Budapest Travel Guide

by: Laura Wainer

Enjoy and experience the beautiful – and very affordable – city of Budapest!

Every corner you turn in the beautiful city of Budapest, there is a new cozy coffee shop or  beautiful contemporary boutique. It is definitely worth a visit.

In this guide, I will share all the places my brother and I visited (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and absolutely loved.

Where to Stay in Budapest

We booked accommodation through Airbnb, which can sometimes be hit or miss– but if you find a place with several recommendations and take some time to read through them, it will give you a pretty clear picture of what to expect. 

We rented an inexpensive place in the middle of Budapest. It was very cozy, clean, and had a full kitchen and extra bedroom. I really enjoy having a cozy place to relax after a full day of exploring, as all the new impressions can be a bit overwhelming when in a new place.

Quick tip: Flight arrival times can be unpredictable, so I suggest searching places that use key-boxes, which allows for late check-in times. 

How to Get Around in Budapest

Getting around the city was very simple, and everything was within walking distance.

When we arrived, it was raining, so we quickly decided to take a taxi. We paid 7000HUF for a taxi from the airport to centrum. There are also many shuttle-options available to book at the airport upon landing. 

Quick Tip: We decided not to use the underground metro. We felt a bit uncomfortable, as it was very dirty, smelly, and felt unsafe. So out of safety and our peace of mind, we avoided it best we could.

Where to Eat in Budapest

Budapest is one of the best foodie cities I have visited! I am a sucker for cute interiors and delicious, yet cheap food. It seemed to be that way in every café we passed. 

My favorite meals are breakfast and lunch, so when I travel I always make a plan to budget for eating out both meals to experience what the local cuisine has to offer. 

Then after a full day out from exploring and eating, I like to have a relaxing evening in and get a good night’s sleep!

Marty’s Kitchen & Bar

Our first breakfast in town was enjoyed at the beautiful restaurant, Marty’s Kitchen & Bar. It was a fine meal, not our best, but definitely worth a visit. It has the cutest pink, retro inspired interior and a good amount of entres to choose from, allowing everyone to pick something they like!

Address: Vörösmarty tér 5.

Café Babart

Café Babart was located around the corner from where we stayed. One hungry morning, we decided to give it a go. I ordered a coconut porridge with berries and was NOT disappointed! It was half the price of everywhere else we visited, but honestly the best breakfast we had. Simple, but super tasty! The café itself was also cute and the staff were super sweet!

Address: Kerület Rumbach Sebestyén utca 3.

Dobrumba

 

One of my food highlights of the trip was the Middle East inspired restaurant, Dobrumba. It seemed to be a favorite for the locals, as many were there on their lunch break enjoying the delicious variety of small shareable dishes. My favorites were the roasted cauliflower in a creamy tahini sauce and the sweet potato dish. We also had delicious fresh homemade lemonade. The food alongside the stylish interior made for a very good experience! Definitely recommended!

Address: Dob Utca 5.

Cinema Sushi Bar

Cinema Sushi Bar is a tiny little gem, with around four small tables. We were craving sushi one day after walking around for hours, and decided to give it a go. It ended up being a really positive experience! The sushi was simple, but super fresh and tasty. The price was a lot less than the Sushi prices we are used to, and we would both happily visit again if we found our way back to Budapest.

Address: kerület Corvin köz 2.

Horizont

Horizont, named after its round shape is located right across the street from the famous New York Café. We enjoyed coffee and lemonade in the cool restaurant, but they also had a variety of breakfast dishes. 

Address: Erzébet körút 13.

Jamie’s Pizzeria Gozsdu

On my brother’s request, we visited Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria Gozsdu restaurant. It is a pretty touristy restaurant, but my brother loved it. We ordered a lasagna and pizza. It was his absolute food highlight. If you are in the mood for pizza or are just an Italian food lover, you will like it.

Address: Király utca 13.

Where to Shop in Budapest

Bookshops on Wheels

At different locations around the city, you can find these beautiful bookshops on wheels. We didn’t get anything ourselves, but saw many who used them. They are yet another example as to why we found Budapest to be a very quaint and friendly city to visit.

Csendes Concept Store

This very cute shop had a lot of handmade pieces including art, ceramics, jewelry, and other fun pieces. It is worth a browse. Everywhere you turn you see something new. They even had a section with bread and some other edible items! The prices for such unique items were not bad at all. In fact, I totally regret not buying some of the beautiful prints!

Address: Magyar Utca 18

Humana Second Hand

Being a massive secondhand lover, visiting the Humana shops were truly like stepping into a treasure box. The prices were amazing, and I have never seen so many beautiful pieces hanging next to each other, without a hundred random bits in between. Even my brother found some cool pieces!

Address: Multiple locations.

