Hungry in Hungary: Everything I ate in Budapest, Hungary

Aaya Anan

I arrived in Hungary very Hungry. During my trip to Budapest, I learned that it is not just about what is on the menu, but the atmosphere of the environment that makes a restaurant amazing. Here are some of my favorite restaurants I visited and what I ordered from each place. 

Drum Cafe: Hungarian cuisine has a knack for combining simple ingredients in ways that elevate them to new heights. At Drum Cafe Budapest, I tried a dish featuring tender lamb and aromatic rice. The flavors tasted really nice together.

Porc and Prezli Restaurant: I ordered the chicken paprikas dish. Imagine tender chicken bathed in a rich, creamy paprika-infused sauce, served with fluffy dumplings. It was so good. Like, really good. There was live music as well which was a really nice touch. 

Karavan: Karavan is a court filled with traditional Hungarian food trucks. I tried the goulash, a flavorful stew that perfectly encapsulates the rustic charm of Hungarian food. But the true showstopper was the langos – a deep-fried dough disc topped with sour cream and cheese. I want to preface, I actually hate sour cream. But I really liked langos (where the main ingredient is sour cream). It's that good. 

Cat Cafe Budapest: Now, let me clear the air right away... no cats were harmed (or eaten) during my visit to Cat Cafe Budapest. In fact, I ordered a hot chocolate (which was really good). But the highlight was definitely the cats walking around all over the cafe wanting to cuddle up with you. For such a nice concept, the cafe surprisingly was not crowded at all. There was maybe 2 other people in the cafe besides me. 

Retek Bisztro: Guess what? Chicken paprikas was back on the menu, and this time, I headed over to Retek Bisztro to get my fix. The restaurant itself was also a very nice vibe.