eating out | thehub.hu | guide to budapest

Ötpacsirta utca 2 [map]
Pest, VIII, Kálvin tér (M3, T47/49), 2 min
Cuisine > Hungarian

Rating: 8.0/10

It's hard to deny the aesthetic charm of Épitész Pince. The courtyard, entangled with ivy and surrounded by marble busts and Romanesque colonnades, is worth a peek even if you're not going to sit down for a beer. You might as well though, given that prices are surprisingly reasonable, and never have I nursed an unenjoyable beer while surrounded by ivy and Romanesque colonnades. The crowd, too, is impressive. Pick a season (cough, not winter) and the sprawl of tables is packed with a student-dominated clientele. Come colder months, however, tables are piled high in the corner and gastronomic pursuits are directed indoors.


Inside, both view and ambiance head south. At times deserted, at times dominated by real live architects doing real live business, Épitész Pince is hard to count on for a lively evening out. With popularity waning with the temperature and an interior design that feels more Liszt Ferenc knock-off than its exterior would suggest, indoor dining might not seem the brightest prospect.

The waitstaff, however, are as friendly as they come and more than make up for the drab decoration. Even with almost-every-other-monthly appearances, I am still greeted, "Egy korsó Borostyán, ugye?". Yes, you've remembered, Good Sir. And for that I am honored. But you're here for the food, after all. Skim the menu and you'll find the fare to be traditionally Hungarian with a smattering of a surprisingly creative poultry and pork options. Portions are generous, well prepared, with mains hovering between 1500 and 2000Ft.

Vámház körút 8 [map]
Pest, V, Kálvin tér (M3, T47/49), 3 min
Cuisine > International

Hankering for pizza? On a psychedelic trip to the moon? Have a hard-to-please group of friends all wanting to agree on someplace to eat? You’ve found your spot (but only if it's all three)!

The unassuming sign and facade that boasts of 990Ft (4€) pizza, leaves you ill-prepared for the world you're about to step into. You’re approaching another dimension. What lies within these walls is stupefying!

Unicornis appears to be the result of what happens when a few friends from opposite ends of the spectrum get together to run a restaurant. Probably their only bond is a penchant for LSD or magic mushrooms, which leaves them in no position to agree on anything!

The décor is analogous to what a 14-year-old fan of Dungeons and Dragons might do for their school art project. Styrofoam pockmarks the perimeter and is meant to look like a crumbling façade, in between white 'pillars' that stop mid-wall. A fire-breathing dragon and yes, of course, a unicorn, gallivant amidst a psychedelic space-scape beyond. The Neverending Story meets Flash Gordon but with zero budget and traditional Hungarian table booths.

Oh, and it’s not unlikely that you’ll hear 1990’s hit “Ice Ice Baby” followed by Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” to complete the oddest restaurant atmosphere in town.

What got me through the door of Unicornis in the first place was the cheap pizza, and it’s certainly the way to go if you're short on cash. You might assume that 990Ft only gets you a margarita, but you'd be mistaken, my friend. There are about two full pages of speciality pizzas, all a full 32 centimeters, all included in that same great price.

In keeping with the surroundings, there are some odd toppings too. The Barbecue pizza includes BBQ sauce, bacon, gyros(!), corn, onion, and peppers. It gets better. How about spicy sauce, Vienna sausage (hot dogs), bacon, corn, hot peppers, and fried eggs? While certainly not the most authentic pizza I’ve had in Budapest, it certainly wasn't the worst either. And psychedelic space beggars can't be choosers!

The rest of the menu is haphazard, to say the least. Yogurt, pickles and turkey legs make their way into various loose translations of the “burrito”. There’s a “wok” section, some Indian options, salads, and of course Hungarian specialities. They also have a vegetarian selection which goes beyond fried cheese and salad, with heartier options such as the veggie risotto.

Unicornis is absolutely not the place to impress on a first, second, third or any date! Likewise, bring your parents here, and it'll only confirm their suspicions that you're not eating properly. But if you're hungry at that end of town, with 1000Ft in your pocket, and in need of a giggle, Unicornis delivers. It delivers you into a mythological world where a boy who needs some food can find a restaurant that needs a hero.

It's easy to develop a lazy routine as a foreigner in Hungary. You get to know a few places that you like and you just keep on going back for familiar grub, at a familiar spot in a familiar restaurant. But those who earn an average Hungarian wage aren't hitting up sit-down restaurants every night; their bankroll simply wouldn't allow it. So, every so often, when in Budapest, why not do as the Budapesters do?

