Best places in Budapest, recommended by locals.

Belváros-Lipótváros is Budapest’s central 5th District and part of the city’s World Heritage area.

Buda Castle’s District I surrounds royal palaces, medieval streets, viewpoints and cultural sites.

Széchenyi is a thermal-bath complex in City Park at Állatkerti körút 9–11.

Rudas is a thermal-bath complex at Döbrentei tér 9 with an outdoor jacuzzi overlooking the Danube.

Gellért Thermal Bath is at Kelenhegyi út 2 and is closed for renovation.

Closed. Reopening is planned for 2028.

Véndiák is a long-running restaurant on Egyetem Square serving traditional Hungarian dishes and international specialities.

Gundel is a historic Hungarian restaurant near City Park and Heroes’ Square.

Mazel Tov is a Jewish Quarter restaurant serving New Jewish Kitchen dishes such as shakshuka, falafel and hummus.

Borkonyha is a Sas utca restaurant with an à la carte menu and Hungarian and international wines.

Trattoria Pomo D’oro is a traditional Italian restaurant serving pasta, risotto, pizza, meat and seafood dishes.

New York Café is the historic coffee house inside the New York Palace, with cakes, desserts and Hungarian dishes.

Gerlóczy is a Parisian-style café and restaurant at Gerlóczy utca 1 with seasonal dishes and Hungarian classics.

Gerbeaud is a Vörösmarty Square café and confectionery serving classic pastries and newer cake variations.

The Citadella stands on Gellért Hill above the Danube, with exhibitions and city views.

The Freedom Monument stands beside the Citadella on Gellért Hill and commemorates Hungary’s freedom and independence.

Heroes’ Square stands at the end of Andrássy Avenue beside City Park.

Andrássy Avenue is a 19th-century boulevard with the historic Millennium Underground Railway beneath it.

Hungary’s Parliament is a 19th-century official building on the Danube beside Kossuth Square.

Kossuth Square beside Parliament has free exhibitions on Hungarian legislation and the 1956 memorial.

The Hungarian State Opera House is Miklós Ybl’s Neo-Renaissance building on Andrássy Avenue.

The Dohány Street Synagogue complex includes the synagogue, Hungarian Jewish Museum, Memorial Park and wartime remembrance sites.

In Town Hot Pot is a shared tabletop hot-pot restaurant in Jegenye utca in Budapest’s 10th District.

Szimpla Kert is a pub at Kazinczy utca 14 that also hosts cultural, youth and civil events.

Spicy Fish is the Chinese restaurant at Jegenye utca 26, distinct from its Corvin and Király locations.

Wang Mester is a Chinese restaurant at Gizella út 46/A.

The Gizella út branch is closed for renovations. Its reopening is unconfirmed.

Iguana Bar & Grill serves Mexican-American food, tequila, mezcal and cocktails at Zoltán utca 16.

TAKO is a Mexican restaurant at Múzeum körút 7 serving fresh, homemade gluten-free tacos.

Textúra is a Sas utca restaurant serving playful haute cuisine through à la carte and tasting menus.

Essência Restaurant Tiago & Éva combines Portuguese and Hungarian influences in à la carte and tasting menus.

2 Spaghi is an Italian-run fresh pasta bar in Gozsdu-udvar, making pasta daily with house-made sauces.

Amici Miei is an Italian restaurant on Corvin sétány serving fresh pasta, oven-baked pizza and wine.

Nobu Budapest is the restaurant and separate Nobu Club space inside the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus.

Hotsy Totsy is a Prohibition-era-inspired cocktail bar using classic foundations and modern techniques.

SALT reworks Hungarian dishes with local ingredients, foraged herbs and fermentation at Királyi Pál utca 4.

Stand Restaurant offers chef and vegetarian tasting menus at Székely Mihály utca 2.

Akademia Italia combines an Italian restaurant and delicatessen with cooking, language and event spaces.

Cirkusz is a breakfast, brunch and specialty-coffee venue at Dob utca 25.

Cookie Beacon Basilica is the brand’s original Budapest brunch spot near St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Cookie Beacon Ferenciek tere is the brand’s second Budapest brunch spot with the same all-day menu and its own pavement terrace.

Blueberry Brunch serves all-day breakfast and blueberry specialities at Hercegprímás utca 17.

Mio Brunch & Bar serves breakfast and lunch, including omelettes, sandwiches, shakshuka, grilled dishes and salads.

Instant-Fogas Complex is a nightlife venue at Akácfa utca 49–51 with private-event rooms and table reservations.

Akvárium Klub is a club and terrace venue at Erzsébet tér 12, served by the M1, M2 and M3 metro lines.

My Little Melbourne Coffee is a specialty-coffee venue at Madách Imre út 3 with AeroPress, Chemex and V60 brews.

Puli & Juhász is a downtown csárda serving classic Hungarian food with locally sourced ingredients.

A Főzelékes specialises in főzelék, Hungarian vegetable stews, at Nagymező utca 18.

BIGFISH SEAFOOD BISTRO combines a fish market with a grill-focused restaurant at Andrássy út 44.

Bigfish at Time Out Market is a seafood counter in Corvin Palace serving seasonal seafood, sushi, oysters and fish and chips.

Retro Goulash House serves Hungarian and Eastern European food, including slow-cooked goulash and lángos fried to order.

Cork is an all-day breakfast and wine restaurant at Hajós utca 17, serving European and traditional Ukrainian dishes.

Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden is a zoo on Állatkerti körút with animal exhibits and visitor entrances along the street.

City Park Ice Rink and Boating Lake is a seasonal City Park venue for winter skating and warm-weather boating.

For kids

Városligeti Nagyjátszótér is a free City Park playground with around 50 play features, including slides, swings and climbing structures.

Budapest Shooting is an indoor shooting range at Nagymező utca 37–39 with bookable shooting experiences.

Churchill Shooting is an indoor shooting range at Holló utca 6 with bookable shooting packages.

Locked Room Budapest is an escape-room venue at Székely Mihály utca 4 with themed games for small groups.

PaniQ-Room is an escape-room venue at Paulay Ede utca 20 with Indiana Jones, Predator and Game of Thrones themed games.

Paintball Barlang is an indoor paintball field at Török utca 1 with light and sound effects.

For kids

MiniPolisz is an indoor role-play city for children at Király utca 8–10, where children explore with an accompanying adult.

Budapest Óriáskereke is a Ferris wheel on Erzsébet tér that has operated there since 2013.

Rotating soups and grilled baguettes make Bors a quick street-food stop on Kazinczy utca.

Bamba Marha’s Deák branch serves burgers with house-made sauces.

Bamba Marha’s Astoria branch serves its burger menu near the busy Astoria junction.

A McDonald’s beside Nyugati station with an ornate historic dining room.

Turkish kebab, gyros and falafel at the Akácfa Street counter.

Mexican street food on Teréz körút.

Mexican lunch or dinner with vegetarian dishes and desserts at Anker köz.

Tacos, burritos and quesadillas at Papitos’ Madách street-food counter.

Simon’s Burger Flagship is the Bárczy István utca branch for burgers, fries and shakes.

Busan Seafood is a Korean restaurant on Hajós utca.

Explore its courtyards and towers for a close look at Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque details in City Park.