Where to Eat in Budapest?
A guide to finding a good restaurant in Budapest
Finding a restaurant in Budapest is not hard. Choosing a good one is a little harder. Downtown, almost every street is full of restaurants, bistros, bars and street food places, so on your first visit it is easy to get lost in all the choices.
If you are wondering where to eat in Budapest, first decide what kind of experience you want. Would you like to try traditional Hungarian food? Do you want a quick lunch while sightseeing? An elegant dinner? Or simply a friendly place where you can eat well without spending a fortune?
If you want Hungarian food, start with the classics
When you are in Budapest, try goulash, beef stew, chicken paprikash or lángos at least once. You will see these on the menu of many restaurants aimed at tourists, but it is worth checking whether the place really focuses on Hungarian food, or just added a few well-known dishes to its menu.
If you don't know where to start, we have a separate guide for that:
Where to look for a restaurant in Budapest?
If you want to eat while sightseeing, you don't need to travel far. In downtown Budapest, especially in District V, VI and VII, you will find lots of restaurants within walking distance of the main sights.
District VII is a particularly busy food area. Around the Dohány Street Synagogue, Kazinczy utca, Gozsdu udvar and the nearby streets, you can find almost everything within a few minutes, from street food to traditional Hungarian restaurants.
What to look for when choosing a restaurant?
Besides the location, check the menu and the prices before you sit down. Also check whether a service charge is added on top of the prices.
If you are on a budget, this matters a lot: the final bill at two restaurants with similar prices can be very different.
Google reviews are useful too, but don't just look at the stars. Read a few recent reviews about the portions, the food, the value for money and the service.
Lunch or dinner?
If your plans are flexible, lunch is often the easier choice. It can be less crowded, and you can continue sightseeing afterwards.
But Budapest really comes alive in the evening, especially downtown. If you want to have dinner in a popular area or you are coming with a larger group, check the booking options in advance.
What if you are a big group?
For a larger group, the menu is not the only thing that matters. It is also important how many guests the restaurant can take, whether your group can sit together, and whether the restaurant has experience serving groups.
Drum Café, for example, can seat up to 180 guests, with several separate areas, and we regularly work with tourist groups and travel agencies visiting Budapest.
If you are simply looking for a good Hungarian restaurant
Drum Café has been open since 2006 in downtown Budapest, at Dob utca 2, just a few steps from the Dohány Street Synagogue.
Our focus is on Hungarian classics: goulash, beef stew, chicken paprikash and lángos, plus a few Drum Café specialties of our own on the menu.
We don't want to be a fine dining restaurant. Our philosophy is simpler:
Good food. Big portions. Fair prices.
There is no service charge, we are open every day from 9:00 to 24:00, and when the weather is nice, you can sit on our terrace in the shade of the trees.
In short: where to eat in Budapest?
There is no single right answer. Budapest has a huge food scene, so look for the place that fits what you want right now.
And if you are looking for Hungarian food in downtown Budapest, with good portions and fair prices, you are welcome at Drum Café.
Drum Café – Lángos & Goulash Bar
1072 Budapest, Dob utca 2.
Open every day 9:00–24:00