18 restaurants worth the trip across Hungary, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Hungary guides.
Stand ★ 4.8 · Budapest
terezvaros · Székely Mihály utca 2, 1061 Budapest
Szabina Szullo and Tamas Szell's Stand cooks two-Michelin-star modern Hungarian tasting menus from a Terezvaros room near Andrassy and Liszt Ferenc ter.
Tip: Bookings open 60 days ahead via SevenRooms; arrive on time, tables held only 20 minutes.
Borkonyha Winekitchen ★ 4.6 · Budapest
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.
Babel Budapest ★ 4.6 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Piarista köz 2, 1052 Budapest
Babel in Lipotvaros holds one Michelin star and cooks Austro-Hungarian fine dining with Transylvanian roots over 8 and 13-course tastings near Vaci utca.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday only; ask for a counter seat by the pass.
Costes ★ 4.6 · Budapest
ferencvaros · Ráday utca 4, 1092 Budapest
Costes on Raday utca was the first restaurant in Hungary to earn a Michelin star in 2010 and still cooks a seven-course tasting in a Ferencvaros townhouse.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays; the in-house butter, preserves and ham are made on site.
Salt Budapest ★ 4.6 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Királyi Pál utca 4, 1053 Budapest
Szilard Toth's Salt holds one Michelin star on Kiralyi Pal utca, a quiet downtown room cooking 15-course tastings built around fermentation.
Tip: Counter seats face the open kitchen; book at least three weeks ahead.
Rumour by Rácz Jenő ★ 4.6 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Petőfi tér 3-5, 1051 Budapest
Jeno Racz's one-star Rumour is a 21-seat counter kitchen on Petofi ter where an eleven-course menu mixes Hungarian roots with Asian and European influences.
Tip: Entry is via an unmarked door; arrive at the address ten minutes early for the host.
Costes Downtown ★ 4.5 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Vigyázó Ferenc utca 5, 1051 Budapest
Costes Downtown sits in the Michelin Guide on the ground floor of the Prestige Hotel near Parliament, a calmer Lipotvaros sister kitchen to the original.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only; the Sunday brunch is bookable separately and fills a week in advance.
essência ★ 4.5 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Sas utca 17, 1051 Budapest
Essencia on Sas utca holds one Michelin star for Portuguese chef Tiago and his Hungarian wife Eva, a small warm room cooking Portuguese-Hungarian tastings.
Tip: Eva chooses the pairing in the room; ask for Hungarian pairings over the Portuguese list.
Hungarikum Bisztró ★ 4.5 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Steindl Imre utca 13, 1051 Budapest
Hungarikum Bisztro on Steindl Imre near Parliament cooks the canonical Hungarian classics, with gulyás, chicken paprikash and stuffed cabbage in a tiny.
Tip: Online reservation only; the room is small and books out for both lunch and dinner.
Kispiac Bisztró ★ 4.5 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Hold utca 13, 1054 Budapest
Kispiac Bisztro next to the Hold utca market in the 5th district is a six-table Hungarian room cooking veal liver, pork belly and roast duck right.
Tip: Six tables, lunch Mon to Sat noon to 22:00; book at least two days ahead.
MÁK Restaurant ★ 4.4 · Budapest
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.
Klassz Étterem és Borbolt ★ 4.4 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Andrássy út 41, 1061 Budapest
Klassz on Andrassy ut in Budapest's Erzsebetvaros runs a modern Hungarian carte around mangalica pork and foie gras, paired with the country's deepest.
Tip: Reservations not accepted; arrive 11:30 or after 21:00 to avoid the wait.
Mazel Tov ★ 4.4 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Akácfa utca 47, 1073 Budapest
Mazel Tov on Akacfa utca in the Jewish Quarter is a Mediterranean ruin garden in an early 1900s courtyard, with mezze, lamb shawarma and live klezmer most.
Tip: Open noon to midnight daily; book a week ahead for weekends.
Gettó Gulyás ★ 4.4 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Wesselényi utca 18, 1077 Budapest
Getto Gulyas on Wesselenyi in the Jewish Quarter cooks 14 varieties of Hungarian stews and goulashes alongside Jewish-Hungarian classics, Budapest.
Tip: Tiny room, no walk-ins after 19:00; reserve a day ahead Booking recommended for weekends.
Pierrot ★ 4.3 · Budapest
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.
Két Szerecsen ★ 4.2 · Budapest
terezvaros · Nagymező utca 14, 1065 Budapest
Ket Szerecsen on Nagymezo utca, Pest's Broadway theatre strip, is a two-floor bistro and cafe serving Mediterranean-Hungarian crossover plates from breakfast.
Tip: Open 08:00-24:00 weekdays, 09:00-24:00 weekends; the upstairs balcony is the quieter room.
Menza Étterem ★ 4.1 · Budapest
terezvaros · Liszt Ferenc tér 2, 1061 Budapest
Menza on Liszt Ferenc ter is a retro-70s Budapest bistro just off Andrassy boulevard, cooking modern takes on the Hungarian canteen canon at a steady.
Tip: Open 11:00-23:00 daily; the kitchen runs 11:30-22:30 and the terrace fills first.
Halászbástya Étterem ★ 4.0 · Budapest
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.