There’s something pleasantly soothing about visiting a city for the second time. I felt particularly serene strolling along the Danube and wandering along Budapest’s mammoth boulevards knowing I had seen it all before, and didn’t have to worry about missing a must-see monument. It was also entertaining to reminisce about my last trip to Hungary in 2013, and compare it to this year’s experience – a long romantic weekend – which couldn’t be further apart.
Eight years ago, I was backpacking with a friend across Europe without much of a plan or pocket money, staying in creepy hostels and hitting every ruin bar I possibly could in one night. This year, I was surprising my boyfriend for his birthday and planned a 4-day itinerary packed with cultural daytime activities, eco-foodie meals and sustainable shopping stops. Ok, the latter was mostly for me, I must admit 😉
Having both already been to Hungary, and done all the touristy stuff you kinda feel obliged to take part in as a first time visitor, we took our time and skipped a few landmarks and lengthy tours to enjoy off-the-beaten track spots instead. We hit two spas and hung out with the local crowds in places that would definitely be missed on a more typical trip.
We stayed in District V (Downtown), near Arany Janos utca station, in this airbnb which used to be a tailor’s home. Like most airbnbs in Budapest, ours was a mezzanine. The location was pretty ideal as we could walk to all the interesting sites in about fifteen minutes. We ended up walking almost everywhere, except for the occasional Bolt trip when our feet couldn’t take it anymore. This street was also particularly quiet, even on weekends, which is really something to take into consideration when you book as Budapest is a prime destination for stag do’s and parties. You want to stay as far away from those as possible!
I’ve added a little box at the end of this guide with some practical info re travelling and packing, so I’ll skip to the interesting bit.
Daytime activities : culture and wellbeing
- Take a walk around Margit-sziget (Margaret Island). I didn’t manage to fit it in my 2013 itinerary, which was a huge regret. This time, it was the first thing we did, to stretch our legs after our early morning flight on Thursday. We walked for about 2 hours, although you need more time to complete a full tour of the island. There’s a scenic running track along the bank, where locals come to jog and stretch, green spaces, including a pretty Japanese garden, and the ruins of a Dominican monastery. The whole island was very peaceful when we went in October. I bet there is a lot more action going on in the summer though. Overall, I think it’s a great starting point to feel the city’s vibe (it’s bang in the middle) and to walk off the long journey you did to get there.
- Spare a few hours to bathe at the spas. These places are visited by tourists and Budapest residents alike, which is always a good sign. We spent a couple of hours at Gellert on our first day and managed to squeeze in another bathing afternoon at Rudas on our last day. Both institutions are located on the Buda side where you’ll also find all the must-see monuments. It’s a good idea to pair a visit to the historical sites with 2 to 3 hours at the baths to relax tired legs and feet.
- Gellert seems to be more famous – at least in my mind – and that’s the one I had chosen for my first trip. It features 4 extra large baths in a grandiose – almost palatial – Art Nouveau architectural setting. The idea is to dip in and out of them to experience different temperatures from 38-ish to 40°C, and compare whose toes and fingertip heat-induced wrinkles are the ugliest. There are also a couple of dry saunas and a secluded heated outdoor pool featuring twirling jets to bathe in. By the end you feel like a vegetable cooked sous-vide, over and over again, and it’s a pretty delicious feeling.
- However, I think I preferred my experience at Rudas, which has a modern section, including a “sauna world”. That’s about 5 or 6 of them – maybe more, I got lost – scattered across different floors and set at temperatures ranging from 50 to 100°C. The place is a maze and there are sensory showers and steam rooms hidden in the corner of empty corridors and staircases. Not to be mean to those guys, but their maps are totally useless and I just recommend you explore until you find them all (I’m still not sure we did). Don’t miss the bubbly and very warm open-air Jacuzzi on the rooftop (also kinda hard to find), which has a 360° view over the mountain on one side and the Danube river on the other.
- Fisherman’s Bastion is a must-see on the Buda side. It’s walking distance to the Buda Castle (including various monuments) and Matthias Church. You can easily hit all the landmarks in one go. This can take you a few hours or a whole day depending on your energy levels and commitment to ticking all the boxes in your travel guide. We opted for a light visit and walked around, skipping the ramparts, various exhibitions and guided tours that all required entrance fees. The Buda side is more residential than Pest, but we found really trendy restaurants and busy cafés alongside Bartók Béla boulevard, which is where you should walk to for lunch unless you prefer touristic places (nothing wrong with them, they may be closer but they’re more expensive and less authentic in my opinion).
- Bridges offer the best viewpoints and photo ops in Budapest. Walking along the Danube on either side and crossing them (by foot, electric bus or tram) is the best way to marvel at the city’s most eye-catching monument: its Parliament. There isn’t right or wrong here. It’s pretty from all angles.
- If you’re into neck-breaking ceiling art to admire like me, you can do a quick stop (or a meal, but you need to book in advance) at Parisi Passage and New York Café. These are super touristic establishments with long history and, even longer entrance queues. Their menu is not cheap (for Budapest). You can get away with a brief glance from the door if you’re pressed for time and on a budget.
Night time activities: rooftops, fine dining and ruin bars
- Budapest has a few really great rooftops that house restaurants and/or bars. I booked at The Duchess, a secret bar on top of the recently renovated Matild Palace hotel. From the terrace, you can admire the Elizabeth bridge on one side and Matild’s twin building – the Klotild Palace – on the other. Both palaces were built during the Belle Epoque era in 1902 and UNESCO world heritage sites. The Duchess’s decor is a modern twist on the speakeasy with an intimate atmosphere. Their head mixologist is an expert in negronis and will be able to fetch you pretty much any drink you dream of.
