Don Doko Don Japan Bistro

Most Japanese restaurants in Budapest specialize in sushi even though local Hungarian tastes and wallets are more compatible with everyday Japanese dishes. Perhaps this is what the Watanabes, a young couple from Tokyo, had in mind when in 2018 they opened Don Doko Don, Budapest’s first donburi restaurant near the city center. It's a small, counter-service space with a few tables upstairs.

Donburis are rice bowls topped with meat, vegetables, and a soy-based sweet and savory broth. In Japan, they're a popular midday meal for busy office workers and also a common hangover cure. At Don Doko Don, try the gyudon, which is the classic beef bowl with onions; if you kindly request "tsuyudaku," they'll add some extra broth for you. There's a rotating menu with other options and you can pair your dons with a miso or tonjiro soup. Prices are wallet-friendly and many students lunch here from the neighboring universities.