Dine: fine

There is no figure of the number of eateries and restaurants in the city. Moreover, new venues are flourishing day by day.I love to eat out but I really can not list all places here. So, these recommendations are appetizers only.
Feel free discover new hits and please share with me!

Budapest Classic

My eternal favourite is Bock Bisztró. Best start or even a good memory - good choice for a first or a farewell dinner.

Running by a gourmet enfant terrible, a big, loud man, who serves really huge and tasty dishes. The food is very Hungarian but sometimes made in a neoclassical way (eg. sous vide or confit).
Expect such items as "Bizarre ice cream selection (Tobacco, black banana, sausage)" and "Veal chop stuffed with pork kidney, served with pok choy kimchi".
Recommended for a dinner (reservation is a must)  but they have a lunch menu too.


In the middle, Zeller Bistro is an absolutely good choice in downtown.

A family run place, traditional food in a coloured fresh environment.

Similar, with a bit Jewish touch is  Kőleves Restaurant.

The name refers to a story of the "Stone Soup" tale.

Among the most sophisticated local tribes also a famous one the Olimpia Vendéglő. Run by two celebrated chefs but the venue itself is very informal, focusing on the food, not only a fancy presentation.

No menu, every day are different offers depending on the nearby market's best ingredients. No English site, no cards accepted, but expect many gourmet travellers. Highly recommended.

Budapest Retro and the Millennial Glory

If you are willing to understand the past of the city, there are a really few places to catch it.
Most of them do not have English site, so easy to recognise them on the net...
Nearby my apartment, visit Bambi Presszó.

One of the last real vintage coffee shops when 40 years ago the time shrank back from the changes around.  Order a "melegszendvics" (grilled cheese /ham bread) and have a coffee in a glass. Ridiculously cheap.

Similarly, the original 70's interior still visible in Ibolya Presszó.

It is located in between the city's two main university campus, so I really know every little corner of it. Cheap also and it has a special charm.

Next to it, once my favourite nest was the Centrál Cafe.

Nowadays, it got back it's past glory, so expect higher prices and a 20-century Millennial atmosphere. Excellent for a breakfast or light dinner or even for a business lunch.

A few block away, Gerlóczi Cafe is similar. They offer rooms to stay, too.

Oriental East and West

My new favourite is Babka.

Jewish, Turkish, Mediterranean. Cool guys, excellent location.
Once you are here, take a walk to Szent István Park along Hollán Ernő utca. This is one of the best neighbourhood on Pest side to live. Plenty of good cafes, candy shops and breakfast eateries.

Expect something as NY Village is or Prenzlauerberg in Berlin. It is an excellent and hedonist location to stay. I would not live anywhere else in the flat side of the city but here, in Újlipótváros.

Dobrumba in downtown is similar, booking is a must, very popular. It is more for the food and less for the hedonist pastime.

For an ultimate romantic experience, try M Étterem.
"M" for Miklós, the Francophone guy, originally a professor of mathematics. Very tiny, very French, hand made decorations on the walls. Miklós sometimes organises private dinners for small groups at his own home. If interested, let me know.

Dirty Eating

If you are ready to eat like a locals here, you should certainly eat once in a butcher store (="hentes" or "húsbolt").
There are over 80 stores in the city (at almost every corner), so this is the largest and oldest fast food chain here.

Historically, eating in a butcher store was a habit of working class for decades but nowadays is a new chic to be an expert of these units among hipsters and urban vibes too. The most professional eaters even always carry a penknife (instead of the widely provided plastic) in their pocket for a more comfortable feeding.

Mainly, you'll find here really heavy stuff: fried savoury sausages ("kolbasz" or "hurka" - that one is made with pork blood or pork liver), pork and chicken, fried or breaded. But there are more sophisticated items also, as beef head meet, beef shin, trotters, tripe, flitch or even a pork's ears.
If that sounds freaky, do not forget, life is too short to eat weak food...

Generally, expect very cheap prices and very fresh food with some spicy taste and considerably fat and juicy materials. At some places, you'll find the bread in a fur coat (= "bundás kenyér"), made with eggs - which is a very popular breakfast food around here.
There is no side dish usually, you can have your meal with fresh white bread and pickles or some mustard. (The quality of the bread itself tells you a lot about the place. If the owner makes an effort to get an artesian quality of bread, your feeding in good hands.)

At most cases, in butcher stores, you'll eat standing or sitting on high chairs, buffet style, with plastic cutlery and a paper tray. Expect everywhere regular business hours: 10-18 or 9-17 or so. According to an urban legend, the freshest stuff arrives on Tuesday...

My nearby Hentes is among the best in town: the Petró húsbolt, at Szell Kalman tér.

I also recommend Ica Mama at the Buda side near Moricz Zsigmond körtér.

Also worth a visit the Bakáts Téri Hentes at the south end of the most popular dining area, Ráday utca.

The most interesting interior is Hússzék in Mester utca, IX. distr. This store is over 100 years old, walls are covered by the original Zsolnay tiles and the aboriginal hooks. Behind the scenes, once there was a slaughterhouse.

In the city centre, do not miss Balla Hús store close to Vörösmarty tér.

Another option is the Hús és Hentesáru in Hajós utca, right hand side of the Opera House.

In your guidebook, you will find many recommendation for Vásárcsarnok (or Nagycsarnok) - read more here -, but there are at least three others worth for a visit: at Hold utca or Rákóczi tér and Klauzál tér you'll find great butcher stores too.
For a great community project about a market hall, read this article.

The map