UNIQUELY HUNGARIAN
In the Uniquely Hungarian section, we have collected fine examples of Hungarian delicacies, specialties, and shops that we personally highly recommend you to visit and sample! Our aim is to make your Budapest city break complete, full of uplifting cultural, relaxing exploring experiences capped with unforgettable local gastronomy, high-quality local design, and music to buy. The list of these places – some you may not find on your own – is entirely based on our experience and personal taste. We have grouped the places into 4 categories (MUSIC; GASTRONOMY; CAFÉS&PATISSERIES; ART&DESIGN), if you are reading this site on a smartphone, please, scroll down to discover all.
Disclaimer: we do not receive any commission from the owners.
MUSIC
In this section, you find the list of places to buy music (CDs, DVDs), scores, sheet music, books, used books, rarities, and gifts.
GASTRONOMY
This is our curated offer to help you find restaurants and shops where Hungarian local artisan specialties are available.
CAFÉS, PATISSERIES
Start your day with a great coffee & breakfast and sweet your stay with local traditional and modern cakes and pastries.
ART&DESIGN
Discover local art galleries and contemporary designers’ shops carefully selected for you to take home the best of Hungary.
MUSIC
Rózsavölgyi
Music Store
Music Shop
"Kodály"
MUSIC
Rózsavölgyi Music Store
Founded in 1850, Rózsavölgyi & Co. has always been recognised as a major publishing house in the Hungarian and international music scene. Today the company is famous for running the largest music store with an incredible selection of music books, sheet music, recordings, CDs, DVDs from all over the world. The shop is easy to find in the very city centre of Budapest, located in a beautiful historic building with some of the original furniture inside. Should the item, you have been looking for, be out of stock, the staff will happily arrange to order it on your behalf.
Address: 1052 Budapest, Szervita tér 5.
Opening hours: MON-FRI 10.00-20.00; SAT 10.00-20.00
Contact: +36 1 318 3500; rozsavolgyi@lira.hu
Website/Facebook: https://webaruhaz.rozsavolgyi.hu/ Rózsavölgyi Zeneműbolt | Facebook
Music Shop "Kodály"
A smaller music shop from the owners of the Rózsavölgyi Music Store called Zoltán Kodály Music, Antique and Instrument Store focuses on music pedagogy publications, second-hand & rare books, and musical instruments. Located in the city centre, opposite the Hungarian National Museum, this shop is really worth visiting to find an unexpected gem of books or music.
Address: 1053 Budapest, Múzeum körút 21.
Opening hours: MON-FRI 10:00 – 18:00; SAT 10.00 – 14.00 (closed on Sundays)
Contact: +36 1 317 3347; kodaly@lira.hu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kodalyzoltanzenemu/ (in Hungarian)
GASTRONOMY
VígVarjú Restaurant
Polo Pub
VakVarjú Pest Restaurant
Tasting Table
Wine Shop
VakVarjú
Újlipót Restaurant
GASTRONOMY
VígVarjú Restaurant
VígVarjú (The Merry Crow) restaurant combines excellent food and a magnificent view of the Royal Castle, thanks to its unparalleled location in the neoclassical building of the Vigadó Concert&Exhibition Hall that witnessed memorable Liszt concerts and events. Liszt also frequently visited the restaurant to study the voice of the gypsy band and the unique pedal cimbalom and to enjoy genuine Hungarian cuisine. The restaurant today still offers a great selection of Hungarian dishes with a bit of a modern twist while always displaying some traditional Hungarian food on the menu (goulash soup is served in a unique way here). A pleasant ambiance, a high-quality interior, and live piano music make it a perfect place to enjoy, right after our walking tours or for a relaxed dinner. A walk on Danube Corso or a ride on the famous Tram Line 2 offers a scenic view along the river bank. While waiting for the tram, stop by the adorable Little Princess statue for a selfie.
Address: 1051 Budapest, Vigadó tér 2.
Opening hours: MON-SUN 10:00 – 23:30; (kitchen from 12.00 to 22.00)
Contact/reservation: +36 1 426 11 32; vigvarju@vakvarju.com
Website/Facebook: https://vigvarju.vakvarju.com/?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/VigVarju
Polo Pub
Polo Pub offers you homemade “grandma-type” Hungarian dishes, not only the emblematic goulash soup (served with pinch noodles here), but also the rich Bean soup á la Jókai, Squash-stew, Stuffed cabbage (in a heavy winter style and in a light summer version), Stuffed pepper in tomato sauce, or Grilled “gomolya” (local ewe’s cheese) with pumpkin-seed oil-seasoned salad. A farm-to-table place with a large variety of local craft and international beer brands. The pub feeling is capped with live guitar music in the evenings. Advance booking is recommended as it is a favourite place for the locals, but ex-pats and embassy staff often drop in too, when in need of authentic food and a relaxed atmosphere.
