Exploring Budapest | Part 2 - Bars, Cafes & Restaurants

Catching on from Part 1 of the Exploring Budapest mini-series, today I have a post that was specifically requested by so many of you on Instagram. It's going to be all about food! It's not going to be long but I will mention the ones we dined at and really liked.

I'm starting with something light-hearted, the Szimpla Kert ruin bar. This, I think is the most popular of the ruin bars found around Budapest's Jewish quarter. It's a kitsch place and there's not a single piece of furniture like the other! Upon entering, there are some stalls selling jewellery, vinyls and all sorts of small antique goods, then as you venture further, you get to explore the ruin bar experience. When we visited there was a trio playing some songs and we sat there for a drink. Prices are not cheap, but it' not like we're not used to that in Malta.

If you've never been to one, I suggest you go check out the IceBar Budapest. This was my first experience and I loved it! You will not spend a lot of time here and I suggest you skip eating here. The food is nothing special albeit cheap. We did the mistake of eating here because we were hungry but we regretted the decision as soon as the food was served - it was totally different to what was pictured in the menu.

My favourite bar for a nice drink is the High Note Sky Bar. Of course, it is a bit on the expensive side but going before sunset is truly a magical experience. We went for a couple of drinks before our river cruise with dinner. You get stunning views of St. Stephen's Basilica while sitting comfortably in a posh environment. The bar is part of the Aria Hotel and the lobby is something to behold!

Langos is a very popular snack in Budapest - it's like fried bread dough topped with sour cream and cheese and various other toppings according to your taste. You can find this at pretty much every corner, just like goulash (traditional Hungarian beef stew) but the best one we tried was at Szentendre, Alomlangos. To get to this place, there's a small sign in the town's main square and you have to go through a very narrow passage to get to it. Well worth the trip in my humble opinion!

Langos from Central Market Hall. This one had multiple toppings but the best ones are the plain ones in my opinion.

The langos sign is located next to a cute ice-cream parlour, Lavendula. Go ahead and treat yourself to a refreshing ice-cream from the various flavours they have available and don't forget to take a picture with the bike they have out front!

In continuing with the theme of pretty spots, I cannot not mention Vintage Garden! We went there for breakfast on our last day and both the food and the place didn't disappoint! It's truly a vintage lover's dream and I really enjoyed taking pictures with the pretty decor!

I'm leaving the best for last - the most beautiful cafe in the world, the New York Cafe'! Stepping in here is like stepping back in time and you can take pictures all around the cafe too! The ornate interior is truly something to behold and the food, especially the desserts, will send your tastebuds to heaven instantly! A definite must!

And while you're there, don't forget to try traditional Hungarian dishes such as Goulash (left) and chimney cake (right)! Goulash is the traditional Hungarian beef stew, sometimes you even find it served with beans while chimney cake is one of the most delicious desserts (and calorific) I have ever tasted! It is basically sugared pastry that is cooked on a furnace and sugared again when it's done. You can opt to have it filled with ice cream too but we decided it has enough calories on its own 🤣.

See you for the final part of this mini series, all about the other fun places to go to!

Exploring Budapest | Part 1 - Historical Places of Interest

Following my poll on Instagram stories, you said you would be interested to read a little bit about this fabulous destination, which with good reason, is commonly referred to at the Pearl of the Danube. I will devise this series into 3 posts, the first one tackling historical places of interest, the second cafes and restaurants and the last one will be all about the fun, unusual places you can go to for an alternative holiday.

Without further ado, let's dive right in! I'm going to start with my absolute favourite spot - the Fisherman's Bastion. Located on the Buda side of the city in the first district (or Castle District), the Fisherman's Bastion, apart from being an Instagrammer's dream, offers fantastic views of some of the most important landmarks in the city - the Hungarian Parliament, St. Stephen's Basilica and the Szechenyi Chain Bridge to name a few. It was built between 1895 and 1902 in a Neo-Romanesque style and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It gets its name from the fishermen who inhabited Watertown, a city right under the bastion's walls. I clearly couldn't decide which pictures to choose so here's a fraction of the best ones from this gorgeous site.