Kis Pozsonyi
Pannónia utca 2 [map]
Pest, XIII, Jászai Mari tér (T4/6), 1 min
Cuisine > Hungarian, Fast food

Rating: 7.6/10

For weeks I watched a little hole in the wall get transformed into one of these canteen eateries. While the construction was taking place, I fumbled to fathom what might be going in here. Once opened, I was still unsure what Kis Pozsonyi was exactly. The intimacy of the unassuming space was perplexing. Do people eat in this little place? After much internal struggle, I mustered up the courage, and decided to be the intruder on true Hungarian eating culture.

The first couple of times I ate here, I went for soup, sometimes, főzelék, sometimes an additional meat portion. The major selling point: it's cheap. Almost insanely cheap. I grabbed a quick főzelék and a beer, and realized that the more expensive of my two items was the beer, with my check totaling just over 400 forint. That's another selling point, they've got beer—230 for a pohár and 380 for a korsó of Dreher. The rest of the menu is similar fare, Hungarian staple foods all warming in stainless steel trays.

For one thing, at high lunch-traffic time, you can't move in the place. You might have to take a couple of walks around the block before some elbow space frees at one of the maybe ten chairs. Presumably, this is when most of the food gets devoured here, so get there early for the best selection, though they're open 'til 8pm daily.

The people that come here are of all sorts. I've seen cute girls scamper in the door, construction workers just off the job, a flock of French women, and eagerly hungry 30-something males popping in for a quick bite. The fact that it’s family-owned and operated adds to its allure.

It wasn't until after snagging their last leg of duck one day that I came to a stark realization. This must be the little brother to Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő, which I reviewed with much acclaim not long ago. The taste of the duck, along with the red cabbage (accompanied by fries, a simple soup and a beer—a mountain of food for under 1200 forint) was strikingly similar as the restaurant's big brother, which helped me finally put two and two together. Though the smiling chef decal in the window—which the big Pozsonyi shares—should have given it away to me.

Kis Pozsonyi has quickly become my place to go for a quick meal, one that's inexpensive, tasty enough, always reliable, and saves me having to contemplate cooking.

Food: 6.5/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 9/10

Lecsó
Szent István körút 10 [map]
Pest, XIII, Jászai Mari tér (T4/6), 1 min
Cuisine > Hungarian, Fast food

Rating: 5.1/10

Lecsó (named after the Hungarian stew) feels like walking into a bathroom where they serve Hungarian fast-food, thanks to the fresh tile everywhere. The puzzled-looking women behind the troughs of food are robotic in everything from their insincere "szia" to their green look as they spoon out your food. Maybe it's because Lecsó is the new kid on the block, and boy can you tell it. It's big, two floors, and rarely filled with people, except maybe at lunchtime.

Sure there's plenty to choose from, Hungarian soups, goulash, assorted deep friend meats, even desserts and salads, but the employees don't even seem to know what any of it is. Perhaps most off-putting: people watch you eat. The bored ladies have no trivial small talk or menial tasks to tend to, so they stare, silently. Eat here and you'll know how monkeys in cages feel.

The food is not particularly inspiring either; insipid, in fact. Worse still, it’s insanely expensive. On one of my few trips into the place, they managed to con me out of 1070 forint for a dry piece of breaded chicken and a bowl of unidentifiable főzelék! It could have been white beans, maybe potato, who knows?

Oh and a side of rice is 290 forint! Rice? 290 forint!?! Highway robbery!

The only time it might be acceptable to think about eating in Lecsó is from 8 to 10 in the evening, when the food is half price (and still too expensive at that). At least there's no risk of it losing its flavour!

Food: 5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Value for money: 4/10

Both restaurants are a quick jaunt from Jászai Mari tér. Just walk away from the Danube down the körút and Lecsó is on the left. Kis Pozsonyi is on the left a bit further down, on the corner of Pannónia utca, immediately before Vig Színház.
Letcho, Lecho, Lecso
Jacob P.

Radnóti Miklós utca 38 [map]
Pest, XIII, Jászai Mari tér (T4/6), 4 min
Cuisine > Hungarian

Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő has character and plenty of it, but it's not overly boastful and doesn't scream, "HEY! We're a happening Hungarian restaurant." However, the ivy growing on the restaurant's facade is inviting, as are the always-packed tables located outside during the warmer months.

Located on the corner of it's namesake street in the 13th district, Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő holds a special place in my heart. Sure, Pozsonyi út has a quaint allure with it's numerous shoe-box-sized watering holes, cafes, book shops, homey Hungarian craft stores, and plenty of cute geriatric couples walking arm in arm, but that's not the main reason. It's one of the first places where I finally felt like Budapest was my home. It is restaurants like this which are neighborhood staples, and Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő is just that.

