Top Budapest Restaurants for Every Budget: Fine Dining to Street Food

After spending nearly a week in Budapest earlier this month, I could not wait to share my personal list of the top Budapest restaurants. This city completely exceeded my expectations when it comes to food on my first visit in 2023 and this most recent visit was no different! Restaurants around the city offer everything from hearty Hungarian classics and international fusion to creative tasting menus and delicious street food. Whether you are in the mood for a quick lángos from a local market stall or planning a special dinner at a Michelin Guide-listed restaurant, Budapest has it all.

In this blog post, I am highlighting some of the top Budapest restaurants that stood out during my recent trip; places where the food was memorable, the atmosphere was unique, and the experience was worth sharing. From casual bites to elevated dining experiences, these are the top Budapest restaurants I recommend adding to your list!

Top Budapest Restaurants: Fine Dining 

If you are looking to experience the more luxurious side of Hungarian cuisine, these fine dining spots are some of the top Budapest restaurants to add to your list. From elegant interiors to beautifully plated dishes, Budapest’s upscale dining scene is both refined and unforgettable. Two of the top Budapest restaurants that truly impressed me during my recent trip were Felix Kitchen & Bar, a modern riverside gem with impeccable service, and the iconic New York Café at the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, often called the most beautiful café in the world. If you are seeking a memorable meal in a stunning setting, these top Budapest restaurants deliver on every level.

Felix Kitchen & Bar

Located on the Buda side of the Danube, Felix Kitchen & Bar stands out as one of the top Budapest restaurants for fine dining. Housed in the beautifully restored neo-Renaissance Várkert Kiosk (a building that was formerly used as a pump house for the nearby Royal Palace), this elegant establishment combines historical charm with modern luxury. Felix is recognized in the MICHELIN Guide for its sophisticated menu that features a range of meat, seafood, and caviar, all presented with artistic flair. The restaurant also boasts an impressive wine list, curated by Hungary’s first Master Sommelier, Tamás Czinki, offering selections from both local and international vineyards. With its stunning interiors and riverside location, Felix Kitchen & Bar is a must-visit among the top Budapest restaurants for those seeking an unforgettable culinary experience.

While in Budapest earlier this month, we celebrated Brian’s birthday over a long and lovely lunch at Felix. Felix had been on my radar for awhile now and thanks to our busy sightseeing itinerary, it turned out to be the perfect location for Brian's birthday lunch after our tour of the nearby Buda Castle and St. Stephen's Hall. The building itself is really incredible and beautifully decorated. The food was spectacular and, by far, our favorite meal in Budapest! Here is a recap of everything we ordered:

• Basque Pistachio Cheesecake (Brian) – Light, creamy, and nutty cheesecake.
• Warm Chocolate Mousse (Me) – Paired with ice cream and crunchy cocoa nibs for a perfectly balanced finale.

Each course at Felix Kitchen & Bar somehow managed to outshine the last. The innovative cocktails were an added bonus! Brian’s veal was fall-apart tender, melting in the mouth with every bite, while my fideuà with octopus was among the best preparations of octopus I have ever had; perfectly cooked, delicately flavored, and beautifully balanced. Though the menu leans more Mediterranean than traditionally Hungarian, the execution is flawless, and the ingredients are clearly of the freshest and highest quality.

The service was equally impressive. The staff were warm, attentive, and thoughtful—going so far as to bring Brian a birthday candle and card to mark the occasion. Though we were completely stuffed after our main dishes, we could not resist the call of dessert. We left uncomfortably full, yes, but also completely content and already planning a return visit.

While the picturesque setting on the Danube River and historic architecture alone make Felix worth a visit, the restaurant more than lives up to the acclaim it has received. For us, it was the clear standout of our trip: our favorite restaurant in Budapest.

Reservations for Felix are highly recommended. To make a reservation, please visit the Felix Kitchen & Bar website.

