The Palace District north of Üllői út, with Bródy Sándor's wine cellars, Krúdy utca bistros and a slow gentrification.
Rakoczi teri Vasarcsarnok in Jozsefvaros is the 1897 Pest market hall locals shop at for produce, cheese, pickles and meat, calmer and cheaper.
Order: A jar of Hungarian pickles and a wedge of trappist cheese from the dairy counter.
Tip: Closed Sundays; M4 metro stops at Rakoczi ter, 40 percent cheaper than central markets.
Taste Hungary, the city's leading food and wine tour company since 2008, runs a Jewish Quarter walk with lunch covering Budapest's Jewish food renaissance.
Order: Ask for the palinka tasting in the Tasting Table cellar at Brody Sandor 9 either side of the walk.
Tip: The Brody Sandor cellar tasting can also be booked stand-alone at 15:00 or 18:00.
Taste Hungary runs a private day tour from Budapest to the Tokaj wine region with three winery visits, six to eight wines at each and a regional specialties.
Order: Ask the winemaker for a side-by-side dry Furmint and Tokaji Aszu pour.
Tip: Drive each way is 2.5 hrs; the tour is private so the wineries are tailored to taste.
Taste Hungary's Tasting Table on Brody Sandor utca runs Hungarian wine-and-food pairing sessions in a Palace District cellar, with Tokaj, Eger and Villany.
Order: Ask for the optional Aszu pour at the end of the Tokaj-themed session.
Tip: Pairings rather than cookery; book the Tokaj or Eger session for a regional focus.