Prepare to drool or have some snacks on standby
because in this video I’m talking about places to eat in Budapest.
I’ve already made a video trying Hungarian foods and Hungarian Christmas foods
so I’ll link those videos as well if you’re interested.
The cuisine in Budapest really agreed with me –
well, with one exception which I’ll talk about more later.
The food is simple but very, very flavourful – two things I love.
From food trucks, to cafeteria-style,
to the most expensive coffee I think I’ve ever seen –
I want to give you a sense of what I ate in Budapest
and an idea of how much it costs
because it varies a lot depending on where you go.
I’m going to start with my favourite place
which Marc and I actually found in the most rewarding way: by accident.
There is nothing so satisfying as stumbling across a place you didn’t know existed
at the precise moment you’re hungry.
I just feel like that feeling of discovery enhances the whole experience somehow.
And for us this was on the upper floor of the Budapest Market Hall.
The market was closing just as ‘hanger’ was setting in
so we wandered upstairs and were delighted to find a restaurant called Fakanál Etterem.
I hope I’m saying that correctly or close.
They were close to closing as well but they kindly let us scoot inside
and it’s cafeteria style so you take a tray and move along the line.
The atmosphere is laid-back and cozy
and any place with red and white checkered tablecloths is fine by me.
We had goulash - which by the way is the number one thing I’d say you should try eating in Budapest -
because it’s very traditional and extremely delicious.
It looks deceptively simple but it’s absolutely bursting with flavour.
It was served in these adorable red enamel pots with lids to keep it hot
and I was so charmed by these little pots that I actually looked around for them afterward
because I loved them so much and I was hoping to bring some home
to kind of recreate that memory but I didn’t find them in the end.
We also shared a plate of two other typical Hungarian dishes,
one of which was basically dumplings with cheese
and this other dish which unfortunately I cannot for the life of me remember the name of
but they were both delicious.
If you happen to know the names of these please leave a comment and remind me.
Marc loved it so much he did a happy little jig in his chair.
The next place I want to show you is called Café Gerbaud which opened in 1858
and it’s centrally located right downtown.
The interior has a grand feeling which reminded me a little bit of certain Viennese coffeehouses.
There are sparkling chandeliers, arched ceilings, and wood details.
They offer a lot of scrumptious-looking desserts which are all on display
and catch your eye immediately when you walk in the front door.
I had big plans to go here for a slice of cake
and the treat they are most well-known for: Gerbaud coffee.
The description of this coffee reads like poetry so let me tell you - ready?
Black coffee with apricot sauce, apricot liqueur, hot chocolate, vanilla foam, and walnut sprinkles.
Doesn’t that sound so unique and delicious?
I thought so anyway… until I saw the price on the menu:
2390 Hungarian Forints for one Gerbaud coffee.
That’s about $11.50CAD or $9USD.
For a cup of coffee.
And a slice of cake was around $13CAD or $10USD
and Marc and I honestly just couldn’t bring ourselves to spend $50CAD on coffee and cake
which is what it would have cost for both of us.
Don’t get me wrong - I am all for treating yourself sometimes
but this just was not the time for me.
If you’ve been there and tried the Gerbaud coffee please comment and tell me what I missed!
But I have to say, if you’re in Budapest and you want to go visit a more lavish sort of place,
I’d recommend the New York Cafe.
It’s located inside the beautiful Boscolo Budapest Hotel which is worth seeing in itself.
It was built as the Budapest head office for the New York Life Insurance Company in 1894
and the New York Café has been open since the same year.
It’s long been a gathering place for writers and editors.
In fact, word is that the most influential newspapers were edited right there up in the gallery.
Stop and read the tabletops to learn more about the history of some of the café’s most notable patrons.
The interior is Renaissance-style and there are high painted ceilings, chandeliers,
an ornate gold clock, and plush red velvet covering the chairs and contouring the banisters.
My favourite, though, are the marbled looking columns that twist up from the floor like oversized corkscrews.
There are details everywhere that you have to look closely for or you could easily miss,
like these little faces.
We went for the architecture and history of the place
but if I were dining there I’d want to sit at the little private balconies that overlook the space.
I decided to sit down at one of the little tables for two
and use my very active imagination instead.
One thing I was surprised to come across in Budapest was a whole area of food trucks.
For some reason I wasn’t expecting it which made it even more exciting
because if you’ve seen my other videos you know that I LOVE me a food truck.
This sandwich…
it might be the best sandwich I’ve ever had.
It’s SO GOOD.
It’s a little alley called Karaván Street Food and Beer Garden which you enter off the street.
