Guidebook for Budapest
Food Scene
This is the local market. Super colorful. Come here for fresh veggies or for eating Hungarian delicacies among actual Hungarians for a fraction of the price... Just as you enter, grab some lángos (deep fried bread dough - garlic is a must), or go upstairs and look for the tiny Vietnamese lady who has amazing pho. Also: fresh cow's milk or goat's milk! Bring an empty plastic bottle for the seller to fill up. Unless your stomach is used to it, give it a boil when you get home - this is literally straight from the udder. SO tasty.
MO-FRI: 6am-6pm
SAT: 6am-2pm
SUN: 6am-1pm
Closed on holidays!
129 locals recommend
Lehel tér M
This is the local market. Super colorful. Come here for fresh veggies or for eating Hungarian delicacies among actual Hungarians for a fraction of the price... Just as you enter, grab some lángos (deep fried bread dough - garlic is a must), or go upstairs and look for the tiny Vietnamese lady who has amazing pho. Also: fresh cow's milk or goat's milk! Bring an empty plastic bottle for the seller to fill up. Unless your stomach is used to it, give it a boil when you get home - this is literally straight from the udder. SO tasty.
MO-FRI: 6am-6pm
SAT: 6am-2pm
SUN: 6am-1pm
Closed on holidays!
Oriental Soup House
35 Balzac u.Vietnamese soups, super tasty, limited vegetarian options.
Sarki Fűszeres
53-55 Pozsonyi útGreat sandwiches and coffee, outdoor seating with atmosphere.
A family-run restaurant with inventive French-Hungarian fusion kitchen. Home-made bread. Clever, hand-drawn decorations. Open with a foie gras & Tokaji dessert wine combo and close with the delectable fondant . mmm. kitchen is open until midnight. This district is full of party spots when you're done with your meal.
42 locals recommend
M Restaurant
48 Kertész u.A family-run restaurant with inventive French-Hungarian fusion kitchen. Home-made bread. Clever, hand-drawn decorations. Open with a foie gras & Tokaji dessert wine combo and close with the delectable fondant . mmm. kitchen is open until midnight. This district is full of party spots when you're done with your meal.
Hands down the best bakery. Coffee is great, too. Diós csiga (Walnut swirls) are a classic Hungarian treat & also my favourite.
32 locals recommend
Pékműhely
24 Batthyány u.Hands down the best bakery. Coffee is great, too. Diós csiga (Walnut swirls) are a classic Hungarian treat & also my favourite.
Bors never fails to entertain... they have rather unusual taste & ingredient pairings, as well as an amusing obsession with Star Wars. Tiny locale, be prepared to eat the food outside on the street. Famous for very affordable soup & sandwich combos. Right in the center of town.
208 locals recommend
Bors Gastro Bar
10 Kazinczy u.Bors never fails to entertain... they have rather unusual taste & ingredient pairings, as well as an amusing obsession with Star Wars. Tiny locale, be prepared to eat the food outside on the street. Famous for very affordable soup & sandwich combos. Right in the center of town.
Drinks & Nightlife
A great local bar that attracts lots of international folk. Kind of a small space, but that gives it its feel. Sample some beer specialties here.
17 locals recommend
Hintaló Iszoda
Bacsó Béla utcaA great local bar that attracts lots of international folk. Kind of a small space, but that gives it its feel. Sample some beer specialties here.
A ship converted into a music venue. Check out their website for current gigs! Great spot to catch a concert or dance.
https://www.a38.hu/en
320 locals recommend
A38
Petőfi hídA ship converted into a music venue. Check out their website for current gigs! Great spot to catch a concert or dance.
https://www.a38.hu/en
Parks & Nature
This is a great spot right near the apartment if you're a jogger. Just cross Margaret Bridge. They have a running track that loops around the island (5km). There are also several public pools on the island, which I'll link separately.
1643 locals recommend
Margaret Island Mini Zoo
MargitszigetThis is a great spot right near the apartment if you're a jogger. Just cross Margaret Bridge. They have a running track that loops around the island (5km). There are also several public pools on the island, which I'll link separately.
Arts & Culture
Budapest has a pretty serious theatre scene. Much of it will unfortunately stay hidden to you unless you have a spare decade to learn one of the most difficult languages on Earth... But Trafó frequently has stunning modern dance theatre shows, and dance is an international language... Here's their website:
http://trafo.hu/en-US
88 locals recommend
Trafó Kortárs Művészetek Háza
41 Liliom u.Budapest has a pretty serious theatre scene. Much of it will unfortunately stay hidden to you unless you have a spare decade to learn one of the most difficult languages on Earth... But Trafó frequently has stunning modern dance theatre shows, and dance is an international language... Here's their website:
http://trafo.hu/en-US
Entertainment & Activities
Hungary was under Turkish occupation for 150 years - and sometimes it shows, like in this traditional Turkish bath, with some flairs added in Socialist times. Budapest has ridiculous amounts of thermal water, but this is my favorite of the baths, the least pretentious & cheapest, too.
Super relaxing, the air steamy, the Turkish arches overhead are gorgeous... A good mix of locals over 60 and tourists under 30 :) enjoy, soak in the hot water & make sure to act in a way that is not jarring for those 60+ locals who have been coming here for decades to heal their aches & pains....
145 locals recommend
Király Thermal Bath
84 Fő u. Hungary was under Turkish occupation for 150 years - and sometimes it shows, like in this traditional Turkish bath, with some flairs added in Socialist times. Budapest has ridiculous amounts of thermal water, but this is my favorite of the baths, the least pretentious & cheapest, too.
Super relaxing, the air steamy, the Turkish arches overhead are gorgeous... A good mix of locals over 60 and tourists under 30 :) enjoy, soak in the hot water & make sure to act in a way that is not jarring for those 60+ locals who have been coming here for decades to heal their aches & pains....