Tummy Trip in Europe - Best Eats in Hungary

Budapest. Paris of Eastern Europe. This Hungarian capital has breathtaking and grand architecture , old world and mysterious charm , history seeping in every corner and great food that awaits every visitor.

Budapest from Buda castle..

the Parliament

The famous Chain Bridge divides Budapest into Buda and Pest and in terms of finding good chows, it doesn't matter which side you end up with because for sure, you will spot a cafe or eatery serving heartwarming hungarian goulash , stews and other famous Magyar dishes aside from the Hungarian sausage.

                the Chain bridge by the Danube..

 Hungarian cuisine uses a lot of paprika, sour cream, onions and garlic. We were able to sample most of the top dishes to try in Hungary starting off with the most famous goulash. The first goulash we had was in Menza , a modern cafe /bistro type popular with the locals and tourists. It is located along Ference ter 2 and very near the bustling Andrassy utca. Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor mentioned Menza as go to the place for authentic Hungarian cuisine in an art deco setting.

Goulash is like our beef caldereta. It uses tenderloin or sirloin with tomatoes, paprika , garlic , boiled tender topped with sour cream. It is usually served with spatzel or flour dumplings.

                                             Hungarian goulash with spatzel


I ordered their garlic soup with bread which reminded me of a donut. I love the creamy soup soup with the mild garlic taste, just right.

                                                  garlic soup and bread with sour cream

We also tried their version of a grilled chicken with sour cream on a sandwich. This was really yummy!

                                            take out !
Menza was great.  Prices were just right , the service was ok , the staff were friendly, making our first meal in Budapest really a wonderful experience.

For the next few days, we made it a goal to try the other local favorites like cabbage rolls, chicken paprika , sausages and the Dobos cake, a sponge cake filled with cream and caramel.. ..

Thankfully, the next day we spotted this cafe along Vaci Utca serving guess what? cabbage rolls and chicken paprika so we opted to eat there...

We had goulash soup to start since it was cold that day in Budapest and we had quite a walk from Buda castle and the Parliament ...

                                             Goulash soup

Their goulash soup was really tender and piping hot, perfect for chilled diners like us... It even comes with a basket of freshly baked bread , perfect for getting the remaining contents of the cup.

                                           my order of  cabbage rolls

I got the cabbage rolls. Cabbage rolls  are,  well, cabbage slices with meat filling and sometimes rice,  cooked in tomatoes and paprika topped with sour cream.  These rolls are really good, they even served it with sauerkraut.

                                           chicken paprika with baked spatzel

Marco got the chicken paprika with spatzel ( flour dumplings). This dish was very creamy with the right amount of heat, they used mild paprika and the sauce was perfect for the spatzel. Spatzel is actually made from flour and cooked in butter. It serves as the rice or carbs for the meat.

More Magyar delights the next few days..

At Cafe Montmarte ( a French cafe in Budapest hmmm..)

Having brocolli soup with panini and pizza for a light snack ..

                                          the brocolli soup was good...

                                            the panini was good too..

We visited the Central Market Hall, the largest covered market in Budapest selling everything from paprika to sausages, baked desserts, souvenir items, cheese and endless rows of food stalls serving authentic Hungarian cuisine for a cheaper price...

paprika everywhere..

sausages and other deli

tried their rice based lasagna...

its really good unfortunately it just collapsed ..flavorful meat , rice , cheese, sour cream and what else paprika ..

Budapest has good desserts and pastries...i bought the Dobos for just one Hungarian forint..Dobos as mentioned earlier is a sponge cake with cream filling  and a flaky crust...

We tried Tao, their local Chinese resto , it was packed with students and office workers. It's a self service casual dining place wherein diners choose the dishes they like from the buffet...

the food was good ..

Even our hotel served Hungarian food in the breakfast buffet along with other continental staples like cereals, breads, fruits , yoghurt etc..Ever present of course were the assorted Hungarian sausages hehe..

I can't forget about this rice dish they served for breakfast..Rice cooked with tomatoes, onions and paprika..Perfect with Hungarian sausages..

love this rice! 

french toast with sugar beets and sausage..

We truly enjoyed Hungarian cuisine  and the other delights Budapest has to offer and though Magyar dishes may be  rich or heavy  for some, it sure did warm not only our tummies but our hearts as well.