About

About ULTIMATE Budapest City Guide

ULTIMATE Budapest City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Budapest, Hungary. We publish 16 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, thermal baths, fitness + pools, medical, property, hotels, sights, parks, culture, cinema, shopping, nightlife, transport & cruises and cars. Together they cover Buda and Pest: the Castle District, the Inner City, the Jewish Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, City Park and the Danube.

How we choose

Our lists draw on respected guides, such as the MICHELIN Guide Hungary, together with local knowledge and recent reviews. We look for quality, character and a genuine sense of Budapest, from MICHELIN-starred dining rooms to old coffee houses and the baths.

Before you go

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change often, especially for outdoor pools, garden bars and rooftops. Please check directly with each venue before you visit, and book ahead for popular restaurants. Hungary uses the forint (HUF); our price guides run from € (budget) to €€€€ (luxury).

For venues

Run a venue in Budapest and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Andrássy Avenue, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Liszt Academy of Music on Liszt Ferenc Square, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Fisherman’s Bastion, by Marek Mróz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Andrássy Avenue, by Mister No, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Museum of Applied Arts, Ödön Lechner’s masterpiece, by Random photos 1989, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Chain Bridge and the Parliament at dusk, by David Spigiel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lake and bridge in City Park, by Random photos 1989, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The new Museum of Ethnography with its green roof, by Lessormore, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A bowl of Hungarian goulash soup, by MOs810, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance to Gozsdu udvar, by Thaler Tamas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The outdoor pools of the Hajós Alfréd complex, by Szilas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hand-painted Herend porcelain, by Dguendel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau town hall of Kecskemét, by Szilas, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kopaszi-gát on the Danube, by Sztudva Gyöngyi, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Chimney cakes baking over embers, by Christo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lángos topped with sour cream and cheese, by V0lkanic, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled facade of Ödön Lechner’s Postal Savings Bank, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The green Liberty Bridge, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Millenáris Park, by Vauia Rex, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Autumn meadows at Normafa in the Buda Hills, by ucsendre, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Deckchairs on the Danube at Római-part, by Christo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An old Trabant car inside a Budapest ruin bar, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside Szimpla Kert, the original ruin bar, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Moorish interior of the Rumbach Street Synagogue, by יעקב, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A yellow tram on line 2 along the Danube, by Chris j wood, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Várkert Bazár below Buda Castle, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards in the Tokaj wine region, by Derzsi Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau elephant house at Budapest Zoo, by 12akd, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An iridescent Zsolnay eosin vessel, by Made by Zsolnay, Pècs Factory, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Balaton at Keszthely, by Oleg Andriychuk, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside Szimpla Kert, the first ruin bar, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Stephen’s Basilica, by Zdvihak, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Fisherman’s Bastion, by Marek Mróz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Széchenyi Thermal Bath in City Park, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded hall of the New York Café, by Asif Masimov, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Széchenyi Chain Bridge, by Xosema, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Buda Castle, the former royal palace, by Dennis G. Jarvis, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Centrál Kávéház, the historic coffee house on Károlyi Street, by Helge Høifødt, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Széchenyi Chain Bridge, by Xosema, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Children’s Railway at Széchenyi Hill, by Globetrotter19, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded foyer of the Uránia National Film Theatre, by Random photos 1989, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance of the Corvin cinema, by Globetrotter19, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Liberty Statue on Gellért Hill, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cogwheel railway at Városmajor, by Jan Pešula, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A sightseeing boat on the Danube in front of the Parliament, by Adam Jones, Ph.D., licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Danube Bend, by Szilas, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The main square of Szentendre, by Rengier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Dohány Street Synagogue, by Yair-haklai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Stalls at the Ecseri flea market, by Derzsi Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Eger Castle, by Mister No, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Wine cellars in the Valley of the Beautiful Women, Eger, by Globetrotter19, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Esztergom Basilica above the Danube, by Dguendel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café Gerbeaud on Vörösmarty Square, by DIMSFIKAS, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gresham Palace, home of the Four Seasons, on Széchenyi Square, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gundel restaurant in City Park, by Gvarady, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the Béla Bartók Memorial House, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Dobos