25 upscale rooms in Budapest, editor-picked. occasion rooms in Budapest: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Budapest food.
Bortársaság Lánchíd ★ 4.8
varkerulet · Lánchíd utca 5, 1013 Budapest
Bortarsasag's flagship store on Lanchid utca, steps from the Chain Bridge, is the country's leading Hungarian wine merchant with daily tastings.
Tip: Pet friendly; Hungarian wine flight tastings run on Saturdays at 16:00.
Borkonyha Winekitchen ★ 4.6
lipotvaros · Sas utca 3, 1051 Budapest
Akos Sarkozi's Borkonyha behind St Stephen's Basilica on Sas utca holds one Michelin star and pours from a 200-bottle Hungarian wine list, downtown Budapest.
Tip: Mon to Fri open from 18:00, Sat from 12:00, closed Sunday; book a Saturday lunch for daylight on the wine list.
Szimpla Kert ★ 4.6
erzsebetvaros · Kazinczy utca 14, 1075 Budapest
Szimpla Kert on Kazinczy in the Jewish Quarter is Budapest's original ruin bar, opened in 2002 and at this address since 2004 in an old stove factory.
Tip: No reservations, first-come; entry is free, the Sunday farmers' market runs 09:00-14:00.
Doblo Wine Bar ★ 4.6
erzsebetvaros · Dob utca 20, 1072 Budapest
Doblo on Dob utca in the Jewish Quarter pours over 100 Hungarian wines and pálinka by the glass in a former shop, with live jazz Wednesdays in Budapest.
Tip: Daily 14:00-01:00; the Wednesday jazz night books out, arrive before 21:00.
Drop Shop Wine Bar ★ 4.5
lipotvaros · Balassi Bálint utca 27, 1055 Budapest
Drop Shop on Balassi Balint near Parliament is a stylish bar-boutique pouring around 50 wines by the glass, from Hungarian regions and abroad.
Tip: Closed Sundays; weekday afternoons the room is open for daytime tastings.
MÁK Restaurant ★ 4.4
lipotvaros · Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4, 1051 Budapest
MAK Restaurant on Vigyazo Ferenc near Parliament is a long-running Michelin Guide modern Hungarian room with seasonal tastings and a sharp Hungarian wine.
Tip: Book the chef's counter to talk to chef Janos Mizsei mid-service.
Borkonyha Winekitchen ★ 4.4
lipotvaros · Sas utca 3, 1051 Budapest
Akos Sarkozi's Borkonyha Winekitchen behind St Stephen's Basilica on Sas utca holds one Michelin star and serves modern Hungarian plates built around 200.
Tip: The kitchen runs Monday to Saturday and closes Sundays and public holidays; book a Saturday lunch for the relaxed pace.
Mazel Tov ★ 4.4
erzsebetvaros · Akácfa utca 47, 1073 Budapest
Mazel Tov on Akacfa in the Jewish Quarter is a Mediterranean ruin garden in an early 1900s courtyard, with mezze, shawarma and live klezmer most nights.
Tip: Open noon to midnight daily; book a week ahead for weekends, glass-roof courtyard fills first.
Boutiq'Bar ★ 4.4
terezvaros · Paulay Ede utca 5, 1061 Budapest
Boutiq'Bar on Paulay Ede in Terezvaros is one of Budapest's serious cocktail rooms, with classic cocktails poured by a tightly drilled team near the Opera.
Tip: Wed 18:00-24:00, Thu 18:00-01:00, Fri-Sat 18:00-02:00; closed Sun, Mon and Tue.
Pierrot ★ 4.3
varkerulet · Fortuna utca 14, 1014 Budapest
Pierrot on Fortuna utca, the first private cafe-restaurant in Budapest since 1982, sits in a 13th-century bakery in the Buda Castle, with modern Hungarian.
Tip: Wed to Sun 11:30-23:00; book the 13th-century garden seats for a slow Castle Hill evening.
Warm Up Bar ★ 4.3
erzsebetvaros · Nagy Diófa utca 26, 1072 Budapest
Warm Up on Nagy Diofa utca in the Jewish Quarter is a modern Budapest cocktail bar built on Hungarian spirits like palinka and Unicum, with serious technique.
Tip: Open Tue to Sat from 18:00; book the bar seats for the bartenders' attention.
Fekete Kutya ★ 4.3
erzsebetvaros · Dob utca 31, 1074 Budapest
Fekete Kutya on Dob utca pours 25 Hungarian craft beers from rotating taps in a tiny Jewish Quarter front room, where Budapest brewers come to drink.
Tip: Cash and card; the room is tiny, share a table or stand at the bar.