New York Café

Hear me out on this one...the New York Café may be touristy, but the food and service live up to the lofty expectations of such a famous (and beautiful!) restaurant. The prices are on the higher side, but if you are heading to Budapest and looking for a memorable dining experience in one of the most beautiful café's in the world, then look no further than the New York Café. 

Located inside the Anantara New York Palace Hotel on Budapest’s grand Erzsébet Körút Boulevard, the New York Café proudly claims to be the most beautiful café in the world—and honestly, I believe it. Established in 1894, this opulent restaurant has a rich history intertwined with Hungary’s literary and artistic heritage. Its stunning interior features frescoed ceilings, gilded stucco work, and sparkling chandeliers, offering a dining experience that feels like you are stepping into a lavish Baroque palace. Due to the popularity of the New York Café, reservations are only accepted for dinner service after 6:00 PM; daytime visits to the New York Café operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

We had hoped to dine at the exclusive White Salon, located on the café’s mezzanine level, known for its refined cuisine and intimate atmosphere (like Felix Kitchen & Bar, the White Salon is also listed in the MICHELIN Guide). Unfortunately, we did not book far enough in advance to secure a reservation. Despite this, our visit to the New York Café was unforgettable, solidifying its status as one of the top Budapest restaurants.

While I would have loved to have visited the New York Café for afternoon tea, we instead opted to go when we could get reservations—for a late night dinner after a wonderful sunset river cruise down the Danube. Since it was late, we did not indulge to the extent that we did at Felix Kitchen & Bar. Instead, we each opted for a main course and shared a dessert to finish our memorable meal at the New York Café. Here is a recap of what we ordered:

Drinks

• Hungarian Old Fashioned (Brian) – A local twist on the classic cocktail, featuring Agárdi single malt whisky, honey water, and Angostura bitter. 

• Dúzsi Rosé (Me) – Light and crisp rosé wine from Szekszárd, Hungary.

Mains

• Beef Cheek with Hungarian Sour Cabbage Stew (Brian) – Rich and tender, served with pearl barley.

• Beef Goulash Soup with Homemade Noodles (Me) – A traditional favorite, deeply flavorful and served with fresh bread.

Dessert (Shared)

• Raspberry and Pistachio Tart – A delicate balance of tart fruit and creamy pistachio, beautifully presented, and the star of the meal.

Top Budapest Restaurants: Casual Bites

Not every memorable meal has to be fancy and expensive, upscale fine dining. Sometimes, some of the best eats are casual ones. In Budapest, this is no exception. On this last trip to Budapest, earlier this month, I thoroughly enjoyed one such lunch at Mazel Tov. Mazel Tov is easily one of the coolest, trendiest spots in Budapest's historic Jewish Quarter and one of the top Budapest restaurants.

Two of the other casual top Budapest restaurants that I am recommending in this blog post—Szék Étterem & Bar and Hungarian GastroCellar—were places we discovered while on a food walking tour with our affiliate partner, GetYourGuide. While we did not get the chance to enjoy a variety of their dishes at either establishment (only the preselected tastings), we really enjoyed the food at both and would have happily returned to each restaurant if we would had more time.

GetYourGuide Food Tour

I want to just briefly mention some more about the food walking tour we booked with our affiliate partner, GetYourGuide, before jumping into my top Budapest restaurants for casual bites and more affordable dining. One of my favorite ways to explore a city is through a food tour and/or cooking class, and the tour we booked in Budapest was truly fantastic. It blended delicious food with some of the city's history—particularly that of the Jewish Quarter—making it as insightful as it was tasty. The tour lasted a little over two and a half hours and we left feeling extremely full, but grateful to have explored the city with a local and learned more about its incredible cuisine. Below are some top-rated food tours and cooking classes in Budapest, including the one the first one listed which we personally booked. 

