Budapest and Bucharest

Finally (Hopefully) visiting eastern Europe for the first time and would love recommendations for food, restaurants and sights in both Budapest and Bucharest. We will be there in May.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

Marshall

In Bucharest for high end I would say The Artist and for the traditional experience go to Caru Cu Bere.

Also be aware that Romania has only 35% vaccination rate. And I doubt that Hungary’s rate is much higher.

We only spent a little over a day in Budapest, but enjoyed the Opera House and the surrounding area quite a bit. The market is fun, if you’re into that sort of thing - I am. Buda Castle was fun to walk around. Hopefully the funicular is working now. We had to walk up.

WOW! Not too many Berserkers seem to have traveled to this part of the world. Can use some more tips and hoping that the world situation doesn’t cause us to cancel this trip.

Cheers!
Marshall

We did Budapest a few years ago and have a great long weekend there. The best meal was in the Jewish quarter - have to look up the name of the place - for an amazing version of cholent with goose. I’ll find it for it.

Also, you need to look for the cardamom “snail” with berries, especially from this bakery below. I am not into sweets at all, and I must have eaten a dozen of these. Lunch there was good, too. There were a few good places recommended on another WB thread. Did you so a search in the Epicurean Forum?


https://artizan.hu/

My husband and I enjoyed a delicious wine and food tasting at Tasting Table in Budapest a few years ago-

We’ve also had a couple communal dinners with a family in Budapest but it looks like they are currently suspended - http://eatmeet-hungary.com/

We went to Babel in Budapest. Funny enough we picked it because they have/had a vegetarian tasting menu. We aren’t vegetarians but after spending 4 nights in Prague, 4 nights in Vienna then 4 nights in Budapest we figured a Vegetarian meal may be lighter and just different and enjoyable. We sat down, got the menu and it had 2 different tasting menus, but not a Vegetarian one. We asked our waiter and he laughed, said no one orders it so they don’t have it written to hand out anymore but we are welcome to it. It was a very enjoyable meal - we were there in the late fall of 2019 so I am sure a lot has changed.

We stayed at the Intercontinental which is a very good location - right on the River splitting Buda and Pest yet the “further” areas like the Jewish Quarter were really no more than a 10-15 min walk. We did some free walking tours during the day and at night just took various recommendations for restaurants (minus Babel which we booked in advance).

The people were super nice and it was a very enjoyable 4 nights. We did most of our wine stuff in Austria (Wachau and Burgenland en route to Budapest) so most of our wine drinking was done in the hotel lounge, restaurants, etc.

If you have some specific questions about locations, tours, etc I can see if I can dig up some information. I am sure a lot of the restaurants, small bakeries, etc may have closed/changed ownership, etc over the last few years + pandemic so may just need to go with an open mind (and stomach!)

We did Budapest a few years ago. Are you also traveling to Tokaj? There was an amazing restaurant and best of the trip near Tokaji at Os Kajan http://www.tokaj.hu/vendeglatohelyek/os-kajan-restaurant/

In Budapest, we loved the Grand Market Hall - you can also buy food and they cook it upstairs (or did pre-COVID). I found we liked the small wine bars better than high-end dinners. A client, Budapest native, had recommended Busulo Juhasz as the best place. The food was just so so, but the views are amazing. http://www.busulojuhasz.hu/

I tried to google a couple of names of wine bars, etc. from the trip - but not finding much so wondering if they didn’t survive. I do remember there was a nice cafe across from the Opera where we ate outside on the sidewalk. Good munchies.

A few wines stores:

https://www.bortarsasag.hu/hu/boltok/parlament

The Great Synagogue and related museum deserve a good deal of time. Views from Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda Castle, St Stephens, all of the usual haunts.

Thank you all! Getting some great tips…will do a search of the other forums soon. Keep 'em coming!

Cheers!
Marshall

The Girl’s family has a mom and brother in Budapest. We visited in 2016 for three days before heading to Venice. No fancy meals, we found a quiet bar near The Basilica on a walk. I can’t recall the name.

Borkonyha Winekitchen in Budapest was great to try a bunch of stuff and staff was very friendly (by Hungarian standards)

We love the local restaurants and things of that nature. That is where we will do the majority of our dining. We also like the occasional splurge and Budapest seems to have a considerable number of Michelin starred restaurants. Does anyone had any input on those establishments? Bucharest , on the other hand, seems much more relaxed and less formal.

Cheers!
Marshall

It’s been a few years now but we enjoyed Mak Bistro in Budapest:

https://mak.hu/en

Very good service and lots of interesting Hungarian wines. Smallish place so a reservation is a must.

I absolutely love Budapest and need to go back. They’ve been very locked down though.

I’ll try to update this post with the name of the great 1 michelin start restaurant I went to while there. Still to do this day, the best foie gras I’ve ever had. (Mouse on a toasted brioche with a spicy mango chutney jelly)

The 2 big, most popular baths are amazing. Széchenyi and Gellert.

12 Post Thu Oct 05, 2017 9:31 pm

From the prior Budapest thread;

Barry L i p t o n wrote:



Costes was fantastic!! Costes downtown was ok. Halasbastya was a great time and good food, the fois was subpar at Tigris (and they removed the charge).

Costes is definitely a must.

Thanks! Budapest is coming together but Bucharest seems to be less touristy and not as travelled. Starting to get excited for late May into June! Any more tips or updates will be highly appreciated.

Cheers!

Marshall

Actually, I am 90 percent sure that Costes is the place I went to in late 2014. I believe it was 1 michelin star at the time. Just delightful. I think I got of there for about 120 bucks. Just wonderful. I’ll confirm later whenever I can find the old pictures. Best Foie Gras dish that I’ve ever had.

****Thanks all…Right now also thinking about Onyx as a special night along with Costes. Doing a lot of research on Bucharest as it is not quite as “touristy” as Budapest. Have found lots of potentially interesting restaurants…Mostly local places that seem wonderful.

Cheers!

Marshall

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A decade ago - enjoyed Costes, Gundel in the City Park for a good chicken paprikash, and several ruin bars.