There are lots of different choices to feed the hungry crowds of people there.
And Budapest is by no means a paradise for plant based eaters
but I did notice that Karavan has vegan options for between about $5 and $7USD
including vegetarian goulash which you don’t want to visit Hungary without trying.
There’s also pizza and pasta,
a bar serving Hungarian craft beers,
and a ton of burger places.
Like noticeably a lot.
Budapest loves burgers!
There’s even an Asian food truck where the burger ‘buns’ are made of rice.
We went for a Hungarian speciality called langos which is essentially deep fried bread
and they generally cost between $3 and $4USD.
You get a base of either sour cream or sheep cheese
and then you can choose different savoury toppings like more cheese, salad, or grilled paprika.
Langos are to Budapest what crepes are to Paris.
There’s a nice area at the back of the food truck alley with tables and lanterns
so we sat there to eat our sour cream and cheese langos.
It’s a bit messy to eat but I mean what’s not to love about deep fried bread
with cream and cheese on top of it?
Is there enough sour cream on there for you?
No.
Never enough.
Who else loves sour cream?
I’m asking because Marc doesn’t like it but even despite that he still enjoyed this.
Can you handle the sour cream or is it gross to you?
It’s not a lot of it so it’s ok.
You can stomach it?
I’d prefer it without.
Yeah.
For dessert there’s Hungarian strudel for less than $2USD
or another sweet treat that you really have to try which in English is called Chimney Cake
and I believe the Hungarian name is Kürtőskalács - hope I’m saying that close to properly -
and in Slovakia was called tredlnik.
That’s my best tredlnik.
So leave me a comment and tell me how I did.
Anyway they’re funnels of bread turned over a flame
and then smothered with different coatings like sugar, cinnamon, or nuts.
The ones at Karavan were about $5USD which, trust me, is well worth it.
But back to burgers for a second, which I’m sure nobody minds a little more burger talk.
One of the food trucks at Karavan is Zing Burger which a local recommended to us.
But we didn’t try the food truck location
we went to a bricks and mortar location on a very late night out.
We figured if this is supposed to be the best burger in a city that adores burgers
then we should definitely give it a try.
I really liked the overall aesthetic of the brand.
The menu includes things like the Hungry Hipster Burger and the Guitar Hero burger
plus sandwiches like grilled cheese which cost between around $4 to $7USD.
It all comes served on individual silver trays
and I couldn’t resist drinking a cheeky cherry Dr Pepper for nostalgia’s sake.
Who else is a sucker for cherry flavoured cola?
The burger was pretty greasy so I used Marc’s trick of wrapping the paper around it.
After one bite, though, I saw it was really pink inside
and at first I thought there was something wrong with it
and I was kind of weirdly looking at other people’s burgers
trying to see if theirs was also pink or if mine was maybe undercooked or something.
But then Marc bit into his and it was exactly the same shade of pink
and I realize this is purely a matter of taste but it was just too raw for me personally
and I didn’t eat any more of it.
Ok so it’s just as pink.
Just their thing.
I’d love to hear from anyone who knows though:
is that the popular way to serve burgers in Budapest or in Hungary in general
or is that just a signature burger at Zing Burger?
There was an Italian restaurant quite close to our Airbnb
that we went to more than once because it was so convenient.
I did an apartment tour of that place by the way which was incredible for only $33USD a night
so I’ll link that video too.
Anyway the restaurant is called Bellozzo and I love the cheerful vibe in there:
subway tiles, a bar area to sit at
and a larger back area with tables.
When you order you get a number and then you can sit and relax
until a big screen tells you your food is ready.
More fun, though, is to watch your food being prepared and plated.
We were really impressed that you could get a large spaghetti carbonara that really hit the spot for $6USD.
Oh this is…it’s not metal.
Really?!
Carbonara has got to be one of my favourite comfort foods so this was a definite winner.
Another time we shared a cheese pizza for less than $4USD
and a bowl of pesto pasta.
Oh and a bottle of sparkling water.
San Benedetto!
There were two people that Marc and I guessed were maybe on a first date
because she came over to his side of the table to show him photos on her phone
and he had his arm on the back of her chair
hovering NEAR her back but never made actual contact with her back.
What do you guys think?
Are these two on a first date?
This is some of what we ate in Budapest – some traditional Hungarian food and some not.
If you want to see other videos in Budapest
then make sure to check out the rest of the series we made there.
I really hope you guys enjoyed this video and I love when you leave comments
so please let me know what you thought and subscribe if you haven’t already.
Thanks for watching!