PauZa

Another shop with some beautiful handmade pieces, these were very interior focused and I bought a lot of awesome presents for my family (and myself). Again, the prices were pretty low for such unique pieces and the best kind of souvenir you can bring home.

Address: vitkovics utca 7.

What to Do in Budapest

New York Café

One of the places that will show up when you Google, what to do in Budapest, is New York Café. It was on our to do list, but when we went the line was all the way around the building.

We went inside and it was the most stunning building, every place you looked there was the most beautiful detailing. However, there were so many tourists who just like us had gone to visit, to the point where it took a lot away from the charming building. We had a look around and then decided to go to another nearby café instead.

If you do want a table at the New York Café, I would recommend pre-arranging a reservation if possible.

Central Market

Similar to other European cities, Budapest also has a Central Market. If you have time, it is worth a visit, especially if you want to go grocery shopping for your cooking. But I wouldn’t categorize it as a must see.

Urban Lobby

On our last day, we needed a place to keep our luggage for the day and we found the Urban Lobby. Here, they had some lockers where you could pay to store your luggage while strolling through the city. We were a bit tired from walking so much and I also had some work I wanted to get done. This worked out perfectly as they also had the most beautiful coworking environment. We paid around 5 euro each for a full day access pass. They had free drinks and snacks, as well as a shower if we needed it. Had I been there for longer, or even known about the place previous to our last day, I would have visited more often. 

A co-working environment is such a lovely place to go when you need motivation and a place to focus on getting some work done as well as to connect with others. This is for sure something I will look out for in the future when travelling and need an environment that allows me to relax and get some work done, without the city stress that often comes with working from a restaurant style café.

Budapest is an amazing city with so many places to visit! We visited many more places than in this guide, but I only wanted to include places I truly adored or highlights of other recommended places. We really enjoyed our time in Budapest and will definitely go back soon!

Budapest Travel Guide

by: Laura Wainer

Enjoy and experience the beautiful – and very affordable – city of Budapest!

Every corner you turn in the beautiful city of Budapest, there is a new cozy coffee shop or  beautiful contemporary boutique. It is definitely worth a visit.

In this guide, I will share all the places my brother and I visited (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and absolutely loved.

Where to Stay in Budapest

We booked accommodation through Airbnb, which can sometimes be hit or miss– but if you find a place with several recommendations and take some time to read through them, it will give you a pretty clear picture of what to expect. 

We rented an inexpensive place in the middle of Budapest. It was very cozy, clean, and had a full kitchen and extra bedroom. I really enjoy having a cozy place to relax after a full day of exploring, as all the new impressions can be a bit overwhelming when in a new place.

Quick tip: Flight arrival times can be unpredictable, so I suggest searching places that use key-boxes, which allows for late check-in times. 

How to Get Around in Budapest

Getting around the city was very simple, and everything was within walking distance.

When we arrived, it was raining, so we quickly decided to take a taxi. We paid 7000HUF for a taxi from the airport to centrum. There are also many shuttle-options available to book at the airport upon landing. 

Quick Tip: We decided not to use the underground metro. We felt a bit uncomfortable, as it was very dirty, smelly, and felt unsafe. So out of safety and our peace of mind, we avoided it best we could.

Where to Eat in Budapest

Budapest is one of the best foodie cities I have visited! I am a sucker for cute interiors and delicious, yet cheap food. It seemed to be that way in every café we passed. 

My favorite meals are breakfast and lunch, so when I travel I always make a plan to budget for eating out both meals to experience what the local cuisine has to offer. 

Then after a full day out from exploring and eating, I like to have a relaxing evening in and get a good night’s sleep!

Marty’s Kitchen & Bar

Our first breakfast in town was enjoyed at the beautiful restaurant, Marty’s Kitchen & Bar. It was a fine meal, not our best, but definitely worth a visit. It has the cutest pink, retro inspired interior and a good amount of entres to choose from, allowing everyone to pick something they like!

Address: Vörösmarty tér 5.

Café Babart

Café Babart was located around the corner from where we stayed. One hungry morning, we decided to give it a go. I ordered a coconut porridge with berries and was NOT disappointed! It was half the price of everywhere else we visited, but honestly the best breakfast we had. Simple, but super tasty! The café itself was also cute and the staff were super sweet!

Address: Kerület Rumbach Sebestyén utca 3.

Dobrumba

 

One of my food highlights of the trip was the Middle East inspired restaurant, Dobrumba. It seemed to be a favorite for the locals, as many were there on their lunch break enjoying the delicious variety of small shareable dishes. My favorites were the roasted cauliflower in a creamy tahini sauce and the sweet potato dish. We also had delicious fresh homemade lemonade. The food alongside the stylish interior made for a very good experience! Definitely recommended!

Address: Dob Utca 5.

