4 Best Restaurants in Budapest, Hungary

The wicker chairs and café tables of this elegant brasserie, on a quiet and leafy square tucked behind Váci utca, are reminiscent of a scene out of a French movie; the summer terrace is about the prettiest location for lunch in Budapest. At other times of year, visitors can still enjoy the seasonal Hungarian favorites, like sült libacomb (crispy goose leg) in winter and asparagus soup in the spring, in the Parisian bistro-style interior.

This pricey but laid-back, sepia-toned neighborhood tavern is on a hard-to-find street near the Óbuda end of the Árpád Bridge. Practically all the food here arrives in huge servings, which was just the way that Hungarian writer Gyula Krúdy (to whom the restaurant is dedicated) liked it when he was a regular customer. Dishes like the hot pot with marrowbone and toast, or lecsó (a stew with a base of onions, peppers, tomatoes, and paprika) are great comfort food on a cool day, and Romani music livens up the place in the evenings.

Real Italian pizzas made to order in a brick oven attract a hungry business crowd during the week. Weekends find just as many people enjoying pastas like ravioli with Gorgonzola and walnut sauce or the "priest strangler"—homemade pasta in tomato ragout flambéed with Parmesan cheese. It makes quite a spectacular presentation. The seating here has rustic tables on many levels fenced in by wrought iron. Exposed bricks and hanging plants give the place a Tuscan patio feel.

Visiting Italians tell us this popular trattoria feels pretty authentic, with its bustling waiters, rustic interior, and wooden tables filled with families on Sunday. An antipasti bar in front overflows with marinated artichokes, white-bean salad, and other classic Tuscan treats, and there's a well-worn brick pizza oven in back. The extensive menu boasts some of the best fish in town, including several sea bass options. The little understood mozzarella ventigli pasta with San Marzano tomatoes and fresh oregano (homemade cheese-filled ravioli with garlicky tomatoes and lots of oregano) is a dish to die for.