Restaurants in Budapest – 6 dining experiences we remember

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | During a food and wine trip to Budapest, we managed to visit an almost unbelievable number of restaurants in a short time. There were tasting menus, Hungarian specialties, good wines and lots of laughs with a lovely group. Here we recommend six restaurant experiences that we still remember a little extra.

Restaurants in Budapest

We've visited Budapest several times, but most of the restaurants in this article were discovered during a food and wine press trip. And what a trip it was! In just a few days, we managed to try an almost unbelievable amount of food: tasting menus, Hungarian specialties, fine dining and of course, a lot of Hungarian wine.

It became a bit of a orgy in food experiences, together with a wonderful group and lots of laughter around the tables. Here we collect six of the restaurant experiences that we remember the most. We have updated the information about the restaurants, while the descriptions of the food tell us about what we ate during our visits.

READ MORE: Bars and cafes in Budapest

This is how our food and wine journey in Budapest started

Our first night in Budapest we had dinner at the Vendéglö a Kisbíróhoz restaurant, which has unfortunately since closed. This restaurant served mainly traditional Hungarian food, both in a traditional way and with a slightly more modern twist.

When we got here, the chef was keen to show off the best the kitchen had to offer, so a long line dishes were placed on our table. Wow, how much food there was! We tried many Hungarian specialities, such as the paprika-spiced soft cheese körözött, spicy sausages, foie gras with eel, mushroom soup, fermented milk soup with dumplings, duck and root vegetable gratin.

When it was time for dessert, the chefs got creative and served both tobacco ice cream and ice cream with bacon. Interesting!

1. Stand25 – modern Hungarian food in a relaxed environment

Stand25 Bistro is run by renowned Hungarian chefs Szabina Szulló and Tamás Széll, who are also behind the Michelin-starred restaurant Stand. The ambitions in the kitchen are high, but the atmosphere is much more relaxed. The restaurant is located on the Buda side, not far from the Chain Bridge, and focuses on modern Hungarian cuisine.

We had a four-course lunch here, and it was a real treat. We were served duck liver with buttered bread and quince jam, a fantastically delicious goulash soup, and venison with game sauce and dumplings. For dessert, we tried the Hungarian specialty ”somlói”, which contains soft cake and walnuts, among other things. Here it was served luxuriously in a glass.

• Address: Attila út 10
• Web page: stand25.hu

2. Textúra – creative and playful gastronomy

Textúra is a sister restaurant to Borkonyha Winekitchen and focuses on a modern and playful cuisine, where Hungarian flavors and ingredients are given new expression. Behind the restaurant is, among others, chef Ákos Sárközi, and creativity and experimentation are still an important part of the concept.

We tried Textúra's tasting menu, which started with duck liver dyed red with beetroot and served with fermented walnuts. The dinner continued with a pork terrine and black pudding with broccoli. The black pudding was really good.

The main courses consisted of pike perch fillet and saddle of venison with a kohlrabi ragout. The dessert was a nicely composed chocolate mousse served with raspberry ice cream. Yum!

• Address: Sas utca 6
• Web page: texturaetterem.hu

3. MÁK – modern flavors with Hungarian ingredients

MÁK is a modern restaurant with a focus on Hungarian ingredients, seasons and creative flavour combinations. Chef János Mizsei, who was already young and well-known when we visited the restaurant, has continued to leave his mark on the kitchen.

We visited MÁK for a three-course business lunch, and were served a delicious one. We both chose to start with a creamy and delicious potato soup. We then continued with catfish which was served with cauliflower and mini melon.

For dessert we had a berry pie with a cream made from goat's milk. And then we were spoilt with some small cakes at the end. What a lunch!

• Address: Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4
• Web page: mak.hu

4. Onyx – our dinner at the then two-star restaurant

When we visited Onyx, the restaurant was one of Budapest's great gastronomic stars. In 2018, Onyx became the first restaurant in Budapest to be awarded two Michelin stars, and it was during this period that we had our dinner here.

Since then, Onyx has changed a lot. The restaurant is still located on Vörösmarty tér and is still selected by the Michelin Guide, but no longer has any Michelin stars. Today, Onyx is focusing on a new and more experimental concept, where food is combined with, among other things, light, sound and storytelling.

Our dinner at Onyx

We tried the restaurant's six-course menu, but since the chef had fun surprising us with extra small dishes, "pre-starters" and "pre-desserts", we soon lost count. Everything was amazing!

Even before the starters, we were treated to divine bread with equally divine duck liver mousse. One of the first starters was a small plate with several mini dishes: tuna tartare, bean stew, ”leek cannelloni” and an ”egg yolk surprise”.

Then the dinner continued with water buffalo tartare, foie gras in a small box, sturgeon fish soup, Hungarian woolly pig and a beautiful chocolate dessert. Finally, it all ended with a steaming installation and a few more sweet surprises.

• Address: Vörösmarty tér 7-8
• Web page: onyxrestaurant.hu

5. Arany Kaviár – caviar and fine dining

Arany Kaviár is a classic fine dining restaurant on the Buda side that has been around since 1990. Caviar has always been an important part of the restaurant's identity, but the cuisine has evolved over the years and today combines international influences with Hungarian ingredients and flavors. Since 2024, the kitchen has been led by chef Bence Molnár.

When we visited Arany Kaviár, after a small appetizer, which was served with tweezers, we were treated to a real ”Caviar Experience”.

The chef brought out a black cart and presented three kinds of black caviar: Siberian Sturgeon Malossol, Osetra Malossol and Kaluga Imperial Caviar. He then washed a small area on the backs of our hands and served the caviar directly on the hand. Interesting!

The menu then continued with, among other things, smoked fish with caviar, lobster with artichoke soup and venison fillet with baked celeriac. We then had two exciting and beautiful desserts: ”egg caviar” and black radish with pear and lemon. This dining experience was perhaps, together with the Onyx restaurant, the very best in Budapest.

• Address: Ostrom Street 19
• Web page: aranykaviar.hu

6. Platán in Tata – a gastronomic excursion from Budapest

Platán is located in the town of Tata, about an hour’s drive from Budapest, and we visited the restaurant during the same food and wine tour. When we were here, chef István Pesti had recently left Budapest to focus on gastronomy in the Hungarian countryside. The venture was a great success and eventually developed into, among other things, the two-star Platán Gourmet. In the summer of 2026, Pesti left the business and Platán Gourmet ceased to be a permanent fine dining restaurant, while Platán Bisztró, among others, remains.

Our lunch at Platán was one of the great food experiences of the trip. The tasting menu began with a small salmon entrée and foie gras with pumpkin. This was followed by onion soup, pasta with mushrooms and fish, and ”pig foot” with beans and kale. For dessert, a special small creamy pastry was served.

Read more: In our report on Tata we tell you more about Platán and what we experienced during the day trip from Budapest..

READ MORE: Hungarian beer - a guide to beer in Budapest

READ MORE: Hungarian food - specialities of Hungarian cuisine

Two films from restaurants in Budapest

Peter has put together two films from Budapest and our restaurant visits. Don't miss it!

More to see and do in Budapest

Of course, there is much more to experience in Budapest than restaurants. Here you will find more of our reports and tips from the city:

• Things to do in Budapest
• Shopping in Budapest
• Bathe in thermal baths
• Budapest's caves
• Christmas market in Budapest

This trip was a press trip, organised by the Hungarian Tourist Board.