- Sip a beer at a ruin bar in District VII (the Jewish Quarter). A mix and match of castaway, broken objects, strange art pieces and hundreds of thousands of graffitis cover the walls of ruin bars. The original one is Szimpla, which has to be the one you go to if you have to choose. We also enjoyed moodily-lit Csences Letterem, which is ideal for a romantic date night and less tourist vibes.
- It took me ages to choose which restaurant we would go to for my boyfriend’s actual birthday meal and I ended up booking at Mak Bistro. The experience was fabulous. There are two tasting menus – a meaty one and a pescatarian one – that come in small (about 4-5 courses) or large (6-7 courses). It’s highly creative, and every dish is surprising either in texture or taste – in a good way. It’s also very good value for money if you’re into fine dining. I definitely recommend their Hungarian wine pairing as well. I shared an Instagram post with more images.
Lunch, breakfast, coffee: some foodie addresses to have on your radar
- The most jaw-dropping brunch spot we went to was definitely Twenty Six, which I accidentally found on Instagram (first picture). This urban-jungle doubles as a yoga studio, zero-waste shop and luxury hotel (called Stories). We went for brunch and ordered the “super green breakfast”, which comes with a little oak tree, as in they plant it for you and keep you updated by email of its development. Mine was planted in Nyíradony, 260 km from Budapest, and I’m still waiting for my picture 🙂
- Bambi Eszpresszó is a traditional communist-era bistro where you can grab a simple breakfast composed of an omelette, airy bread and spicy sausages for less than €5. It’s not fancy at all but the food is tasty and it takes you back in time. The interior decor – and clientele – has remained unchanged since the 1960’s. They obviously don’t have Instagram or a website. The address is Frankel Leó út 2-4 (on the Buda side).
- Espresso Embassy, Lumen and Fekete are great coffee shops and quick breakfast/lunch options on the Pest side. Think: hanging plants, exposed beams and stylish industrial light bulb kind of decor. You’ll see loads of local residents and freelancers working on their laptops.
- After your visit of the Buda Castle, take the tram (19 or 41) and head to Szatyor Bar es Galéria restaurant which is also on the Buda side. There is a local dish to try on the menu – the “Sztrapacska” Curded Ewe-Cheese Noodles, which is very tasty and not something you see everywhere. After lunch, walk 2 minutes along the boulevard and grab coffee and dessert at Béla. It’s cosy and perfect for a quick stop before your next activity.
- If you’re looking for a really good goulash, I found two addresses that I can recommend. The first one is Kispiac Bistro, which is a gastro-pub with a very nice terrace using mainly Hungarian produce (I asked and they said 70% comes from the country). The second one I booked was Getto Gulyas, which is the Jewish quarter and particularly great for an evening meal. Both restaurants have very limited to no vegetarian option and feature mostly traditional dishes which are meat-based.
- Vegan and vegetarian options were more difficult to find but not impossible and we managed to squeeze a few meatless meals during our trip. I booked at Mazel Tov, which serves Israeli-Mediterranean inspired dishes such as hummus plates, falafels and fresh salads. This is a very hot spot in Budapest and it gets quite busy. The service can be a bit slow but it’s worth it. On our last evening, we stumbled upon Karavan outdoor street food market. Although not a 100% vegetarian or vegan market, there were a few options to choose from. We chose to dine at Las Vegan’s, a vegan burger food truck that had a few different varieties meat alternatives.
Shopping and thrifting : vintage stores and local designers
The good news is that there are quite a few vintage stores in Budapest and some of them stay open quite late (around 7-8pm) so you can thrift after your day activities. The bad news is I couldn’t hit them all in a weekend so I can’t give you a full, in-depth, report.
To be honest, I was quite optimistic with this endeavour and had a list of 10 places to review, including some thrift stores and even flea markets. I’ll focus on the ones I managed to visit, which are listed in order:
- First, I went to Retrock vintage which is the biggest store featuring high quality vintage, a section dedicated to independent designers and a whole floor to secondhand menswear. I didn’t spot any luxury brand, but good Levi’s jeans with the orange tab which means pieces from the 60’s and 70’s in perfect condition.
- Then I went to Ludovika vintage shop which is womenswear only and focuses exclusively on vintage pieces. It’s also a large shop, set over 2 floors so you’ll need some time to comb through the selection. Clothes are organised by types (coat, jumpers, trousers,…) rather than colour or sizes and the choice is broad. I spotted really good leather jackets (sadly none in my size) and coats.
- The next stop was The Garden Studio & Café, which is a slow fashion store featuring local designers and brands I didn’t know. It’s a good mix between experimental creations and wearable clothes such as Daige, Nandi and my favourite, Tomcsanyi.
- The last one I manage to squeeze in just before it closed was Antifactory. It’s the smallest one from this list. The style is edgy and I spotted loads of party wear like metallic mini skirts, sequin dresses and maxi coats. There’s also a section for men and accessories.
Good to know | Some practical tips for a smooth trip to Budapest
- You can easily walk everywhere and public transport is a great way to see the city. The taxi app Bolt is very reliable and easy to use. Download it before your trip.
- You need to bring your own towel and slippers at the baths. Their gift shops are absolute rip-offs.
- Covid-related safety measures are very light in Budapest. Masks are not mandatory, nor is vaccination to enter in most public spaces. However, there are rules to get into the country. Don’t forget to check the ones that apply to you.
- Book everywhere in advance, especially restaurants and popular activities like the baths, as there are a lot of tourists and queues are long and slow.
- Follow the news closely and learn about the country before you visit. Hungary has a complex political landscape, which can be unstable and unsafe.
Photos by me & Nick Morosi