Without a doubt, have the duck. I can't stress it enough. HAVE THE DUCK! Quack, quack, quack. Just keep thinking of that bit in The Mighty Ducks as you step in, and don't you forget it, as you browse the lengthy, book-like menu. If you insist on reading it all - just have the duck - you can take a waltz through Hungarian gastronomy but you'll definitely be asking your waitress for a little longer: "Egy pillanat!"

Around 1600 forint gets you half of a fried duck and hearty flavorful sides of red cabbage and smashed potatoes. There's so much food on the plate that if you can finish, you should consider shooting for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

If you're not looking to have to have someone roll you out of the place, or if you're not even willing to spend the measly 1500 for a killer meal, have no fear. The babgulyásleves (bean goulash soup, or "Mr. Bean Soup" as it's translated in the menu) is certainly a meal in itself; chunks of succulent beef, just the right amount of beans, plenty of potatoes and carrots all in a tasty broth, and for under 800 forint. There's also enough similarly priced dishes to fill you up without draining your billfold.


Pozsonyi Kisvendéglő is a spot that you could easily visit once a week, every week. It's also a place to bring friends for their first Hungarian meal or a place for a last hurrah before leaving Budapest, but most importantly, it's a place for really heartwarming, inexpensive Hungarian food. All of this makes Pozsonyi feel like some place you can call your own, even if plenty of others do as well.

Kodály körönd [map]
Pest Centre, VI, Kodály körönd (M1), 0 min
Cuisine>Hungarian

Rating: 7.2/10 (Overall)

Batthyány tér 5 [map]
Buda, II, Batthyány tér (M2, T18), 2 min
Cuisine > Hungarian

Rating: 5.7/10

If I were a bank manager, and a customer dropped by to ask me for a loan to start up his bizarre chain of 24-HOUR pancake stores, I’d raise an eyebrow.

Maybe I’m too English to be thinking about túrós palacsintá at 2 am, or perhaps I don't quite get the Hungarian passion for pancakes. Either way, the unqualified success of Nagyi Palacsintázója strikes me as more than a little surprising.

There are four branches of ‘Grandma’s Pancakes’ in the city, as well as a ridiculously popular pancake boat (!) which opens during the summer. This simple dish seems to have enormous power to cut across generational boundaries - the first thing I notice when I walk into the Batthyány tér branch is that the customers really do range from eight to eighty.

The second thing I realise is that all the grandmothers are on the wrong side of the counter. Granny’s Pancakes!… it brings to mind a rustic kitchen… a sweet old lady bending over a bowl of pancake batter… an adorable squirrel running along the windowsill… birdsong floating in through an open window. In Batthyány the ‘grandmothers’ all seem to be about twenty and wear football shirts.

The third thing I lay eyes on are the five not-very-rustic microwaves, piled on top of one another behind the cash register. This is the real disappointment here; there's something soggy, rubbery and intrinsically depressing about a pre-prepared version. The temperature of the savoury pancakes is also wildly inconsistent; it's hard to shake the niggling feeling that 'Grandma' might be feeding you something which will give you food poisoning.

So far then, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Nagyi Palacsintázója sounds just a little bit crep-ey. Which begs the question... how can it be so popular?

Well, at approximately 220 ft for a palacsintá or 350 ft for a jacket potato (not in a pancake) there's no denying that it's cheap. The sweet pancakes are not at all bad and what's more, it feels authentically Hungarian - in a lot of countries Nagymama's might be considered unusual, and possibly even, daring. Not only are they brave enough to open all hours, there's also a menu which seems rather experimental. It isn't everywhere, after all, that you can buy Milanoi palacsintá, a dish which basically adds up to pasta... in a pancake.

Food: 5/10
Service: 5/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 6.5/10

Take the red line to Batthyány. Go out onto the square and Nagymama's is near the market hall, next to Pizza Marzano. Other branches are here.
Granny's pancakes, Nagmama palacsinta, najmama, palachinta, palacinta, palascinta, pancak.
Andy T.

Fortuna utca 3 [map]
Buda, I, Disz tér (B10/110), 2 min
Tel. 212 5880
Cuisine>Hungarian

Rating: 5.8/10

I rarely consider the Vár (the Castle District) as a destination for anything other than wandering around. Why? Because it's the safe bit of Budapest - it's kind of obvious what you're going to get: pretty Budapest on a plate. A relatively expensive plate. However, there are quite a few restaurants up there, so I thought I'd mingle with the middle-aged tourist crowd for one night only.

Pest-Buda Vendéglő is indeed pretty. We peered in through the window before going in and it looked pleasantly traditional. The sound of the gypsy violin was nice enough too. My sister was in town and, handing in our coats at the reception, it felt a notch above what I was used to. A small but intriguing menu was also priced a notch higher than usual.