• Budapest: Guided Foodie Walking Tour with Food and Drinks (2.5 Hours)
• Budapest: Hungarian Wine Tasting with 7 Wines and Tapas (2 Hours)
• Budapest: City Center Hungarian Chimney Cake Workshop (1 Hour)
• Budapest: Hungarian Cooking Class and Market Walk (4 Hours)

*If you book a tour or experience through one of our GetYourGuide affiliate links, we may earn a small commission.

Mazel Tov

Tucked away in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter, Mazel Tov is a modern take on the city’s famed ruin bars—airy, stylish, and charming. We stopped in for lunch on second-to-last day in the city and were so glad we did. The menu is Middle Eastern and Israeli-inspired, with dishes like falafel, hummus, and grilled vegetables, a welcome change to the very heavy meat-influenced menus at top Budapest restaurants around the city. It is worth noting that despite its Jewish name and Israeli-inspired menu, the food at Mazel Tov is not kosher. 

Still, everything we tried was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The space itself is really cool: a lush, light-filled enclosed courtyard with greenery climbing the walls and a relaxed, welcoming vibe. We were also treated to some really fantastic live music while we ate! Mazel Tov is great for casual lunches, a laid-back dinner, or even late night drinks. Mazel Tov came highly recommend and it absolutely met our lofty expectations. It was definitely one of our favorite casual meals in Budapest and, therefore, deserves a spot on my list of the top Budapest restaurants. Here is a recap of what we ordered:

• Gál Tibor Bikavér Superior 2022 (Brian) – A bold, structured red wine. Bikavér translates to “Bull’s Blood” and is one of Hungary’s most popular red wines. This particularly wine is from Eger, Hungary. 
• Tiffán’s Rosé 2023 (Me) – Light, fruity, and super easy to drink rosé wine from Villány, Hungary.

Szék Étterem & Bar

Szék Étterem & Bar is a charming restaurant on Andrássy Avenue, Budapest’s grand, tree-lined boulevard. The menu features an array of Hungarian, Transylvanian, and Székely (a Hungarian ethnic group living in Romania) dishes, complemented by a wide selection of local Hungarian wines, spirits, and beers. We visited Szék Étterem & Bar as part of our guided food tour of Budapest and really enjoyed it! Our tasting included pálinka and a Hungarian classic pork stew.

• Sertéspörkölt Nokedlivel (Pork Stew with Dumplings) – A rich and comforting Hungarian pork stew, slow-cooked with paprika and onions, and traditionally served with soft, pillowy egg dumplings, called nokedli, which are perfect for soaking up the flavorful sauce.

The pork stew with dumplings was Brian's favorite dish on our food tour and I have to admit, it was really delicious! Hot paprika was also available for us if we wanted to add a bit more spice to the dish as any real Hungarian would and all I have to say is that the heat from the spicy paprika paste really sneaks up on you! The dumplings, called nokedli, reminded me a lot of Italian gnocchi, but they are not made from potatoes. Our tasting was accompanied with a small glass of pálinka. Pálinka is a traditional Hungarian spirit, a fruit brandy to be specific, distilled from various fruits like plums, apricots, apples, pears, and cherries. The pálinka was strong and had a fruity taste, although I could not distinguish if we were sipping a pálinka made from plums or cherries. (It was plums according to our tour guide.) Overall, the food we tasted at Szék Étterem & Bar was delicious and its decor was really trendy in a sleek, sophisticated setting. Its location on Andrássy Avenue added to the atmosphere. It is probably one of the prettiest streets in Budapest and the interior definitely matched that, while also feeling casual and welcoming!

If we had more time in Budapest, we certainly would have returned to Szék Étterem & Bar for lunch or dinner. In the event that you are interested in dining at Szék Étterem & Bar, I definitely recommend making a reservation. Reservations are available on the Szék Étterem & Bar website.

Hungarian GastroCellar

Drinks

• Tokaj Aszú – A popular sweet, dessert wine from Tokaj, Hungary's most famous wine-growing region. 

Dessert

• Dumplings from Somló – Traditional Hungarian trifle made with layers of sponge cake, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.

The Hungarian GastroCellar was really cute and a unique space since it was quite literally in a cellar. The Tokaj Aszú was not my favorite (but to be fair, I really do not like dessert wines), but the Hungarian trifle was a real treat! Dumplings from Somló, also known as Somlói galuska or Hungarian trifle, is one of Hungary’s most beloved traditional desserts. It is a rich, yet surprisingly delicate trifle-like treat made with layers of sponge cake, custard, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. According to our food tour guide, it is a dessert you will not typically find on restaurant menus in the city, but is instead frequently made at home. Our tour guide fondly described how her grandmother makes it regularly for family gatherings, which made our tasting feel even more authentic. We loved getting to try this classic Hungarian dessert. It was rich, comforting, and full of flavor, yet had a lightness that kept it from feeling too heavy. A true treat of Hungarian cuisine! What brought us to the Hungarian GastroCellar on our food tour was the rare inclusion of Somlói galuska on their menu. It instantly made me wish we had more time to return and enjoy some of their other menu offerings, because it was clear from that one dish alone that the food here is the real deal: authentic, home-style Hungarian cooking done right.

If you are interested in visiting Hungarian GastroCellar, I recommend making a reservation, especially if you are looking to visit for dinner. Reservations can be made on the Hungarian GastroCellar website.

Top Budapest Restaurants: Street Food

Street food in Budapest is an essential part of the city’s culinary culture—affordable, delicious, and easy to enjoy on the go. Two of my favorites are lángos, a deep-fried flatbread typically topped with sour cream and cheese, and chimney cakes (kürtőskalács), a sweet, spiral-shaped pastry traditionally coated in cinnamon sugar. You will find excellent versions of both at food trucks, market stalls, and casual eateries throughout the city. The best part? None of the top Budapest restaurants for street food in this blog post require reservations. 

Karaván Street Food

One of my favorite spots in Budapest for casual bites, delicious street food, and late night snacks is Karaván Street Food. Karaván Street Food is a vibrant open-air food court located in Budapest's Jewish Quarter, nextdoor to the famous Szimpla Kert ruin bar. This spot features an array of food trucks and stalls offering a diverse selection of Hungarian and international street foods. With its lively atmosphere, communal seating, and variety of food options, Karaván Street Food provides a casual and authentic taste of Budapest's dynamic food scene.

On this most recent trip to Budapest, Brian and I stopped by Karaván Street Food on two separate occasions because the food and its vendors are just that good! Karaván Street Food has everything from innovative cocktails to contemporary takes on traditional Hungarian street food (think lángos burgers), gourmet hamburgers, Asian-inspired cuisine, and more. Below is a listing of everything we tried over our two trips to Karaván Street Food. Everything we had was truly fantastic and I would recommend it all! 

• Classic Cinnamon Chimney Cake with Extra Nutella (Shared) – Warm, sugary, and gooey with Nutella; an indulgent take on the beloved Hungarian street dessert.

Karaván Street Food is open daily from 11:30 AM to midnight. For a full list of restaurants and their menus, please visit the Karaván Street Food website. The website is only available in Hungarian, so I recommend using a translation aide, like Google Translate, to view the website in English. Also worth noting, all of the vendors at Karaván Street Food accepted credit cards which is not always the case when enjoying street food! 

Bors Gasztrobár

Bors Gasztrobár, a tiny spot within Budapest's vibrant Jewish Quarter, is redefining street food by turning soup into a handheld, on-the-go meal. While soup is not typically associated with street food, Bors Gasztrobár has made it a signature offering, serving up inventive and hearty options that resonate with the area's culinary heritage. Hungarian Jewish culture has left a lasting mark on Budapest’s food scene, especially through its traditions of slow cooking, rich stews, and soulful soups. These influences are evident into the city's cuisine, from comforting dishes to street food staples.