Cinema Sushi Bar

Cinema Sushi Bar is a tiny little gem, with around four small tables. We were craving sushi one day after walking around for hours, and decided to give it a go. It ended up being a really positive experience! The sushi was simple, but super fresh and tasty. The price was a lot less than the Sushi prices we are used to, and we would both happily visit again if we found our way back to Budapest.

Address: kerület Corvin köz 2.

Horizont

Horizont, named after its round shape is located right across the street from the famous New York Café. We enjoyed coffee and lemonade in the cool restaurant, but they also had a variety of breakfast dishes. 

Address: Erzébet körút 13.

Jamie’s Pizzeria Gozsdu

On my brother’s request, we visited Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria Gozsdu restaurant. It is a pretty touristy restaurant, but my brother loved it. We ordered a lasagna and pizza. It was his absolute food highlight. If you are in the mood for pizza or are just an Italian food lover, you will like it.

Address: Király utca 13.

Where to Shop in Budapest

Bookshops on Wheels

At different locations around the city, you can find these beautiful bookshops on wheels. We didn’t get anything ourselves, but saw many who used them. They are yet another example as to why we found Budapest to be a very quaint and friendly city to visit.

Csendes Concept Store

This very cute shop had a lot of handmade pieces including art, ceramics, jewelry, and other fun pieces. It is worth a browse. Everywhere you turn you see something new. They even had a section with bread and some other edible items! The prices for such unique items were not bad at all. In fact, I totally regret not buying some of the beautiful prints!

Address: Magyar Utca 18

Humana Second Hand

Being a massive secondhand lover, visiting the Humana shops were truly like stepping into a treasure box. The prices were amazing, and I have never seen so many beautiful pieces hanging next to each other, without a hundred random bits in between. Even my brother found some cool pieces!

Address: Multiple locations.

PauZa

Another shop with some beautiful handmade pieces, these were very interior focused and I bought a lot of awesome presents for my family (and myself). Again, the prices were pretty low for such unique pieces and the best kind of souvenir you can bring home.

Address: vitkovics utca 7.

What to Do in Budapest

New York Café

One of the places that will show up when you Google, what to do in Budapest, is New York Café. It was on our to do list, but when we went the line was all the way around the building.

We went inside and it was the most stunning building, every place you looked there was the most beautiful detailing. However, there were so many tourists who just like us had gone to visit, to the point where it took a lot away from the charming building. We had a look around and then decided to go to another nearby café instead.

If you do want a table at the New York Café, I would recommend pre-arranging a reservation if possible.

Central Market

Similar to other European cities, Budapest also has a Central Market. If you have time, it is worth a visit, especially if you want to go grocery shopping for your cooking. But I wouldn’t categorize it as a must see.

Urban Lobby

On our last day, we needed a place to keep our luggage for the day and we found the Urban Lobby. Here, they had some lockers where you could pay to store your luggage while strolling through the city. We were a bit tired from walking so much and I also had some work I wanted to get done. This worked out perfectly as they also had the most beautiful coworking environment. We paid around 5 euro each for a full day access pass. They had free drinks and snacks, as well as a shower if we needed it. Had I been there for longer, or even known about the place previous to our last day, I would have visited more often. 

A co-working environment is such a lovely place to go when you need motivation and a place to focus on getting some work done as well as to connect with others. This is for sure something I will look out for in the future when travelling and need an environment that allows me to relax and get some work done, without the city stress that often comes with working from a restaurant style café.

Budapest is an amazing city with so many places to visit! We visited many more places than in this guide, but I only wanted to include places I truly adored or highlights of other recommended places. We really enjoyed our time in Budapest and will definitely go back soon!

About author: Laura anna wainer

 

I grew up in Denmark and had a very privileged upbringing. We lived in a beautiful house, I went to a lovely school, had free healthcare and traveled a lot. However I never felt right, I always felt like I didn’t fit in, never able to find my place and always a bit anxious and sad.

When I was fourteen my parents got divorced, which came with a lot of new struggles. At the time though i was too young to understand and know how to deal with them. Instead i bottled it up and went into survival mode.

Fast forward to almost ten years later I was finally diagnosed with depression, PTSD and anxiety. I look forward to sharing my journey, my ups and downs and everything in between on Home of Passion. The world isn’t black and white and neither is my life.

Find me on instagram @ben10love

About author: Laura Anna Wainer

 

I grew up in Denmark and had a very privileged upbringing. We lived in a beautiful house, I went to a lovely school, had free healthcare and traveled a lot. However I never felt right, I always felt like I didn’t fit in, never able to find my place and always a bit anxious and sad.

When I was fourteen my parents got divorced, which came with a lot of new struggles. At the time though i was too young to understand and know how to deal without. Instead i bottled it up and went into survival mode.

Fast forward to almost ten years later I was finally diagnosed with depression, PTSD and anxiety. I look forward to sharing my journey, my ups and downs and everything in between on Home of Passion. The world isn’t black and white and neither is my life.

Find me on instagram @ben10love