Eating your way through Budapest

If you have to name one Hungarian dish, I’m pretty sure the most people would say Goulash. The soup with a distinct taste of paprika is still frequently found on the menus in restaurants serving traditional food.

Now, you have probably already guessed that our aim was not to find the place with the best Goulash soup in Budapest, but to experience and share the diversity of this culinary city with plenty of restaurants of different nationalities and styles. There is so much to choose from, that the challenge is to actually choose! Four days filled with delightful breakfasts, luscious lunches and divine dinners. We are convinced, and the proof is there - our weight has increased dramatically….because we’re worth it!

Bistro Mak has the atmosphere and friendliness which are so important beside the quality of food. Mak offers an excellent 3-courses lunch including homemade bread and a glass of wine for the same price as a second-rated lunch i Stockholm. The interior is modern rustic bistro style, with tables in massive wood, various kinds of chairs, blackboard menu and wine bottles decorating the raw brick and stone walls. 'Mak' means poppy seed and I highly recommend you to try their special poppy-seed dessert - delish!
Address: Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4, 1051 Budapest
Opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday: 12.00–15.00, 18.00–0.00
www.makbistro.hu/en/main

At a small cozy square, in the heart of Pest, you find Gerlóczy Kávéház. Here you can eat updated traditional Hungarian cuisine and grilled dishes from outdoor barbeque. We had a delicious calf liver served on traditional langos (a kind of bread) and grilled mackerel. As always, the ambience and interior increase the culinary experience. I see myself in a movie dated 1940. Lace curtains, high ceilings, a harpist playing in the corner, sometimes interrupted by the singing of the canary living on the upper floor. In case you eat too much and need a rest you can rent one of the 19 rooms offered by the same owner which are located behind the restaurant. From early spring the terrace is open. One of the best spots for people watching while having a coffee or a glass a wine.
Address: Gerlóczy street 1, 1052 Budapest
Opening hours: Daily 07.00 – 23.00    
www.gerloczy.hu 

Zona is offering innovative, ambitious cooking. It is modern gastronomy in the upper class. The 5-course menu is fixed with your choice of fish or meet as main course. Trendy interior in an old building with high celings.
Address: Lánchíd Utca 7/9, 1013 Budapest
Opening hours:
Tuesday-Wednesday: 12.00–24.00, kitchen: 12.00–15.00 & 18.30–22.30
Thursday-Friday: 12.00–01.00, kitchen 12.00–15.00 & 18.30–22.30
Saturday: 13.00 – 01.00, kitchen 13.00-16.00 & 18.30-22.30
www.zonabudapest.com/en

Halaszbastya means Fishermen’s bastion. It's the name of the restaurant and the location. Leave the tourist crowds outside, enter into the magnificent venue and enjoy the Hungarian-International cuisine when it is at its best. Admired the impressive chandeliers and get breathless by the marvelous view over the Parliament on the Pest-side.  
Address: Budai Vár 1014 Budapest
Opening hours: Daily 09.00 – 23.00
www.eng.halaszbastya.eu

 Don’t let the location stop you from a visit at Bock Bisztro Buda. You will regret yourself if you miss the excellent culinary experience this restaurant is offering. I would describe the cuisine as upgraded Hungarian food with crosscooking and Asian influences. From April the terrace is open and you can enjoy the beautiful green surroundings. Have a good look at the childhood photos in the entrance and try to figure out who is your waiter? If you are on Pest-side it takes about 15 minutes by taxi to reach Bock Bisztro which is located on Buda-side.
Address: Szarvas Gabor ut 8, 1125 Budapest (XII distriktet och utanför kartan).
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 12.00-23.00. Closed Mondays and holidays.
www.bockbisztrobuda.hu/en

The Gundel Restaurant has passed the age of 100 years but continues to be an elegant lady who keeps up the high standard on food and service. The interior reminds of a bygone era which is immune against modern trends and I really hope it will always stay like this. On a romantic weekend trip to Budapest the brunch that is served on Gundel every Sunday is a must! PS! Be sure to save room for the desserts....
Address: Állatkerti körút 4, 1146 Budapest
Opening hours: 12.00-24.00, Sunday brunch 11.30-15.00
www.gundel.hu/en

If you are longing for meat – beef, pork, goose, chicken or lamb you simply must go to LaciPecsenye!  Most of the beef is from Argentina and wooden-grilled. The menu is balanced and not too large. For lunch you can have a fixed menu with 2- or 3-courses for a very decent price. LaciPecsenye is located in the city center of Pest, on the square outside the basilica. The interior is relaxed, bistro-like and cool. The service i excellent and we give extra points for the Riedel glasses. The same owner will soon open (or maybe it’s already up and running) a dim-sum place next door to LaciPecsenye. Something to check out on our next visit to Budapest.
Address: Sas utca 11, Budapest 1051 – please note that the entrance is from the square of St Stephens Basilica.
Opening hours: Monday-Sunday: 12.00-24.00
www.lacipecsenye.eu

We also recommend you to check out the Zsidai-family restaurants. You find the reviews HERE.