Bors Gasztrobár offers a taste of this Jewish heritage. Their bold, flavorful soup creations reflect that same love of deep, layered cooking. Their soups change daily, based on fresh and local ingredients, and are written on the chalkboard inside the restaurant. (The menu is in Hungarian, so opt for translations aides or feel free to ask what things are before ordering.) When we visited, as part of our walking food tour of Budapest, we were treated to a delicious soup featuring crispy bites of sausage and potatoes.

They also serve a selection of what they call baguettes, which are sandwiches. The establishment is small with quirky, seemingly out-of-place Star Wars decor, but the food is excellent and a long line is typical. Soups are served in a cup, making them easy to eat on-the-go! Bors Gasztrobár is one of the top Budapest restaurants, especially for those looking for a quick, budget-friendly meal.

Gozsdu Lángos Bistro, located next to Budapest's lively Gozsdu Courtyard, serves up a traditional Hungarian street food, and one of my favorite Hungarian dishes: lángos. Offering both traditional and contemporary variations on this beloved street food, Gozsdu Lángos Bistro is a must-visit if you are in the area. We visited Gozsdu Lángos Bistro on our walking food tour of Budapest and are so glad we did! The spot is casual and makes for a quick lunch, afternoon snack, or even a late night bite (they are open until midnight)! 

Traditionally, lángos is a deep-fried flatbread made from a simple yeast dough, resulting in a crispy exterior and soft interior. It is typically enjoyed hot with classic toppings like sour cream and grated cheese, though modern variations include options like ham, sausages, or even sweet versions with Nutella. The name "lángos" derives from the Hungarian word "láng," meaning flame, reflecting its origins of being baked near open flames.

Unfortunately for all of you, our phones did not eat first at Gozsdu Lángos Bistro because we were hungry! We opted for to try their traditional lángos with just sour cream and cheese. They did not disappoint and paired especially well with a cold glass of Dreher beer! (Dreher is Hungary’s most popular beer and a staple at bars and restaurants across the country. It is a crisp, refreshing pilsner-style lager with a smooth finish.) As I was leaving, I saw someone enjoying one of their modern lángos variations, a Greek lángos to be specific, featuring sour cream, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and feta cheese. It looked divine! I really wanted to return to Gozsdu Lángos Bistro to try the Greek lángos on our trip, but I sadly ran out of time. So if I ever make it back to Gozsdu Lángos Bistro, that is absolutely what I will be ordering! 

In Summary: Top Budapest Restaurants 

Budapest is a city full of flavor, and this blog post highlights just a few of the top Budapest restaurants I had the pleasure of experiencing during my visit earlier this month. From elegant restaurants and trendy Middle Eastern-inspired menus to quirky street food stalls and traditional Hungarian kitchens, these restaurants truly impressed me with their quality, atmosphere, and authenticity. Of course, these are just a handful of the top Budapest restaurants I dined at and personally recommend, but there are countless more top Budapest restaurants scattered across the city, each offering its own unique take on the rich culinary heritage of Hungary. Whether you are after fine dining or casual bites, you will find no shortage of unforgettable meals in this beautiful city.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a food critic, just a self-proclaimed foodie that, among other things, loves to travel! These reviews are exclusively based on my experiences at restaurants in Budapest. I was not paid or compensated in any way for these reviews and the opinions are solely my own.

Have you visited any of the top restaurants in Budapest? Are any of these restaurants on your list for your upcoming trip to Budapest? If so, I would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Need additional guidance in planning your upcoming trip to Budapest? Be sure to check out Jetset Seeker's Budapest Travel Guide for hotel recommendations, things to do, and more! Is this your first time visiting Budapest? Jetset Seeker has you covered with our Essential Budapest Travel Tips: What First-Time Visitors Need to Know blog, filled with currency information, taxi and transportation tips, when to visit Budapest, and more. Heading to the iconic thermal baths while you are in Budapest? Check out our Thermal Baths in Budapest: A Guide to the City's Famous Spas for more information. Happy travels!