6/97
The best traditional Hungarian cuisine served in Budapest. No frills, down to earth atmosphere. For 600 Ft you can get more than enough food to satisfy even a cross country runner's appetite. Every entree is served atop a huge pile of fried potatoes. My favorites include the Cordon Bleu, fried cheese, fried Camembert with apple slices, best chosen pork seasoned with garlic, veal with white wine sauce, veal with mushroom sauce, and beef sirloin with fried onions. These all ran from 400 Ft to 650 Ft. The gulyas soup (200 Ft) was the best I found in Budapest. Try the soup for just-married man too sometime (220 Ft). Menus in Hungarian, German, and English. Most of the staff is very friendly, especially the ones who work downstairs. Once you've been there a couple times they get to know you and start joshing with you a little.
6/97
The name Fatal means wooden plate, which is what they place beneath your eating vessel (which could be a frying pan, bread bowl, or other item in which the dish appears to have been cooked). As you might suspect from such gimmicks (and the Va'ci u. location), this place is touristy -- your fellow customers are more likely to speak English or German than Hungarian -- but the food is good nonetheless. They have three separately printed menus in English, German and Hungarian. In general the dishes are pricey, but some of the best ones are reasonable. And there is a good reason the BSM students nicknamed this place "Big Portions." I recommend the cold strawberry soup (~250 Ft), the Potato casserole (590 Ft), nutty chicken (~700 Ft), and especially the pork Brasho style (690 Ft). The desserts are expensive but good.
Sadly, this restaurant has a few annoying points.
After the bill incident, I retaliated
by avoiding Fatal for six weeks, and discouraging my friends from going
there too. I'm a bad customer to piss off. Continental Airlines should
have watched out for that too, but that is another story. The upshot is
that despite the myriad annoyances of Fatal, the pork Brasho style enticed
me to return, albeit only after my six week cooling off period. So go in
with your game face, an empty stomach, and a thick skin. And don't take
any crap from the staff. Szent Jupat should be your
mainstay for large portions of hearty Hungarian food, but Fatal is worth
a try.
6/97
Czech, Slovakian, and Transylvanian cuisine. The pork tenderloin with Transylvanian pancake (or some similarly named dish) is my favorite. Many dishes in the 500 Ft range.
6/97
After our late Wednesday night class, the spring '97 BSM students would habitually herd across the park to this place in a group of up to 11 people and each order a 320 Ft bowl of Jo'kai bableves. Hence, the fourth night of the week became known as "Wednesday night -- bean soup night," and Jo'kai became known as "the patron saint of bean soup." Tasty, cheap, filling. By the way, this place doesn't know it is called Bean Soup, but the markings outside didn't clearly indicate any other name to us, so we took the liberty of naming it ourselves.
6/97
Healthful, tasty vegetarian cuisine served in a peaceful, soothing atmosphere. The entire menu changes daily, so some days are better than others. Fortunately, the range goes from good to exquisite. It offers the best salad bar I have ever visited, and the desserts are heavenly. You choose either the Sun or Moon menu, and should opt for salad as well. Don't leave without trying one of the day's two desserts. The friendly staff will stand at your table and patiently translate the day's menu into English for you.
Prices:
6/97
Contrary to popular belief, their main offering is not falafels, but rather an extensive salad bar, one of whose items is falafel. You can get a tasty, filling, fast, healthful lunch for about 300 Ft. Try their milkshakes (100 to 110 Ft); it's like drinking liquid fruit. The peach (o''szibarack), sour cherry (meggy), and pineapple (ananas) are all good.
6/97
The menu looks intriguing, but I was unimpressed by the actual food. For vegetarian food, try Gandhi instead.
6/97
The best and cheapest pizza I found in Budapest. A 10-inch pizza costs between 320 Ft and 480 Ft. (Most are below 400 Ft.) The cold raspberry soup (170 Ft) is not to be missed. The milkshakes are also worth a try. (See comments on Hungarian milkshakes under the entry for Pink Cadillac.) Seating is limited, so it is best to keep your party to four people or less -- five at the outside. At busy times reservations are in order. The staff speaks English and is very friendly. Rumor has it that the headwaiter is Marcello himself. I consider him the best waiter in Budapest. He'll speak to you in English or German or even a little Spanish, but he is also happy to help you practice your Hungarian. Order "sima vizet" and he might ask you "Duna viz?" The correct response is to break a broad smile and answer, "Igen. Duna viz."
