The 24 Trendiest Restaurants In Budapest

Head to Mazel Tov if you like the ruin bar concept in theory but prefer things more upscale. This Middle Eastern restaurant inside Budapest's buzzing Jewish Quarter does have a disintegrating facade like other ruin bars, but the inside is a different story: Cheap drinks have been upgraded to cocktails, ham & cheese sandwiches to mezze plates, self-service to hostesses, and weathered furnishings to modern fittings with lush greenery.

Mazel Tov's Israeli and other Mediterranean dishes are reliable and arrive without delay to ensure that tables turn over quickly in this wildly popular restaurant. I enjoyed the shawarma plate (€10) and also the spicy merguez (€12), a North African sausage made from beef here and paired with beets, tahini, and matbucha (skip the undersized and underseasoned beef kebab). Cocktails and plenty of Hungarian wines are also available. Reservations are an absolute must as the place gets mobbed by people every day of the week. Fogasház, a more traditional ruin bar, is next door if you'd like to compare and contrast.

Kiosk is a hip restaurant in the heart of Budapest, favored by trendy locals and tourists in the know. The restaurant has at least two things going for it: a stunning view of the Danube and the Elisabeth Bridge from its outdoor patio, and a dramatically high-ceilinged, industrial-chic interior. (The historical building houses a Catholic high school upstairs, in fact, there's a chapel right above Kiosk.)

Kiosk aims to please all tastes with a diverse menu that includes everything from salads to burgers to pastas to steaks to Hungarian classics. Despite the wide reach, the dishes are tasty and reliable, with main courses in the €12-16 range. The goulash soup is especially good, and don't miss the updated mákosguba, a traditional bread pudding soaked in vanilla custard and laced with poppy seeds. In the warmer months, follow the throngs to the outdoor terrace, which is where the action shifts to.

Having retained the name of the bespoke shirtmaker’s workshop that used to occupy the premises, Fleischer is a buzzy restaurant along the tree-lined section of Nagymező utca in Budapest's District 6 (the same team runs the comparably lively Két Szerecsen across the street). The inside, decked out in subway tiles and crammed with tables, projects fashionable bistro vibes.

The menu consists of foreign and local classics: bouillabaisse, eggplant salad, catfish paprikash, marinated pork belly, and nudli, which are gnocchi-like dumplings served with fruit preserves and poppy seeds. The dishes are tasty, although I wish the portions were bigger. The wine list features some of my favorite producers, such as Figula (for olaszrizling), Heimann (for kékfrankos and kadarka), and Oremus (for sweet Tokaji). After your meal, drop in to Zsivágó, one of the coziest bars in Budapest.

Located on the Buda side of the Danube, 101 Bistro is a new addition to Budapest’s growing group of hip pan-Asian restaurants. It’s the type of place where ear-catching Japanese hip-hop drifts from the speakers and a sleek wood-paneled interior with small tables and low backless stools evoke the chic dining rooms of Tokyo.

Chef Márton Keve, who worked at top restaurants abroad, is in charge of the kitchen, which draws inspiration from the food of Taiwan. Of the lunch menu, the braised pork rice (lu rou fan) was most memorable, packing tender cubes of pork belly that sit on a bed of firm rice grains brightened with sugary soy sauce and thin slices of ginger. The dinner menu consists of small plates, many of them vegan. Be sure not to miss the fried and marinated sweet-sour eggplants.

Note that 101 Bistro isn't cheap — a dinner with drinks will set you back by about €30-35 per person. If you'd like the fun to continue after your meal, drop by Nemdebár next door, one of the coolest bars on the Buda side.

Located inside the tourist-heavy Gozsdu Courtyard, Spíler is one of the most popular restaurants within Budapest's buzzing Jewish Quarter. The massive space features three highly-Instagrammable dining rooms that operate at capacity most evenings. The menu comprises reliably made international staples — think nachos, wings, burgers — and also traditional a few Hungarian classics such as goulash and roast sausages. Local wines, and almost thirty kinds of bottled craft beers are available to pair. With most dishes €12-17, prices are not unreasonable for this prime location.

Tangentially related to Spíler is the fact that its owner, a successful Budapest restaurateur, was publicly accused of gaining unfair commercial advantage over other restaurants using political connections. This doesn’t lessen Spíler’s merits as a restaurant, but something to keep in mind as you decide where to spend your money.

Bestia is an industrial chic restaurant in the heart of Budapest specializing in pricey grilled meats. With a picture-postcard view of the St. Stephen’s Basilica and crowd-pleasing hits blasting through the speakers, it has quickly become a tourist-favorite. The menu is a mishmash typical for city center, tourist-heavy restaurants. Premium cuts of steaks, barbecued pork ribs — made in a Josper charcoal burning oven — burgers, pastes, and salads are all available. The full-service bar serves craft beers, customized cocktails, and Hungarian wines.

Babka is a Middle-Eastern restaurant in Budapest named after the Ashkenazi Jewish bready cake originating in Eastern Europe. Perhaps the restaurant's moniker is a hat-tip to the neighborhood, which is home to much of Budapest’s middle-class Jewish residents. The snug, dim interior complete with vintage furnishings and hardwood floors is very inviting.

The Israeli and Middle Eastern dishes are pricey and a bit hit-or-miss. On my most recent visit, the lamb kofta (€18) arrived with a distractingly sour side of parsley salad, and the namesake Babka dessert is a far cry from the moister, richer, and softer versions that catapulted this baked good into cult status around the world. All this at prices that are high by Budapest standards: mains are €15-20. Thanks to the prime location and the inviting interior, Babka could become a perfect neighborhood restaurant, but the kitchen has room to improve currently.