torte with its caramel top, by Christo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A slice of Esterházy torte, by Traumrune, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tagore promenade in Balatonfüred, by Explicatory, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Matyó embroiderers at a crafts festival in Buda, by Globetrotter19, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A painted burial chamber in the early Christian necropolis of Pécs, by Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the Pál-völgyi Cave, by Christo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A paprika stall hung with strings of dried peppers, by Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pécs Cathedral and its four towers, by Pasztilla aka Attila Terbócs, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Mosque of Pasha Qasim on Széchenyi Square, Pécs, by Timmie1983, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Puskás Aréna lit up at night, by Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Nouveau Reök Palace in Szeged, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Rubik’s Cube, by Tarasna0922, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rákóczi Castle in Sárospatak, by Szilas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New Synagogue of Szeged, by Somorjai Ferenc, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mineral formations in the Szemlő-hegyi Cave, by Christo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The statue of Albert Szent-Györgyi in Szeged, by Owner, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ruins of Szigliget Castle above Lake Balaton, by Koni Pas, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards around Hercegkút in the Tokaj wine region, by Derzsi Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Zwack Unicum building in Budapest, by Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The outdoor pools of the Hajós Alfréd complex, by Szilas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Monument on Heroes’ Square, by Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The thermal lake at Hévíz, by Heather Cowper, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old village of Hollókő, by Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gresham Palace, home of the Four Seasons, on Széchenyi Square, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kazinczy Street in the Jewish Quarter, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Festetics Palace in Keszthely, by Sandor Somkuti, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Liszt Academy of Music on Liszt Ferenc Square, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lukács Baths in Buda, by Christo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gresham Palace, home of the Four Seasons, on Széchenyi Square, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The musical fountain on Margaret Island, by Nikolai Karaneschev, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the Great Market Hall, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The patterned tile roof of Matthias Church, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament Building by night, by Costel Slincu from Iasi, Romania, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A monumental bronze statue at Memento Park, by Paul Colin Hennig firstdorsal.eu, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Müpa Budapest, home of the Ludwig Museum, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian National Museum, by Christo, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Split and its harbour from Marjan Hill, by Zoran Knez at English Wikipedia, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftops, by Alex Sirac, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside Szimpla Kert, the first ruin bar, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded hall of the New York Café, by Asif Masimov, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian State Opera House on Andrássy Avenue, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Budapest Operetta Theatre on Nagymező Street, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pools of Palatinus Strand on Margaret Island, by Illustratedjc, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Budapest and the Danube from the Citadella, by HerrAdams, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lake and bridge in City Park, by Random photos 1989, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament Building by night, by Costel Slincu from Iasi, Romania, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Beograd Centar (Prokop) railway station, Belgrade, by Andrija12345678, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Andrássy Avenue, by Mister No, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gundel restaurant in City Park, by Gvarady, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hospital in the Rock under Castle Hill, by Nabbegat, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rudas Baths below Gellért Hill, by Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the Ruszwurm confectionery in the Castle District, by Chad K from Denver, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shops on Váci Street, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Open Air Museum at Szentendre, by Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Buda Castle above the Danube, by Moyan Brenn from Italy, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Széchenyi Chain Bridge across the Danube, by a.canvas.of.light from Melbourne, Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Széchenyi Thermal Bath in City Park, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The main square of Szentendre, by Rengier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside Szimpla Kert, the first ruin bar, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The House of Terror on Andrássy Avenue, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A sightseeing boat on the Danube in front of the Parliament, by Adam Jones, Ph.D., licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shops on Váci Street, by xorge, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park, by Felix König, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Fisherman’s Bastion, by Marek Mróz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Christmas Fair on Vörösmarty Square, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Advent fair in front of St Stephen’s Basilica, by Elekes Andor, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Moorish interior of the Rumbach Street Synagogue, by יעקב, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.