled with ham and cheese, pickled onion, garlic sour cream dipping). Of course we also shared some American pancakes with fruits and chocolate – there is always room for dessert. The food here was amazing like we expected and we almost managed to eat everything we ordered.
This restaurant that specializes in breakfast, located on the Buda side of the Danube, is pretty popular. We had to wait around 15 minutes ‘till a table was available. The atmosphere was very cozy and the food was also very good. I had a shakshuka with chorizo and Andrei had a breakfast burrito – even though this sounds more like a dinner it was a reinvented burrito that had more in common with breakfast.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get here even though we had it on our list. From what I saw about this restaurant on social media it seems to be a cozy urban jungle, a great place for food lovers. It is open all year. They feature four distinct components: a restaurant, a store, a yoga studio and a house where cooking lessons are held.
There are plenty more cafes and restaurants in Budapest that are worth going to, but this list is a good starting point. Hope these will help you decide where to eat breakfast or dine on your next Budapest trip!
TRAVEL JAR 