Lifestyle guide · The finest of Budapest
The finest of Budapest in one place: palace hotels, MICHELIN-starred dining, rooftop bars, historic baths, grand cafés, porcelain and Andrássy Avenue, with the story of the city’s golden age.
Lifestyle feature
Belle Époque palaces reborn as hotels, MICHELIN stars, gilded cafés and steaming baths: Budapest does luxury with a sense of history.
Stay in a restored palace, dine at a MICHELIN-starred table, take coffee in the most beautiful café in the world and end the evening on a rooftop above the Basilica.
Read the full back story below, then explore our favourite places.
The back story
How the grand palaces of the Belle Époque became Budapest’s finest hotels, and where to find the city’s most refined dining, bathing and shopping today.
Art Nouveau landmark
A luxury hotel in the Art Nouveau Gresham Palace, facing the Chain Bridge and the Danube.
Széchenyi István tér 5-6Explore View on map
A restored palace
A grand, restored palace at the Pest end of Elisabeth Bridge, home of Spago by Wolfgang Puck.
Váci utca 36Explore View on map
Home of the New York Café
A grand hotel in the New York Palace on the Grand Boulevard, home of the famous New York Café.
Erzsébet körút 9-11Explore View on map
On Erzsébet Square
A luxury hotel in a historic building on Erzsébet Square, steps from Vörösmarty Square and the Basilica.
Erzsébet tér 9-10Explore View on map
In the Drechsler Palace
A design-led luxury hotel in the restored Drechsler Palace on Andrássy Avenue, opposite the Opera.
Andrássy út 25Explore View on map
Music-themed hotel
A music-themed luxury hotel beside St Stephen’s Basilica, home of the High Note SkyBar.
Hercegprímás utca 5Explore View on map
A glass-domed arcade
A luxury hotel in the restored Párisi Udvar, one of Budapest’s most ornate arcades, on Ferenciek Square.
Petőfi Sándor utca 2-4Explore View on map
Two MICHELIN Stars
Budapest’s two-MICHELIN-starred dining room, where chefs Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló turn Hungarian classics and produce into precise, elegant tasting menus.
Székely Mihály utca 2Explore View on map
MICHELIN Star
A MICHELIN-starred chef’s table in Hotel Rum, built around wild and foraged Hungarian ingredients, old preserving techniques and natural flavours.
Királyi Pál utca 4Explore View on map
MICHELIN Star
A relaxed MICHELIN-starred bistro a few steps from St Stephen’s Basilica, with modern Hungarian cooking and one of the city’s best lists of Hungarian wines.
Sas utca 3Explore View on map
MICHELIN Star
The restaurant that won Hungary’s first MICHELIN Star in 2010, on lively Ráday Street, still serving polished contemporary tasting menus.
Ráday utca 4Explore View on map
MICHELIN Star
A MICHELIN-starred dining room near Elisabeth Bridge, with creative tasting menus in an elegant, intimate room.
Piarista köz 2Explore View on map
MICHELIN Star
A MICHELIN-starred restaurant where Portuguese and Hungarian cooking meet, run by chef Tiago Sabarigo and Éva Hegyi near the Basilica.
Sas utca 17Explore View on map
MICHELIN Star
A MICHELIN-starred chef’s table by Jenő Rácz on Petőfi Square, where the meal is cooked and served around a counter, close to the Danube.
Petőfi tér 3-5Explore View on map
A fine-dining pioneer
One of the pioneers of Hungarian fine dining, on Vörösmarty Square in the Gerbeaud House, celebrating its 19th birthday in 2026.
Vörösmarty tér 7-8Explore View on map
In Matild Palace
Wolfgang Puck’s Budapest restaurant in the grand Matild Palace, mixing his Californian classics with Hungarian ingredients.
Váci utca 36Explore View on map
Basilica views
The rooftop bar of the Aria Hotel, facing the dome of St Stephen’s Basilica, with cocktails and views across the city.
Hercegprímás utca 5Explore View on map
Hungarian wines with a view
An elegant rooftop wine and cocktail bar in the Inner City, focusing on Hungarian wines.
Deák Ferenc utca 3-5Explore View on map
Chain Bridge views
A stylish rooftop bar and restaurant at the Buda end of the Chain Bridge, with views over the Danube and the Parliament.
Clark Ádám tér 1Explore View on map
Famous for its gilded hall
A dazzling café of gilt, marble and frescoes on the Grand Boulevard, opened in 1894 and often called the most beautiful café in the world.
Erzsébet körút 9-11Explore View on map
Since 1858
Budapest’s most famous confectionery, on Vörösmarty Square since 1858, with grand salons and classic Hungarian cakes.
Vörösmarty tér 7-8Explore View on map
Budapest’s most famous bath
The great neo-Baroque bath palace of City Park, opened in 1913, with steaming outdoor pools you can use all year round.
Állatkerti körút 9-11Explore View on map
Ottoman dome and rooftop pool
A 16th-century Ottoman bath at the foot of Gellért Hill, with an octagonal pool under a domed roof and a rooftop hot tub over the Danube.
Döbrentei tér 9Explore View on map
Luxury labels
The grand boulevard’s first stretch, near the Opera, is home to Budapest’s luxury fashion and jewellery boutiques.
Hungarian porcelain since 1826
The flagship store of Herend, Hungary’s famous hand-painted porcelain manufactory, founded in 1826.
József nádor tér 10-11Explore View on map
The tiles of Budapest
A store for Zsolnay porcelain and ceramics, the Pécs manufactory whose glazed tiles cover Budapest’s most famous roofs.
József nádor tér 12Explore View on map
Hungarian wine
A respected Hungarian wine retailer, with shops on Ráday Street and Andrássy Avenue.
Ráday utca 7Explore View on map
Day and evening cruises
Sightseeing cruises on the Danube by day and by night, with audio guides, from the Pest embankment.
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