Kadarka Wine Bar ★ 4.3
terezvaros · Király utca 42, 1061 Budapest
Kadarka on Kiraly utca pours 150-plus Hungarian small-grower wines by the glass, with eight types of Kadarka and the Szekszard region front and centre.
Tip: Daily 16:00 to midnight; the staff run themed Hungarian wine tastings on Wednesdays.
21 Magyar Vendéglő ★ 4.2
varkerulet · Fortuna utca 21, 1014 Budapest
21 Magyar Vendeglo on Fortuna utca in the Buda Castle district has cooked modern Hungarian classics in red pots since 2008, with a 21 private-label Hungarian.
Tip: Daily noon to 23:00; book ahead for dinner, the upstairs room is the quieter one.
Instant-Fogas ★ 4.2
erzsebetvaros · Akácfa utca 49-51, 1073 Budapest
Instant-Fogas on Akacfa utca is a seven-room ruin-bar megaplex with 18 bars and 1200 square metres of dance floor across courtyards in the Jewish Quarter.
Tip: Daily 18:00-06:00, free entry; the back rooms each have a different soundtrack.
Kisüzem ★ 4.2
erzsebetvaros · Kis Diófa utca 2, 1077 Budapest
Kisuzem on Kis Diofa utca in the Jewish Quarter is a long-running local bar with bistro plates, Hungarian wine list and a steady crowd of artists and writers.
Tip: Daily 11:30-24:00; the back room is quieter for conversation.
Doboz ★ 4.2
erzsebetvaros · Klauzál utca 10, 1072 Budapest
Doboz on Klauzal utca is a Jewish Quarter ruin garden with a 320-year-old tree and a red box-shaped centerpiece, opened in 2011 as the polished end.
Tip: Wed to Sat 18:00-06:00; the upper dance floor is the club end, the courtyard is calmer.
DiVino Borbár ★ 4.2
lipotvaros · Szent István tér 3, 1051 Budapest
DiVino on Szent Istvan ter in front of the Basilica pours Hungarian young-vintner wines by the glass on a busy square terrace, downtown Budapest.
Tip: Cash and card; the Basilica-facing terrace fills first on summer evenings.
Tuk Tuk Bar ★ 4.1
terezvaros · Paulay Ede utca 31, 1061 Budapest
Tuk Tuk on Paulay Ede in the Casati boutique hotel is a tiny dark Terezvaros cocktail bar with purple walls, red silk curtains and Asian-spiced cocktails.
Tip: Reservations advised, the room is intimate; phone the bar to hold seats on weekend nights.
Halászbástya Étterem ★ 4.0
varkerulet · Halászbástya, 1014 Budapest
Halaszbastya Etterem occupies the neo-Romanesque Fisherman's Bastion on Castle Hill, with modern Hungarian tasting menus and panoramic Danube views over Pest.
Tip: Three rooms in the bastion (Restaurant, Bistro, Cafe); book the Restaurant for the tasting and the terrace.
MÁK Restaurant ★ 4.0
lipotvaros · Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4, 1051 Budapest
MAK on Vigyazo Ferenc utca near Parliament is a long-running Michelin Guide pick for modern Hungarian cooking, with seasonal tasting menus and a sharp wine.
Tip: MAK lost its Michelin star but still cooks like a starred room; book the chef's counter for the closest seat to the open kitchen.
Halászbástya Étterem ★ 4.0
varkerulet · Halászbástya, 1014 Budapest
Halaszbastya occupies the neo-Romanesque Fisherman's Bastion on Castle Hill, with modern Hungarian tasting menus and panoramic Danube views over Pest.
Tip: Three rooms (Restaurant, Bistro, Cafe); the Restaurant is the slowest, longest evening.
Csendes Létterem Vintage Bar ★ 4.0
lipotvaros · Ferenczy István utca 5, 1053 Budapest
Csendes Létterem on Ferenczy István utca near Astoria is a vintage-junk-shop bar pouring house cocktails and Hungarian beer in a flea-market room.
Tip: Daily 10:00-24:00; the back room is the loudest, front room the quietest.
Szatyor Bár és Galéria ★ 4.0
ujbuda · Bartók Béla út 36, 1111 Budapest
Szatyor on Bartok Bela ut in Ujbuda is an art-bar with rotating local exhibitions, Hungarian wine and a small Mediterranean food menu shared with Hadik next.
Tip: Daily 11:00-24:00; the gallery rotates new local artists monthly.
Palack Borbár ★ 4.0
ujbuda · Szent Gellért tér 3, 1114 Budapest
Palack Borbar near Szent Gellert ter in Ujbuda is a Buda-side wine bar pouring Hungarian small-grower and natural wines, with bistro plates and a quiet.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the back room has a stand-up bar with a 10-glass rotation.