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Budapest offers a diverse and delicious culinary scene, blending traditional Hungarian dishes with international influences, offering iconic dishes like goulash and lángos, along with savory chimney cakes and rich desserts like dobos torte, reflecting Hungarian flavours in charming cafés and bistros and traditional markets.

Things to Eat and Drink in Budapest

Foods

Goulash (gulyás):

Goulash, a hearty Hungarian stew, combining tender meat, paprika, and vegetables, simmered to perfection. Its rich flavor, often served with bread or dumplings, embodies warmth and tradition in Hungarian cuisine.

Visit: Bestia

Langos:

A popular street food, Lángos are a Hungarian street food delight, featuring deep-fried dough topped with savory or sweet toppings like garlic, sour cream, cheese, or Nutella, offering a crispy yet indulgent culinary experience.

Visit: Retro Langos

Chicken Paprikash (csirkepaprikás):

Another Hungarian classic, featuring tender chicken simmered in a creamy paprika-infused sauce, comforting and flavorful dish served traditionally with dumplings or noodles, epitomizing Hungarian comfort food.

Dobos Torte:

A Hungarian dessert consisting of multiple layers of sponge cake filled with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel, offering a decadent symphony of flavors and textures.

Visit: Auguszt 1870

Chimney Cake (kürtőskalács):

Chimney cake, or kürtőskalács, is a Hungarian pastry made from sweet yeast dough wrapped around a cylindrical spit, baked until golden and crispy, then coated in sugar, cinnamon, or nuts.

Strudel (rétes):

Hungarian strudel features thin layers of flaky pastry filled with a variety of sweet or savory fillings such as apples, cherries, cheese, or cabbage, creating a delightful and comforting pastry treat.

Visit: Strudel House

Drink:

Unicum:

A Hungarian herbal liqueur, boasts a unique blend of over 40 herbs and spices, crafted since 1790. Its bittersweet flavor profile, enjoyed as a digestif, carries a legacy of tradition and is an iconic symbol of Hungarian culture.

Pálinka:

Hungary’s beloved fruit brandy, is distilled from a variety of fruits such as plum, apricot, or pear. With its potent yet smooth character, pálinka embodies Hungarian hospitality and tradition, enjoyed on special occasions or as a digestive delight.

Hungarian Wine:

Hungary has a long history of winemaking, with several wine regions producing excellent wines. Look out for varieties like Tokaji (sweet dessert wine), Egri Bikavér (Bull’s Blood), and Kadarka.

Fröccs:

A refreshing Hungarian drink made by mixing wine with soda water. The ratio of wine to soda can vary, creating different types of fröccs such as háziúr (more wine) or hosszúlépés (more soda).