Address: 1015 Budapest, Batthyány u. 4. (Buda side, just one block from the Batthyány square from where you can get the best view of the Parliament and Danube river)
Opening hours: MON-SAT 11:30 – 23:00; SUN 11:30 – 21:00
Contact/reservation: +36 1 201 7962; info@polopub.hu
Website/Facebook: http://polopub.hu/ https://www.facebook.com/polopub.hulang=en
VakVarjú Pest
VakVarjú (The Blind Crow) is the local name of a traditional oven-baked flatbread from the north of Hungary; this is the signature dish of the restaurant with various toppings. Other Hungarian specialties such as foie gras (in hot and cold preparations), or a paprika-stew from the meat of piglet with egg-“spätzle”, the desert cottage cheese (ricotta) dumpling are offered along with excellent vegetarian options or fish. The restaurant is located in the very city-centre at Paulay Street (named after a legendary theatre director), close to Deák Ferenc Square. This is one of the most popular restaurants for lively evenings in Pest, after-theatre dinners, and tourists. The delicious food and the Hungarian wine selection take us back to the festive atmosphere of Budapest at the millennium. Book your place in one of the mysterious blue velvet sofas.
Address: 1061 Budapest, Paulay Ede u. 7.
Opening hours: MON-SUN 10:00 – 23:30; (kitchen from 12.00 to 22.00)
Contact/reservation: + 36 1 268 08 88 (preferred way, esp. for instant booking); foglalas@vakvarju.com (for early reservations)
Website/Facebook: https://pest.vakvarju.com/?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/VakVarju/
Tasting Table Wine Shop
The Tasting Table Wine Shop features a curated selection of fine Hungarian wines from all Hungarian wine regions. They feature pours of different wines every week – new arrivals and staff favourites – so you can discover new wines while browsing. Pick up cheese&charcuterie pairings and locally produced rich artisan jams. Drop in for various Hungarian spirits: the national spirit, the fruit-based pálinka is available from top producers in many variations, but surprise spirits such as Hungarian top-quality gin from the famous Tokaj region or a local whiskey produced at the smallest distillery in the country are sold as well. Don’t forget to try the signature spirit of the Hungarians, the Unicum liquor made of >40 herbs. Listen to what Michael Palin experienced when tasted it during his earlier visit to Hungary: “It’s like being in a forest in the middle of a gale. Everything’s blown at you, all sorts of tastes. I love the way it finishes. It’s very, very lively. Great. Complex. And it’s a bit fiery later on. It is like a blast of concentrated mountain countryside“:-)
And a must: get your family-farm produce Hungarian paprika spice from here.
Address: 1088 Budapest, Bródy Sándor utca 22. (just across the street from the Tasting Table Wine Bar)
Opening hours: MON-SAT 12:00 – 20:00; SUN closed
Contact/reservation: +36 1 701 1886; hello@tastehungary.com
Website/Facebook: https://tastehungary.eu/shop/
VakVarjú Újlipót
This member of the VakVarjú restaurant family is named after the neighbourhood Újlipótváros, the most famous part of the 13th district in Pest. After wandering around the beautiful art-nouveau buildings, you need a place with relaxing atmosphere and a great food. You find this place in the ground floor of the imposing modern circular building of the RaM Colosseum dance&revue theatre. The cosy atmosphere and a huge outdoor terrace coupled with the excellent Hungarian cuisine with a little VakVarjú twist of international gastronomy make it a perfect end of a discovery walk. Either you combine your stay with a theatre visit or just enjoy the delicious local specialties; an uplifting experience appealing to all five senses is guaranteed. Try the locally produced gin of the house, under their own label BlindCrow.
Address: 1132 Budapest, Bessenyei u. 4-6.
Opening hours: MON-SUN 12:00 – 23:00; (kitchen until 22.00)
Contact/reservation: + 36 1 398 62 55 (preferred way, esp. for instant booking); ujlipot@vakvarju.com (for early reservations)
Website/Facebook: https://ujlipot.vakvarju.com/?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/vakvarju.ujlipot
CAFÉS, PATISSERIES
Művész Kávéház (Café)
Geraldine Patisserie
Marangona Dessert Shop
CAFÉS, PATISSERIES
Művész Kávéház
Founded in 1898, Művész Kávéház (Artist’s Café) has attracted the artists of the nearby Opera House and theatres, writers, poets, painters, and journalists to meet or work here from the very beginning. A place with undeniable glamour and splendour, the carefully designed interior with the fashionable chairs and tables of the last century serve as a perfect backdrop for a relaxed time for a good Italian-style coffee. Traditional Hungarian cakes and sweets such as the must-try Esterhazy-cake, Dobos-cake, and hazelnut cake, pies, chestnut&sour-cherry variations are offered all around the year. It is a perfect place to start the day with a rich breakfast on the picturesque Andrássy út (often called the Champs-Elysées of Budapest). Book your table under the portrait of Liszt or Bartók and enjoy the artistic ambiance.