6/97
Excellent pizza and milkshakes. The pizzas are 600 to 700 Ft, but seem larger than the ones at Marcello. Most of the milkshakes are 220 Ft. The chocolate milkshake is a little disappointing, but the others leave nothing to be desired. Moreover, they are 5 dL, so they last you a while. Try the banana, the strawberry, and the spinach.
Yes, that's right -- a spinach milkshake. If you tell the waiter "A Popeye turmixt ke'rek," he invariably gives you a half-bewildered, half-concerned look and says, in English, "You know that's spinach!?!?" despite the fact that the menu labels it clearly as such, in English. Or you could just order the "spinatos turmixt," in which case he just raises his eyebrows and shakes his head in confusion, while jotting down the order. Either way, you are in for an interesting experience. The presence of spinach in the shake is clear, but yet there is also a more noticeable citrus-like flavor whose identity my friends and I could not quite discern.
Another of my favorite flavors is
the "bizarre" milkshake (chocolate and berry), but they took it off the
menu for some reason. I still got them to make me one once after its disappearance
from the menu, but it ran me 310 Ft. So it is worth a try, if you are interested.
One word of warning: Hungarian milkshakes are made Boston style. That means there is no ice cream involved, just milk, cream, whipped cream, sugar, and whatever ingredients are used to flavor it.
On the corner of Fehervari and Oktober 23 utca. From Moricz Zsigmond, head one block south on Fehervari.
This is most decidedly a little cafe, with pizza being their only real dish. The pizza is pretty good, though - quite a bit thicker and cheesier than at many other places, and the prices are as cheap as they come. Their dessert menu is very extensive. No English is spoken here.
6/97
Pizza and pasta. It's good, but in my opinion not worth going out of your way. Try Marcello or Pink Cadillac instead. Still, Il Treno does have a following, so perhaps it is just a matter of taste. Two advantages: they do deliver, and they cater parties.
6/97
This is a chain of pizza places scattered across town. I tried it and was unimpressed.
6/97
This is a fancy restaurant to which you should definitely treat yourself as often as your pocketbook can afford. In the U.S. you would expect a place like this to run you 30 USD a meal. But surprise! Most of the entrees are close to 1000 Ft, and you can order yourself the works -- soup, juice, salad, entree and side dish -- for about 2100 Ft, including tip. The cold fruit soup is incredible. If you order plain water, they will serve you Evian at 250 Ft per bottle, so juice is a better option at half the price. Although you should dress up, there is no need to go overboard -- the waiters wear nice denim shirts, so you can do the same and not be out of place. Call ahead for reservations. Menus in Hungarian and English. Some entertaining translations appear, such as filet of dear.
6/97
Good pizza and pasta and a friendly staff. One of the rooms has wooden booths; the other has goblets and elegant table cloths. So you can dress up or dress down. Medium price range, starting at 700 Ft.
6/97
Excellent cuisine, but steep prices. Superb soups. Entrees are 1000 Ft and up; soups are 600 or 700 Ft.
6/97
Budapest's most famous restaurant, but not worth the price, in my opinion. The desserts are exquisite, but start at 700 Ft. Don't hope to escape with a tab under 5000 Ft. Try Mu''ve'szinas instead.
6/97
This place is owned and run by the same folks as Gundel, and in fact shares the same building. It is a tad less fancy, but a lot cheaper. A meal will run you about 2000 Ft. The outdoor patio is pleasant in the spring. Still I would recommend Mu''ve'szinas over Bakolyvar if you want a fancy meal.
Paulay Ede u. 7-9. Co-located with the Vista Bistro.
7/00
Features French, Mediterranean and other international cuisine. I haven't been there myself, but my friends tell me it is excellent. Judging by the quality of the associated bistro, I would have to guess that my friends are telling me the truth.
6/97
Excellent ice cream (40 Ft per scoop), plus pastries and tortes of all kinds (most are around 100 Ft per piece). For ice cream, you pay the person who scoops it. For other items, you tell the cashier what you want, pay for it, then carry the receipt to the counter to collect the goods. You can eat your goodies at the bar by the window, watching the milling throng outside. This can be entertaining.
6/97
The ice cream here is even better that at Je'gbu:fe. It is creamier and the selection is far greater. The chocolate and vanilla set the standard for chocolate and vanilla ice cream. The caramel ice cream is superb, even for those (like me) who do not particularly care for caramel. The price is 40 Ft per scoop. The normal cones somewhat resemble cardboard, so I recommend shelling out 5 Ft for the waffle cone.