Pondering the menu, however, was not straightforward. Why? Because of the Russians on the next table over. The violinist had moved away from his pianist and began to serenade them, something that they clearly weren't too keen on. Hmmm, the rabbit looks quite nice; (in reality it's tasty but a little dry.) The violinist persists. Chicken with strawberries sounds interesting; (in reality the strawberries are jellied and not so interesting.) Oh, I see, he's going to bother them until they tip him. But the Russians are not for turning.

And so, as we ate our starters, we awaited the inevitable. The soup-du-jour was a nice but fairly standard potato soup, while my sister's breadcrumbed pancake filled with pate was twice as expensive but tasty, and in fact, a little too filling. The violinist emerged from over my sister's shoulder. At least he wasn't playing Danny Boy any more - that famed gypsy-folk ballad. We sat uncomfortably amused, thinking "How much to get rid of him for good?" 1000Ft proved to be enough but the rest of the meal was spent contemplating it. The final challenge lay in paying the actual bill: no credit cards accepted.

In retrospect, the whole soap opera was mildly entertaining and the food wasn't bad but I would prefer to decide which 'entertainment' I pay for rather than having it thrust upon me. My suspicion that the Vár isn't the most likely to produce any real gems is now that bit stronger, and I'll be sticking to the more down-to-earth Budapest for the foreseeable future.

Food: 8/10
Service: 5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Value for money: 5/10
Vendeglo
Andy Sz.

Margit körút 105 [map]
Buda, II, Moszkva tér (M2, T4/6), 1 min
Cuisine > Hungarian

Rating: 5.1/10

A butcher's shop might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you consider dining out. (Although calling it dining may be pushing it a bit.)

Standing at what can’t really be described as a table - it’s more of a shelf - I'm eating my sausage in what can’t really be described as a civilised manner. I’m reduced to ripping off juicy pieces with my fingers because I didn’t see the plastic cutlery over at the counter. My nearest neighbour’s shelf etiquette is rather more developed, as he makes good use of his pen-knife.

Getting my food in the first place should have been simple enough, since I'd been tipped off about the procedure: you make your choice, take the slip, pay at the till behind you, and then go back to collect your food. However, in reality, it meant reciting the words "sült kolbász" several times, until I realised that the man at the counter understood "sült kolbász" perfectly well and now wanted to know if I was eating in or not. Sausages are something I prefer not to know too much about so I had absolutely no intention of ending up with the more adventurous hurka, available in three varieties: blood (véres), liver (májas) and lung (tüdős.)

There are plenty of other meat options - not too much for the vegetarian - and side dishes are a little limited: bread, mustard and strange looking pickles (savanyúság). The latter are highly recommended if only for the sake of digestion. On this occasion, due to my poor performance at the counter, I had to resort to the bar across the road for the stodgy food antidote and Hungarian cure-all, a shot of Unicum.

Food: 4/10
Service: 4/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 5.5/10

From Moszkva tér metro or tram stop, walk across the main road and it's there on the corner.
hentes, hentesüzlet, hentesáru, hentesbolt, butcher's, butcher, húsbolt, hús, hus
Andy Sz.

Paulay Ede utca 7 [map]
Pest Centre, VI, Deák tér (M1/2/3), 3 min
Cuisine > International

Rating: 8.5/10

When used together, the words 'travel' and 'restaurant', invoke in me a perverse nostalgia for the Little Chef phenomenon: a series of bog-standard restaurants at the side of British motorways. Now, although not a travel restaurant in that sense - Vista is, in fact, a travel agent - I remained skeptical. My expectations, however, were easily surpassed.

Duck with asparagus wrapped in bacon; pike-perch stuffed with spinach; beef steak, Budapest-style... the food doesn’t disappoint, with enough variation to satisfy both the “I want to try something Hungarian” and the “I’m sick of Hungarian cuisine” camps. A main course can cost under 2000 Ft or over 4000 Ft, while an extensive wine-list also varies from the affordable to the ridiculous. Actually, you can check out the menu yourself, if you have the patience, at VistaCafé's fantastically annoying website.

Face to face, Vista is far more helpful. They seem to have imported an attitude alien to Budapest: the customer comes first. Waiters are polite, friendly and enthusiastic about the food and wine... and they smile! Paper place mats ask politely for your comments, so someone is taking customer service very seriously indeed.

Most importantly, Vista feels nothing like a travel restaurant. The main part is open, airy, with plenty of window-tables and a strange ‘evocative’ tableau above the bar: I leave you to judge. The smoking area is more intimate. Altogether, it's pretty sizeable, making it an ideal choice for large groups or last minute decisions.

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Value for money: 8.5/10

No matter how long you're in Budapest for, there are a few places we think you should really check out. So we've created: