The 9th holds the Great Market Hall on Vámház, the Bálna riverfront and Ráday utca's restaurant strip, including the original Costes.
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.
Signature: Seven-course tasting, Foie gras
Order: The seven-course tasting with the matching wines.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays; the in-house butter, preserves and ham are made on site.
Costes on Raday utca was Hungary's first Michelin-starred restaurant in 2010 and still cooks a refined seven-course tasting in a Ferencvaros townhouse off.
Order: The seven-course tasting menu with the wine pairing; the butter, preserves and ham are made on the premises.
Tip: Costes Downtown is the sister kitchen in Lipotvaros; the original on Raday is the slower, longer evening.
Kolbice by Kobe at the Fovam Square Central Market Hall puts six grilled mini sausages in a whole-wheat bread cone with cheddar sauce and sauerkraut.
Try: Sausage in a bread cone (kolbice)
Order: The signature kolbice cone with cheddar sauce, fresh sauerkraut and Hungarian mustard.
Tip: Ground floor inside the Central Market Hall; standing-only, eat at the high tops by the entrance.
The upper-floor langos counters inside the Central Market Hall on Vamhaz korut are the landmark Budapest spot for a sour-cream-and-cheese langos.
Try: Lángos at the upper-floor stalls
Order: The classic langos with sour cream, garlic and grated cheese.
Tip: Cash only most stalls; head upstairs to the gallery once you have crossed Vamhaz krt.
Elesztohaz on Tuzolto utca in Ferencvaros is a ruin-bar craft beer hall with 21 Hungarian taps in a former glass factory, a Budapest beer pilgrimage.
Order: A flight of four small pours from rotating Hungarian micro-breweries.
Tip: Daily 15:00-04:00; food is bistro-Hungarian, served until 23:00.
The Central Market Hall on Vamhaz korut, designed by Samu Pecz in 1897, is Budapest's oldest and largest indoor market at the head of Vaci utca.
Order: Hungarian paprika in a wooden box and a langos from the upper-gallery counter.
Tip: Closed Sundays; arrive before 11:00 to avoid the tour-group rush on the gallery.
Budapest Market Tour runs a private three-market deep dive led by chef-guide Andrew across Budapest's market halls, with food tastings and homemade palinka.
Order: Ask Andrew to walk you through Hungarian paprika grades and mangalica curing at the meat counters.
Tip: Private tours, max 6 guests; the operator guarantees a refund if you do not leave with a deeper understanding of the city.
Chefparade on Pava utca in Ferencvaros has run Hungarian cooking classes since 2008, with goulash, chicken paprikash and dobos torta on hands-on three-hour.
Order: Ask the chef to walk you through paprika handling before the soup hits the pot.
Tip: Classes run daily morning and afternoon; the optional Central Market walk-in lead picks the ingredients each day.
Budapest Cooking Class runs hands-on Hungarian cooking workshops in a Ferencvaros home near Petofi Bridge, with three-course menus around goulash.
Order: Ask the host for the optional market walk before the class starts.
Tip: Optional Central Market or Hold utca market walk-in add-on; book direct via the operator's site.
Flavours of Hungary meets at the Central Market Hall entrance for a guided produce shop, then walks to a private kitchen for a hands-on Hungarian lunch class.
Order: Ask the host for a paprika-grading session at the market spice counter.
Tip: Daily except Sundays; the market portion of the class is the strongest, ask plenty of questions.
The upper-gallery langos counters inside the Central Market Hall on Vamhaz korut are the iconic Budapest spot for a 2,000 Ft lunch over Hungarian fried dough.
Try: Lángos at the gallery counters
Order: The classic lángos with sour cream, garlic and grated cheese.
Tip: Cash only at most stalls; closed Sundays; the gallery is upstairs from the produce floor.
Opus Jazz Club in Budapest is the public face of the Budapest Music Center on Mátyás utca, programming contemporary jazz Wednesday through Saturday at 21:00 with a tight sound system and a seasonal Hungarian kitchen.
Tip: Book the dinner-and-show table for a guaranteed centre view; standing tickets near the bar are fine if the room is not sold out.
Jedermann Café in Budapest is the long-running jazz cafe on Ráday utca opened by Hans van Vliet in 2010, with string quartets, swing and funk on Friday and Saturday nights and a student crowd by day.
Tip: Weekend tables fill by 20:00, email ahead. Festival jam sessions during the spring jazz programme run later than the listed close.