6/97
A popular place to meet for coffee and desserts before and after the opera. The interior looks almost as fancy as the opera itself -- marble tables, plush chairs, enormous chandeliers, gold trim. Their ice cream sundaes are a treat, but the price took a strange 40% quantum leap in April 1997, to about 340 Ft for a small and 420 Ft for a large. Most of the pastries, tortes and cakes are still under 200 Ft. Take a seat and order from your waitress.
6/97
Marriott offers an all-you-can eat dessert bar all day long. I haven't actually tried it, but heard rave reviews from my friends. They report that you pay 800 Ft and stay as long as you wish, and can even camp out and do your homework there without attracting any disapproving glances.
6/97
This is the transplanted Baskin Robbins. They charge American Prices for ice cream that doesn't even compare to that at Je'gbu:fe, Mu''ve'sz, and Gelato.
Take the 4 or 6 tram to the Kira'ly u. stop, along Erzse'bet krt. Walk along Kira'ly u. away from the Danube for about two blocks. The restaurant will be on your right. It has a sign out front picturing a tiger.
6/97
Tasty Indian cuisine featuring a lot of meat dishes, but vegetarians can fare well here too. My favorite is the beef marsala. The spiced tea is also quite good. One main course with rice, bread, and a side dish will run you about 1100 Ft, and leave you very satisfied.
6/97
Fancy, tourist-oriented Indian food. Unlike at Fatal, the wait staff is friendly and super-attentive. The food is excellent but expensive. Expect to pay about 2000 Ft. Dress well. A tie is appropriate for men.
Taj Mahal
[contributed by Natalie Lents]
Take the yellow metro line to the Koda'ly Ko:ro:nd stop. Walk
back down Andrassy u't (towards the Vo:ro:smarty metro stop), and turn
right onto Rozsa Ferenc utca. Taj Mahal is on the
corner, about 3 blocks down Rozsa Ferenc.
9/03
Every dish that my friends and I have tried at Taj Mahal has been absolutely delicious. The menu is quite extensive, featuring chicken, beef, lamb, and prawn dishes, as well as a great selection of vegetarian items. Entree prices range from about 900 - 3300 forints, with the average dish costing around 1500. You can definitely eat a full meal for under $10 (at 2003 exchange rates). The desserts are also worth trying. Portions are small, but the desserts are very rich. The atmosphere and service are also very nice. The waitresses speak excellent English and they will even indulge your American expectations by bringing a pitcher of free tap water to the table and offering to provide separate checks. Everyone who craves Indian food, or just good food of any type, should definitely try Taj Mahal!
6/97
Good middle-eastern fare. Outstanding hummus. A meal plus a side dish of hummus and one pita bread will cost you about 750 Ft.
6/97
There are small stands all over town selling falafel and gyro sandwiches. There is a good one at Ferenciek tere in the pedestrian zone just downstream of the Metro entrance. There is an even better one where Villa'nyi u't begins at Mo'ricz Zsigmond ko:rte'r. At both stands a gyro sandwich costs 250 Ft, and a falafel sandwich costs 170 Ft.
6/97
The proprietor of this place does it all -- cooking, waiting tables, and bussing. He is energetic, friendly, and conscientious. Most dishes are around 400 Ft. The spicy ones are especially good. Moreover, you just have to root for this guy because he is the quintessential enthusiastic, hard-working underdog.
Across the street from Cafe Bravo, one block south from Moricz Zsigmond on Fehervari.
Mediocre Chinese food, but you can't beat the price. It's easy to get a whole meal for only about 600 Ft. No English is spoken here.
Contents
(visit their own page here)
Located at Paulay Ede u. 7-9, near Dea'k Te'r, just half a block from the corner of Paulay Ede u. and Bajcsy Zsilinszky u't, where Mu''ve'szinas and the main Vista Travel office live.
5/99
This bistro is affiliated with the Vista Travel agency.
I visited this bistro on a Wednesday evening in May, 1999, just nine days after they opened on May 17. I liked it so much that I returned thrice more before I left on Sunday morning! This establishment earns my highest recommendation as a place to grab a light bite to eat any time of the day when you are in the heart of the city.
The bistro offers a good selection of tasty and inexpensive sandwiches, salads, quiches, juice (including fresh-squeezed orange juice), coffee, and tea, plus an excellent choice of desserts. It is open from 8am to 10pm weekdays, and 8am to 8pm weekends. The ingredients all taste very fresh, and the service is both friendly and efficient. A bank of 15 foot tall windows lining the front contribute to a light and airy atmosphere, complemented by the jazz playing in the background. These days they offer live music every weeknight. In a very unusual move for Hungary, they have made the entire downstairs section of the bistro non-smoking! I found this a refreshing and rare refuge for non-smokers like myself. There is a smaller smoking section upstairs, served by a separate ventilation system. There are separate English and Hungarian menus.
