Gastronomy & Wine

One good thing for visitors to Budapest is that they can gain a complete impression of the country’s varied gastronomy in the countless styles on offer in its restaurants, bistros and wine bars. Whether you are looking for masterpieces of traditional Hungarian cuisine which encapsulate its thousand-year-old history or want to experience its modern gastronomic trends, there are plenty of options available.

Hungarian cuisine has been created by the fusion of many influences, including Turkish, Swabian and French, and thus now gives you a glimpse into its history through its herbs and spices, ingredients and flavours. The best known of Hungary’s long list of typical dishes are goulash soup or fish soup, chicken paprika with egg dumplings (called nokedli), strudel or somlói galuska, a kind of Hungarian trifle; these have now been joined by the imaginative, irresistible culinary creations of fine dining restaurants and bistros. What’s more, conscientious chefs nowadays not only ensure they use as many seasonable ingredients as possible, but often try to source them as locally as they can.

Enjoyed with or without food, Hungarian wines are an essential element of an inspirational dialogue, representing unique diversity, even seen internationally, thanks to the country’s 22 wine districts. Whether it be traditional method sparkling wine, complex volcanic white wine or full-bodied red wine, our producers’ creations consistently feature among the world’s best in wine competitions. Then there’s Tokaji Aszú, our national treasure, which is currently undergoing a renaissance, meaning there is no longer any question about its place among world-leading natural sweet wines. And did you know that this wine is made using the world’s most expensive production method?

For those who want to start the day in a truly original way or give a whole new impetus to the afternoon, a visit to one of Budapest’s coffeehouses is a must. They attract the capital’s young and old from all walks of life as well as both its artistic souls and businesspeople; they are places where worldviews, languages and cultures mix. Maybe this is what has always made these coffeehouses so popular, both with writers and poets in centuries past and perhaps even today – you can soak up their atmosphere while sipping a good espresso.

It’s only natural that you’ll want to take a slice of this flavour kaleidoscope home with you to share with your loved ones, but whether it is a fiery fruit pálinka, the Hungarians’ favourite distillate, or the spice paprika which typifies so many of our dishes, or maybe even the colourful foil-wrapped szaloncukor sweets, an essential Hungarian Christmas tree decoration, is entirely up to you.

Tip

Take advantage of our restaurants and other banqueting venues’ diverse facilities for your MICE event! Plan a memorable dinner in one of Budapest’s one or two-star Michelin restaurants, or discover the spacious restaurants and cafés housed in magnificent, listed buildings for larger groups. Such event venues will ensure your delegates have an exceptional experience. You could also organise an incentive programme featuring a cookery course, a chocolate making course or even pep up the day by learning how to stretch out some paper-thin strudel pastry!