BUDAPEST
Food & Wine:
 The great traditions of Hungarian cuisine have, in the last ten to fifteen years, successfully mingled with modern sophistication. At its roots, classic Hungarian gastronomy is nothing less than French bonne bouches reaching Hungary via Austria and mixing with ancient Hungarian peasant dishes - many of them originated in Asia - offering every gourmand something to his/her taste.
The first thing that people recall about Hungarian cuisine is goulash, which is, contrary to popular belief, not a stew but an artistically prepared thick soup. Sour cream is often used to soften the flavour. You must try fish soup, chicken paprika, a good home-made porkolt (stew) and the excellent fresh-water fish: grilled pike-perch, trout with almond. Also compulsory is goose liver. Whether fried or grilled, cold or hot, it is simply unforgettable.
 Desserts really deserve a separate chapter. The most delicious ones are strudels, Gundel pancakes, somloi dumplings and gesztenyepure (cooked chestnuts mashed, topped with whipped cream). Specialities include salty and sweet pastas, of which turos csusza (pasta with curd and sour cream) is warmly recommended.
Wine:
 Hungary's annual wine production totals 4.2 million hectolitres mellowed in 22 historical wine regions. Budapest is known for its sizeable storage and bottling capacity. Louis XIV, the Sun King, was such an admirer of world famous Tokaj wine that he termed it the "Wine of kings, the King of Wines". Wine of the Balaton region, the full-bodied Villany-Siklos, the famous wines of Eger and the Egri Bikaver (Bull's Blood) in particular also enjoy a wide international reputation. Take a sip of world famous Hungarian wines in Budapest, or enjoy a Tour de Vin!
Here are some great wine shops and places you can sample wine in town:
Buda Side:
- Budapest Wine Society - Batthyany utca 59.
- Demijohn - II. Margit utca 27.
- House of Hungarian Wines - I. Szentharomsag ter 6.
A several-hundred-metre-long cellar labyrinth holds 450 different types of quality wine from 22 historical wine regions in Hungary. Visitors get a tasting cup at the entrance and are allowed to wander around and taste up to 70-80 different wines.
Downtown:
- La Boutique des Vins - V. Jozsef Attila utca 12.
- Wine House (Borhaz) - VI. Jokai ter 7.
- Le Sommelier - V. Regiposta utca 14.
- Pres Haz Wine Shop and Museum - V. Vaci utca 10.
Over 300 quality wines; free of charge wine-tasting; engraving and decorative packing; incentive wine presents for companies; reference books and antiquities related to wine-growing.
Restaurants:
 Budapest has over 1,000 restaurants offering Hungarian and international cuisine. You will not have any difficulty in finding a place to eat which suits your taste and budget. Only larger restaurants have their menus printed in foreign languages.
Waiters usually receive a tip in restaurants, which is about 10-15% of the bill. Service is included in the price at some places, where no tip is expected. Before ordering make sure you know the prices (a five-digit price for one dish is unrealistically high).
Travel Places recommend:
Articsoka
VI. Zichy Jeno utca,
Tel: 302 7757
Fax: 302 7758
E-mail: csokahir@articsoka.hu,
Website: www.articsoka.hu
Very trendy and young crowd, great European style food.
Robinsons
District XIV, Várisoliget
Tel: 34 30955 / 1/422-0222
Good atmosphere. Robinson can certainly lay claim to one of the more exotic locations in Budapest dining - on wooden platforms atop an artificial lake, looking across to the delightful architectural folly of Vajdahunyad Castle. (on the lake by Heroes Square)
Faustos
VII. Dohany u. 5, Metro: M2 Astoria
Tel: 322 7806 / 269 6806
Website: www.fausto.hu
Fine Italian cuisine. Fausto's is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in town. Expensive but unpretentious, it's frequented by the type of people 'who live to eat', rather than 'eat to live'. With fresh pasta and daily specials to rave about.
Gundel – (the most famous)
XIV. Allakerti ut 2, Metro: M1 Hosok ter
Tel: 468 4040 / 321 3550
E-mail: info@gundel.hu
Website: www.gundel.hu
Reawakened from its slumber by Hungarian-American restaurateur George Lang in 1992, the Gundel is without doubt the city's finest restaurant. Close to Robinsons. Traditional Hungarian, very very smart.
Cyrano
V. Kristof ter 7, Metro: M2 Vorosmarty ter
Tel: 266 3096
Tel: 266 3096
Trendy eatery in downtown Pest, which leans heavily on French and Asian fusion cuisine for inspiration.