Their specialty is the ko:rte torta (pear torte). The menu describes it as, "The glory of this house! If it has run out, try the next day!" When I first visited, the day's supply of pear torte had indeed been exhausted. But the dessert I tried instead, the kre'mes (or creme-filled pastry a la France, as it appears on the English menu) was amazing. The pastry was filled with custard, fresh strawberries and whipped cream with chocolate shavings on top. As I was perusing the dessert case, I expressed an interest in the cherry sauce I saw there. Even though it was supposed to go with a different dessert, my waitress was happy to adorn my plate of kre'mes with a smiley face made of cherry sauce.
Encouraged by my experience with the kre'mes, and goaded on by the enthusiastic recommendations of my waitress and the manager of the outbound travel office, I decided to return the next morning for my pear torte, and found it to be well worth the trip. When they say to try back the next day, they really mean it, and rightly so!
When I first visited, I ordered some fresh pressed orange juice (tart with a little bit of pulp), and the mushroom quiche (excellent and generally light, but with a hint of butter to help bring out the mushroom flavor). I tried to order the capresa salad, but they had run out of it owing to a huge rush of customers at lunch that day. Instead they made up a mixed vegetable plate for me, composed of lightly fried eggplant, cauliflower with capers and herbs, and strips of lightly sauteed carrots and zucchini with onion and garlic. A multitude of delicate flavors. I followed this with the special of the day, a sundried tomato pesto sandwich composed of lettuce, tomato and pesto on fresh baguette, with a sliced olive and tomato garnish.
The Vista Bistro is connected with Vista Travel. The travel agency has long served the citizens of Budapest for all of their outbound travel needs. In the spring of 1997, Vista built a beautiful new office near Dea'k Te'r, and two years later they built a sort of travelers' emporium, which houses their new inbound travel department, the bistro, a fancy restaurant, a well-equipped internet loft, washers and dryers, luggage lockers, and various other useful things, including a reliable supply of the ever-so-useful Pestiest magazine. See the Vista website for more info.
The staff is exceptionally friendly and speaks excellent English.
Click here for some photos.
6/97
Excellent sandwiches on a quarter or half baguette. It would be unwise to choose another bread, since the baguette is so good, but they do offer that option. The fantazsia sandwich is incredible. It is their most expensive sandwich at 280 Ft for the large. That's cheap, even for Budapest.
6/97
This place serves a variety of light fare. Their specialty is their palacsinta, a crepe with various toppings. The turos palacsinta (a sweet milk curd similar in consistency to cottage cheese) and o''szibarackos palacsinta (peach) are my favorites, both for about 350 Ft. Since you order at the counter, collect your own tray, and pay at the cashier up front, tip is unnecessary. The atmosphere is bright, clean, and refreshing, with generous skylights, many plants, and murals on the back wall. The salad bar looks appealing, though I never tried it.
6/97
Bagels and cream cheese plus a good selection of bagel sandwiches. The specials and combination meals are an especially good deal. You can get a decent lunch for under 400 Ft.
6/97
The deck outside affords a pleasant view of the lake and park. Good sandwiches for about 600 Ft.
6/97
Pricey and tourist-oriented. Entrees start at 1000 Ft. Still, the food here is decent, and Mexican food is hard to come by in Budapest. So if you are really yearning for a taco, this might be your solution. They also sell tortilla chips to take home (about 1000 Ft per bag, I believe).
6/97
The name means "little pirate." Appropriately, there is a cutout of a pirate standing on the street, pointing you to the restaurant. This place worked harder on its atmosphere than its menu, but they have a couple good standbys, including the chicken with penne. Sometimes they refuse to give you tap water so that you have to pay for bottled water. There is a rather humorous mistranslation on the dessert section of the menu, but I'll let you discover that for yourself. If I wrote it here, then Net Nanny wouldn't let you view my page. For a similar reason, Net Nanny won't let you view Mark Huber's research page on Monte Carlo Markov Chain methods.
These places shout "America
wuz here," so you ought to be able to find them without any further instructions.
6/97
Heaven forbid you ever go to either of these places to eat, but they are both worth gawking at from the inside. The Burger King is decorated with all sorts of American memorabilia, like Beatles posters and a Wayne Gretzky jersey, and occupies four stories. The McDonald's simply appears too elegant to be serving burgers and fries.
Copyright Aaron Archer, 2000.