Photos by Teija

No 7 - the hippest district in Budapest

District VII is one of the most interesting, upcoming areas in Budapest. It looks a bit shabby but we think that is the best part of the experience - a shabby surface with a really cool finish! This is the place where you can spend the whole night and zip in from one bar to another. 

Before World War II the district was the home for the Jewish community. You still find restaurants serving kosher food in the district and we recommend a visit to the beautiful, enormous Budapest synagogue. One of the biggest in the world. 

If you get up relatively early on a Sunday morning, you just have to visit the Farmers market at Szimpla Kert. This is one of the oldest "ruin pubs" in Budapest. When the last guests have left in the early hour, the place turns into a food market filled with homemade cheeses, sausages, organic vegetables, fruits and much more in super cool surroundings. 

The prices are really affordable but even if you don't buy anything to take with you, the market is worth a visit because of the atmosphere. It's a great place to enjoy a sunday breakfast.
Address: Kazinczy utca 14, 1075 Budapest
www.szimpla.hu
www.facebook.com/SzimplaPiac

The buzzing nightlife is very much down to earth. "Hole-in-the-wall-bars", back yards and parking places which have been transformed into meeting spots. These are all great places to meet the locals, the students and the backpackers,while having a cheap beer. 

Don't miss out on the shopping opportunities in district VII. You might need a new instrument, a big size costume or something from a local fashion shop.....?

...or do you prefer a visit at the antique bazaars or the vintage shops?

If you are looking for a central located hotel with an easy reach to all the interesting spots in district VII, night and day, Zara Continental is an excellent choice. The location at Dohany utca is so central that you can crawl home from a long night out.
Don't miss our favorite spot in the hotel - the bar. It is like a tribune with beautiful stained glasses and a view of the impressive reception area. If you are lucky somebody will play a serenade for you on the grand piano. If the weather is nice you can have your drink at the terrace and admire the roofs of Budapest. The hotel has the only roof top pool in Budapest!
Address: Dohany utca 42-44, 1074 Budapest
www.continentalhotelbudapest.com/en

See district VII before the gentrification has transformed the area into a uniformed, trendy, clean and polished neighbourhood.... Be quick, 'cause it has already started!

Photos by Teija 

Budapest – a Capital simply ooozing of culture!

No trip to Budapest is complete without a dose of culture. Whenever you visit the city, or whatever your preferences are, there is always something going on at any of the numerous venues. When in Budapest, go to the Opera, visit the concerthalls, enjoy a art exhibition, see a musical, a theatre or just simply check out the many museums Budapest has to offer. It's all a important part of the total Budapest experience!

From early spring and onwards there are outdoor concerts and festivals at diffrent spots in the city. Check what is going on at Erzsebet tér in the very city center on Pest side. The square is also a meeting point and a place where youngsters are hanging with friends or just having a drink! 

We were fortunate to be in the city during the Budapest Spring Festival. This is the biggest festival of the year, starting from the end of March until beginning of April. The focus is on classical music but year by year the festival programme has become broader in genres.

We had an unforgettable musical experiences in Vigado Concert Hall with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and trumpet player Alison Balsom. The building is an impressive masterpiece in romantic style and was recently opened after some 20 years of  renovation. A perfect ambience to Alison and her trumpet.
Address: Vigadó utca 5, 1051 Budapest
No web site yet.

A glass of wine and a bit to eat before you go to the concert and your cultural experience will be total! Just a minutes walk from Pesti Vigado you find Divin Porcello, a cozy place serving hams, cheeses and wines from Hungary, Italy and Spain. Perfect as a starter if you are planning to have a full dinner after the concert.
Address: Apáczai Csere János utca 7, 1052 Budapest
Opening hours: 12.00-00.00
www.facebook.com/DivinPorcellobudapest

The Liszt Academy, in art deco style, has been completely refurbished and reopened in autumn 2013 after four years closure. The venue has got a new gala costume and a new statue of Franz Liszt outside.
Address: Wesselényi utca 52, 1077 Budapest
www.zeneakademia.hu/en/home 

Budapest is really oozing of culture and one of the most exciting venues is the Palace of Arts, also known as MUPA (Muveszetek Palotaja). The architecture is so impressive that it takes my breath away! It's worth a visit just for the arcitechtual experice!
Address: Komor Marcell u. 1, 1095 Budapest
www.mupa.hu

Remember! No visit is complete without a dose of culture. Regardless you prefer jazz, classical music, opera, rock, circus, dance or arts. Or if you want to check out the huge variety of museums that Budapest has to offer.

