Most people travel the world to see the sights. Some people travel to dig down on the culture, and experience the everyday life of the locals. I’m a big of both, but to say I love trying out new food is an understatement. I LOVE food, and I make a point of venturing off to a local spot. Sometimes it’s just as easy to follow someone local - they speak the language, and they are likely don’t have a camera on the ready. You see them meeting up with friends near a square or just outside a café giving each other warm greetings. Go in there. They know the local spots. Sometimes the restaurants that don’t look like much on the outside, can be some of the most genuine ones.
Budapest is one of those cities you need to embrace. Regardless of your reason to visit, whether it's to take in the detailed architecture, soak in the history, or enjoy the natural sites, don't leave without indulging in the delicious authentic dishes served throughout Hungary. Your palette will be dancing with all the rich flavors. To guide you to some of the best spots to grab food in Budapest, we've created a list of 8 food lover tips for your visit…
Learn
If you love cooking and eating, sign up for a Hungarian cooking course. You will get to experience an authentic three-course meal that you helped create.
Traditional Food
You most certainly can't leave Budapest without trying one it's most traditional foods, langos. Langos is a flatbread that is deep-fried in fat and can be served plain or smothered with cheese blends and other flavorful toppings. You can find langos nearly anywhere, but we recommend heading to the Central Market Hall.
Festivals
Every year from September 5th to 8th, you can catch the Budapest International Wine Festival. This festival has been running for many years and has become custom to the natives and tourists alike.
Another Festival
If you're in the country in October, definitely make your way to the Budapest Palinka and Sausage Festival to try some of the fantastic European brandy paired with any of the many sausage varieties you will find throughout the stands.
Paprika
And don’t forget to try out their traditional chicken paprikash dish. It is a beloved dish made with simple ingredients - chicken, paprika and cream. Although, paprika is readily available, the real treat is Hungarian paprika. Due to the geography and climate, this spice has a bright colour and unique flavour to the area. Don’t forget to pick some to pick some up
Marzipan
Anyone who loves the age-old delicacy marzipan, visit Szamos Marzipan, a museum in honor of the artists Mátyás Szamos and Károly Szabó. These artists started shaping marzipan into the shapes of flowers and other beautiful creations back in the 1930s, and this museum intends to keep their spirit and tasty treats alive.
Bitters
Hungarian Unicum is one of the most famous liquors in the country. It's an herbal bitter that aids in digestion, which you will find helps tremendously after delving into all of the spicy street foods. You can also head to the Zwack Museum to learn all about the miracle liquor.
Wine
Make way to the Etyek-Buda Wine Region to experience one of the leading wine-producing villages that have been around since the 18th century. This winery makes for a great day trip. Just prepare yourself to try dozens of varieties.
Writing all this has made me hungry. Lucky for me, a client brought me back a small bag of Hungarian paprika back from their tour through Budapest. I see a Chicken Paprikash for dinner in my near future.
Have you been to Budapest? Is Budapest on your “I didn’t even know I wanted to go, but now I do” bucket list?
Reach out when you are ready to start planning a trip to Budapest, or want to include this spot at the end or start of another European trip.