2 Spaghi Pasta Bar

Run by three Italian natives, 2 Spaghi is a small pasta shop in Budapest with an endearingly simple mission: serve fresh, made-to-order pasta dishes quickly and well. You're invited to pair a variety of pasta shapes (fusilli, bucatini, tagliatelle, etc.) with a rotating set of sauces. On any day, there might be cacio e pepe, carbonara, puttanesca, amatriciana, and aglio, olio e peperoncino listed on the blackboard. All of them consistently good and about €12 each.

If you have stomach space left, round out your meal with a light panna cotta with strawberry sauce. Note that 2 Spaghi is located inside Gozsdu Udvar, a tourist-heavy area lined with overpriced bars and restaurants. I can't help thinking that this charming pasta eatery would deserve a more worthy home, but if you don't like the vibes, you can also just buy some fresh pasta to go.