Address: 1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 29.
Opening hours: MON-SUN 09:00 – 20:00
Contact/reservation: +36 1 343 3544; info@muveszkavehaz.com
Website/Facebook: https://www.muveszkavehaz.com/; https://www.facebook.com/Muvesz.Kavehazak
Geraldine Patisserie & Cake Shop
Named after countess Geraldine Apponyi (who later became a queen), this cake shop is the newest gem of the Auguszt family, a >150-year-old enterprise owned and run by generations of the same family. Opened in 2021 in the former kiosk of the National Museum, where countess Geraldine used to work, the place brings back the atmosphere of belle époque, with a lovely selection of cakes, excellent coffee and tea served in old porcelain sets. Look for their signature cake E-80, or the inevitable Esterhazy and Dobos cakes, some traditional Hungarian savoury snacks like pogácsa, and the seasonal artisan ice cream and bonbons. With in- and summer outdoor facilities in the lush garden of the museum, it is a perfect place to relax, to have a rich breakfast or a brunch. A quiz: guess whose portrait is hidden in the graphic work behind the counter in the work of István Orosz, who is often regarded as the Hungarian Escher.
Address: 1088 Budapest, Múzeum körút 14-16. (in the backyard garden of the National Museum)
Opening hours: TUE-SUN 10:00 – 18:00 (closed on Mondays)
Contact/reservation: +36 70 614 8009; geraldine@auguszt.hu
Website/Facebook: https://auguszt.hu/en/ https://www.facebook.com/GeraldineAuguszt/
Marangona
Dessert Shop
When you are walking around the neighbourhood Újlipótváros, and reach the lush Szent István Park, this is the best time for a break! Get a coffee, an ice cream or a sundae, a light cake or the savoury Hungarian pogácsa, and homemade lemonades at Marangona Dessert Shop, a stylish, modern place with a girly chic. Try the local special cakes such as the cottage cheese variation, the poppyseed-based creatures, and the crunchy dark chocolate dream along with the incredible selection of ice creams. Need a cocktail? Just ask for one! High-quality interior design coupled with a relaxing atmosphere and a small outdoor terrace will help you to cool down in the summertime and to warm up inside with a cup of hot chocolate in wintertime. Gluten-free and lactose-free options are available, as well as surprises for kids.
Address: 1132 Budapest, Csanády u. 28/a
Opening hours: MON-SUN 10:00 – 20:00
Contact/reservation: +36 30 878 95 40; desszertpark@marangona.hu
Website/Facebook: https://desszertpark.hu/ https://www.facebook.com/MarangonaDesszertPark
ART&DESIGN
MAGMA Gallery
Ari Kupsus
Art Gallery
ART&DESIGN
MAGMA Gallery
Take home high-quality design artworks related to Budapest/Hungary from emerging Hungarian designers. Posters, graphics, ceramics, glassworks, books, scarves, jewels, toys, textiles, and funny memories are on sale in the beautiful MAGMA Hungarian Art&Design Gallery in the very city centre. The gallery strays off from the beaten track and, whilst fully living up to its name, becomes moreover a forum where designers and artists can meet, where one is as proud of the objects displayed as the surroundings, which show them off to their best advantage. Huge shop windows with carved wooden frames display the rich selection of artworks and design objects while making visitors stop by. Besides mentoring the young talents, the owners also compiled a unique book i.e. The Periodic Table of Hungarians that presents 104 illustrated entries for Hungarian artists, scientists, inventors, places, and delicacies, a true fun to read!
Address: 1052 Budapest, Petőfi Sándor utca 11.
Opening hours: MON-FRI: 10.00 – 18.00; SAT: 10.00 – 15.00 (closed on Sundays)
Contact: +36- 1- 235 0277; magmalak@gmail.com
Website/Facebook: http://www.magma.hu/ https://www.facebook.com/magmagallery/about
Ari Kupsus Art Gallery
Ari S. Kupsus, a Finnish gallery-owner&collector, Maecenas, and curator settled in Budapest >20 years ago and opened his gallery in 2009. The Gallery has a special profile: having ten shows of international and Hungarian contemporary artists, while the gallery also features a rare antique collection that is reorganized for each exhibition to highlight the aesthetic harmony between the styles. The antique furniture and paintings span from the 18th century to the very early 19th century and include uncommon Northern European and Scandinavian Biedermeier and Empire pieces. Ari is a devoted donor of young Hungarian talents, especially representatives of fine art and classical music. He runs a series of Salon Concerts regularly every month.
Address: 1088 Budapest, Bródy Sándor utca 23/b.
Opening hours: by appointment only
Contact: +36-20-3220 334; ari@arikupsusgallery.com
Website/Facebook: https://arikupsusgallery.com https://www.facebook.com/arikupsusgallery/
