Városház Snack

Low prices, homestyle Hungarian dishes, a pared-down interior, no English menu, let alone an Instagram page: these are promising signs that you've stumbled on a truly local eatery. Városház Snack, which opened in 1985, is a shoebox-sized counter-service restaurant in Budapest's downtown that's popular among emplyees of the Mayor's Office across the street.

The daily-changing menu is written on weathered plastic boards attached to the wall. As the day progresses, more and more boards are flipped over, so indicating dishes they ran out of (try to get there before 1 p.m.). I usually go for the daily soup followed by a vegetable stew (főzelék) topped with meatball. You'll find here some dishes that have vanished from most Budapest restaurants, including a poppy-seeds topped sweet pasta plate (mákos tészta). Lunch-only, Monday through Friday.