Voros es Feher
District VI, Andrássy út 41, Metro: M1 Opera
Tel: 413 1545
Great restaurant owned by local wine society. Great wines and wonderful food. Main courses are seasonally inspired and the menu changes weekly. There's a good choice of vegetarian options, such as a trio of creams (dips) including smoked ewe cheese, paprika salsa, and Transylvanian eggplant caviar.
Hungarian I International I Cafes
Hungarian Restaurants:
Nosztalgia
V. Oktober 6. Metro: M1 Bajcsy-Zs. Ut
Tel: 317 2987
Website: www.nosztalgiaetterem.hu,
With decor inspired by the many Viennese style cafés and restaurants that sprung up in Budapest at the turn-of-the-20th-century, Nosztalgia offers a first-rate ambience and fine quality fare, albeit at a cost. What you get is Hungarian cuisine (with a contemporary twist) in elegant surroundings with prices, for Budapest at least, that are comparable with The Gundel.
Alabardos
I. Orszaghaz utca 2, Metro: M2 Moszkva ter then Varbusz to Castle Hill
Tel: 356 0851
E-mail: info@alabardos.hu
Website: www.alabardos.hu
Transylvanian specialities abound at this 400 year old gothic restaurant. The largely meat oriented menu is well-balanced, although a meal for two doesn't come cheap thanks to the restaurant's fine reputation and Castle Hill location. The outdoor terrace is particularly nice during the summer.
Biarritz
V. Kossuth Lajos ter 18, Metro: M2 Kossuth ter
Tel: 302 394
E-mail: bgy@biarritz.hu
Website: www.biarritz.hu
Just a stone's throw away from the Hungarian Parliament, Biarritz is, at the moment, one of the nicest restaurants in Pest. Intimate candlelit surroundings, coupled with some adventurous Hungarian cooking make for a great evening out.
Kiraly
I. Tancsics Mihaly u. 25, Metro: M2 Moszkva ter then Varbusz to Castle Hill
Tel: 212 9891
Fax: 212 8566
Website: www.kiraly-restaurant.hu
One of the Castle District's better restaurants, the Kiraly serves mainly Hungarian fare in relaxed, elegant surroundings.
Kis Buda Gyongye
III. Kenyeres u. 34, Tram 17 from Margit híd
Tel: 368 6402 / 368 9246
Fax: 368 9227
E-mail: gyongye@drotposta.hu
Website: www.remiz.hu
Charming restaurant in Obuda which roughly translated means 'small pearl of Buda'. Elegant setting, with a warm atmosphere and turn-of-the-20th-century feel. Well-cooked traditional Hungarian specialities with a decent piano/violin duo to round things off nicely.
International Cuisine:
New Orleans Music Club & Restaurant
VI. Lovag u. 5, Metro: M3 Arany Janos u./M3
Tel: 268 0801 / 268 0802
E-mail: juliska@neworleans.hu
Website: www.neworleans.hu
Large restaurant/club venue that not only draws top-notch music acts from the US (and around the world) but also offers a tempting array of Louisiana signature dishes - such as chicken jambalaya - together with Tex-Mex style hamburgers, steaks and burritos (including vegetarian options). Lots of cocktails and spirits, with Budweiser on tap too.
Wins Cafe & Bar
VI. Jokai u.3, Metro: M3 Nyugati pu.
Tel: 331 1955
Once oriented towards to ex-pats in search of traditional English staples such as pie and chips, the menu nowadays is mostly a mix of Hungarian and international dishes.
Hong Kong Pearl Garden
II. Margit Krt. 2, HEV stop Margit hi
Tel: 212 3131
Fax: 212 5521
Huge dining room serving mainly Cantonese and Szechuan dishes. Good duck and seafood (which is delivered daily from the Netherlands) make up for the disappointing décor. The most famous Chinese restaurant in town and undoubtedly, the most expensive.
Xi-Hu
V. Nador u. 5, Metro: M2 Kossuth Ter
Tel: 337 5697
Locals "in the know" look no further than Xi-Hu which, as well as offering courteous service, provides a good selection of Cantonese favourites and dim-sum.
Le Jardin de Paris
I. Fo u. 20, Metro: M2 Batthyany ter
Tel: 201 0047
Located near to the French Institute in Buda, the Jardin de Paris has a warm, friendly atmosphere in which the feel of a quiet, leafy Parisian restaurant has been successfully captured.