Right next to the Fisherman's Bastion is Matthias Church. From the tiled outer roof to the panoramic tower and the jaw-dropping interior, this church is a must-visit. This Roman-Catholic church originally constructed in 1015, was reconstructed in the late 1300s and restored during the late 19th Century. Its historical importance lies in the fact that 2 Hungarian kings were crowned in this church. One tip, buy a combined ticket for the tower and church online before you go to skip queues and secure a spot as the number of people who can go in the tower is limited per time-slot.

   

View of Fisherman's Bastion from Matthias Church panoramic tower

                                                                        

The last major building in the Castle District is Buda Castle. Take a walk along the castle's immaculately manicured gardens and enjoy views of the city. To go down and continue exploring the city, it is worth getting the funicular, and with COVID in play, we managed to get a cabin all to ourselves so we could enjoy the view to the full.

View from Buda Castle funicular

Crossing the bridge to the Pest side and moving on to what is probably the most important site in Budapest, the Hungarian Parliament Building. Go during the day to see the grandeur of the building from the outside and the inside (you have to book a tour beforehand online) and go in the evening to see the building all lit up at night. It's a magical sight to behold and the inside of the building is like nothing I have ever seen before! I felt jealous when ours looks like a cheese grater on the outside and a classroom on the inside. Unpopular opinion I know but that's the truth.

Just a short walk from the Parliament is a rather saddening sight - Shoes on the Danube Bank. Literally, shoes sculpted in bronze in memoriam of the Jews who were killed during World War II. The memorial was installed in 2005. 

The most important religious building in Budapest is St.Stephen's Basilica. Again, it is a Roman Catholic church and it is dedicated to St. Stephen, the first King of Hungary, whose day is celebrated on the 20th of August and it is a National Holiday in Hungary. Another important religious building is the Great Synagogue on Dohany Street. This is the largest synagogue in Europe but because of COVID, it is closed for visitors for the time being. It is still worth going to see the building from outside though. The last church I want to talk about in this post is Blogovestenska Orthodox Church in Szentendre (about an hour away from Budapest by train). I have been to Orthodox churches before but this one is really beautiful and worth going into. The photo here doesn't do it any justice, you just have to see it with your own eyes.

You cannot visit Budapest and not go to Heroes' Square at least once. The sculptures here pay tribute to the Hungarian heroes who helped shape and found the city while the central one is Archangel Gabriel. This square is truly one to behold and I would recommend you take your time to appreciate the detail in the sculptures.

Right behind Heroes' Square is Vajdahunyad Castle. This castle was built in 1896 as part of a millennial exhibition that celebrated Hungary's conquest of the Carpathian Basin in the year 896. It is located in City Park and walking around the gardens and admiring the Gothic style buildings can prove to be a very good start to your day! Hint: it's very close to Szechenyi Thermal Baths which I will talk about in an upcoming post, so you might want to combine these 3 attractions.

Speaking of castles, we ventured out of the city once more during our trip to go to the nearby town of Gödöllő, in Pest county to see the Royal Palace of Gödöllő; the country house of the Hungarian Royal Family which is more famous for being Queen Elizabeth's (or Sisi as she was affectionately known) favourite home. You can opt to tour the palace with or without an audio guide. We ended our time here with a slice of cake and tea in the palace's garden.

Out of the 8 bridges that connect Buda and Pest, perhaps the most famous two are the Szechenyi Chain Bridge (the first one ever built) and the Liberty Bridge. Of course, the best way to get to see the bridges is by walking the distance and admiring the structures up close. There are passageways for people and bikes on either side of the bridges while cars pass in the middle so you'll be perfectly safe. I am fascinated by bridges so I always have to take pictures of them wherever we are, no matter how small, big, plain or ornate they are!

Liberty Bridge

Chain Bridge

Chain Bridge lit up in the Hungarian flag colours for their National Holiday on 20th August

Lastly, for a magnificent (and free!) view of the city, head to Citadella, the highest point in Budapest. I recommend you take the uphill hike up Gellert Hill just to make it feel that bit more adventurous and you can stop at various view-points for pictures too. It's only 20 minutes and the view is absolutely breath-taking! On your way down, make sure to pass by the iconic Hotel Gellert and let the architecture transport you to grander times!

That's it for Part 1 of this mini-series about Budapest. I hope you enjoyed reading it and hopefully, it will come in handy if you decide to visit this magnificent city yourselves. If you want to know my thoughts about travelling during this time, check out this post here.