Find more information to plan you cultural experience during your visit to Budapest:
Hungarian Tourist Board
Budapest Funzine
Event calendar of Budapest
Budapest info
Events and things to do


Photos: Teija

PS: Check out this short video presententation of the Opera House:

What's hot and what's not - fashion design in Budapest

The creativity is booming amoungst young, ambitious designers in Budapest. Just like anywhere in the world, they are struggling to reach the customers and get a decent share of the market to make a living from their profession.

To work together with other designers in cooperatives is a good way to reach out and share the costs. We met Anna Hegedues, who is one of the founders of Heinrich design cooperative. In this interview she give us her view about the fashion scene in Hungary and her future hopes and expectations.

Fashion design, textile printing, graphic design, jewelry- and knitting design is some exemples of what is found in the Heinrich Design Cooperative .

The Heinrich office is located opposite to the Museeum of Applied Arts - an magnificent masterpiece of Hungarian Art Nouveau.
Address: HEINRICH Alkotói Szint at Üllői út 32, 1085 Budapest
Facebook information about the designers
Link to Anna Hegedues brand Piroshka

Here are some shops where you find Hungarian designers.
Take the chance and shop something that most probably is unique.

Wonderlab

Veres Pálné utca 3, 1053 Budapest

www.facebook.com/wonderLABconcept

 
Lollipop Factory

Magyar utca 18, 1056 Budapest

www.lollipopfactorybudapest.com

Design Terminal in located in the city center of Pest

Address: Erzsébet tér 13, 1051 Budapest

www.facebook.com/designterminal

 

pArt12 is a designer galleria where you can buy clothes, accessories, jewelry and interior design from upcoming Hungarian designers. The price level is still very decent and you find something unique that is not worn by everybody.

Address: Pozsonyi út 12, 1127 Budapest
Opening hours: Thuesday-Friday 10.00 - 19.00.
www.part12.hu
www.facebook.com/part12galeria

Photos by Teija

Do like the Budapestian hipsters- rent a bike!

The biking-trend has hit Budapest big time during the last two years. Bikerentals, biking bars, biking fashion and biking repair shops are widely spread around the city.

 New biking roads are built all over the city. This is necessary though, since there were hardly any before. 

Shops for bicycle repairs are found all over the city, as well as special biker's shops for fashion and other necessary equipment.

Practical and stylish bags can be found at Lollipop Factory. We also discovered bars offering bike rentals.

We have not seen many bikers wearing a bicycle helmet, but I'm sure it will come. If you ask me - it is necessary in the city of Budapest- the traffic is heavy and intense and many of the bikers seems to have an ambition to participate in Giro Italia or Tour de France. 

Do you happen to have some old crocheted materials made by your grandmother? Well here is a tip. Use them as a wheel protection.

From this year Budapest offers city-bikes for rent. If you want to be a hip Budapestian - follow the trend and experience the city by bike.  

Photos: Teija

Budapest-walk at Pozsonyi street

The best way to discover is place is definitely by walking. A little bit off the beaten tourist track, in the XIII- district, you find the beautiful Pozsonyi út (Pozsonyi street). The area became a residential in 1920 and most of the houses were built from then until 1944. The architecture is a mix of art-deco and functional style.

The street has an air of calm while the daily life goes on. Do as the locals and have lunch at one of the many cafes or restaurants.

The Pozsonyi street has many interesting small shops whether you are looking for accessories, framing a picture, shopping second hand or looking for local fashion designers. 

Don't miss the Part 12. This is a designer galleria where you can buy clothes, accessories, jewleries, hand bags, interior design etc from upcoming Hungarian designers. The price level is still very decent and you find something unique that is not worn by everybody. 
Address: Pozsonyi út 12, 1127 Budapest
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 10.00 - 19.00.
www.part12.hu
Facebook: www.facebook.com/part12galeria

Next to Part 12 is the Masculin gentlemen's salon &  day spa. Adapt the treatment-trend for men and pamper yourself.
Opening hours: Tu-Fr: 10-20, Sat: 12-18, Sun-Mo: closed
www.masculin.hu

Spring time is cleaning time. Also at Pozsonyi út. 

Sorting out the old junk is tiring. Relax, read a book, take a coffee and a donut at the Donut Library.

These beautiful dresses and handbags can be found in Part 12

Photos by Teija