Bombay Palace
VI. Andrassy ut 44, Metro: M1 Opera
Tel: 332 8363
Website: www.bombay-palace.com
Self proclaimed as 'India's culinary ambassador' to the world, the Budapest branch of this international chain doesn't disappoint. Although it's mainly Brits and Americans that eat here, locals are now also coming in greater numbers. The Bombay's two large dining rooms, with chandeliers and marble flooring, are suitably impressive for a restaurant just a short walk away from the Opera.
Cafe Experience:
 If you're looking for the true cafe experience but can't afford Vienna, then Budapest is the next best thing. While many of the late 19th-century coffeehouses are now long gone, some such as the New York and Gerbeaud uphold the fine tradition, retaining much of their period charm and elegance.
You'll also soon realise that Hungary is a nation of coffee drinkers. Consumed throughout the day with alarming frequency, tiny glasses of super-strong black expresso (kave) are the most popular. For a milky coffee, ask for tejeskave, while tejszinhabbal comes with whipped cream. Tea on the other hand, is in the minority here, consisting mainly of the Earl Grey or lemon variety.
 Budapest's cukraszda's (patisseries) are the place to go for calorific mouth watering cakes, pastries and ice cream. Choosing isn't easy though. Most have a selection of well over a dozen cakes (dobos, dios and ananasz torta being among the favourites), while there are also pancakes (stuffed with fruit or nuts) and strudels (retes) containing cream cheese, cherries or other fillings.
Angelika
I. Batthyany ter 7, Metro: M2
Tel: 212 3784
Elegant cafe housed in the former crypt of St. Anne's Church. The building's ornate entrance sets the scene for the fine turn-of-the-20th-century interior complete with lavish furnishings and marble flooring.
Cafe Miro
I. Uri utca 30, Varbusz from M2 Moszkva ter
Tel: 375 5458
Trendy cafe in Buda's Castle District, which boasts an interior inspired by the works of Catalan artist Joan Miro. The jazzy, surreal decor makes for a laid back atmosphere, with a clientele mainly made up of young, well-heeled, tourists and locals.
Ruszwurm Cukraszda
I. Szentharomsag utca 7, Varbusz from M2 Moszkva ter
Tel: 375 5284
E-mail: ruszwurm@ruszwurm.hu
Website: www.ruszwurm.hu
Tucked away down Szentharomsag utca is the famous Ruszwurm cafe. This small, but charming pastry shop began life as a coffee house way back in 1824. The fine Biedermeier interior, together with the sheer variety of mouth-watering cakes on display makes the Ruszwurm well-worth a visit.
Anna Cafe
V. Vaci utca 7, Metro: M1 Vorosmarty ter, Tram 2
Tel: 266 9080
Website: www.annacafe.hu
Undoubtedly, the best place to see what's happening on Vaci utca. Up until about 9pm it's a pleasant enough yuppie/tourist haunt. After that, the flash, brash brigade move in. A decent selection of cakes, lunches and drinks, albeit on a fairly expensive menu.
Augustz Cukraszda
V. Kossuth Lajos utca 14-16, Metro: M2 Astoria
Tel: 337 6379
E-mail: auguszt@axelero.hu
Website: www.augusztcukraszda.hu
Set in a quaint shop with courtyard attached, the Augustz Cukraszda is a family operated business which dates back to 1870. Excellent cakes and pastries make this a good place to take a breather.
Becsi Kavehaz
V. Apaczai Csere Janos utca 12-14, Metro: M1 Vorosmarty ter
Tel: 317 9111
Although to some, the upmarket setting of the Hotel InterContinental represents the more expensive side of the Budapest cafe scene, prices are surprisingly reasonable. What's more, the mouth-watering selection of cakes and pastries on offer are among the best in town. Well-worth a visit.
Cafe Gerbeaud
V. Vorosmarty ter 7, Metro: M1 Vorosmarty ter
Tel: 429 9000
Website: www.gerbeaud.hu
The most famous of Budapest's 'old style' coffee houses, the Gerbeaud has been in the business of creating mouth-watering cakes and pastries for over 140 years.
Muvesz
VI. Andassy ut 29, Metro: M1 Opera
Tel: 352 1337
Another classic Budapest coffeehouse, this time located on the busy Andrassy boulevard (and just a short walk away from the State Opera House) A perfect spot to while away the hours with a decent cappuccino and cake, Muvesz is a recommended visit.
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