Restaurants

Budapest features an amazingly diverse range of restaurants as well as those more traditional eateries that have stood the test of time. Some ethnic restaurants have appeared on the scene in the last decade and more open regularly; you'll find Japanese, Korean, Indian, Middle Eastern, Greek, and Mexican restaurants in the city. Of course, the best part of travel is sampling the cuisine of the culture and you will have ample opportunities to choose either traditional or nouveau Hungarian recipes. If you are here for more than a couple of days, you may need a change of pace and other ethnic restaurants are here for suggestions. Since there are times when you'll want to eat, but not a full meal, I have also included places for a snack.

Something fish-less is going on here: Do take into consideration when ordering fish that this is a landlocked country. Unless it is fish that has come from one of Hungary's rivers or lakes, it is imported and was most likely frozen for shipment. If this is of importance to you, you should question your waiter before ordering. One Hungarian national dish is a particular fish soup, which is also part of the traditional Christmas meal. Most famous among these soup recipes are those of Szeged where fish from the Tisza River are used to prepare it. If you enjoy fish, you will find this item on many traditional restaurant menus.

Where to Eat -- There are many words used for eateries, while few of them have clear cut boundaries. Étterem is the most common Hungarian word for restaurant and is applied to everything from cafeteria-style eateries to first-class restaurants. A vendéglo, an inn or guesthouse, is a smaller, more intimate restaurant, often with a Hungarian folk motif; a csárda is a countryside vendéglo (often built on major motorways and frequently found around Lake Balaton and other holiday areas). An önkiszolgáló indicates a self-service cafeteria, which is open for lunch only. Büfés (snack counters) are not to be confused with buffets in English. They are found all over the city, including transportation hubs. A cukrászda is a bakery for pastries and a coffee, while a kávéház is a coffeehouse with usually a limited selection of pastries. Traditionally, many coffeehouses are places to sit for hours to meet with friends, read a book, or just sit and people-watch. Today, some establishments use the word kávéház in their name, but really are restaurants that sell food. You will be able to tell the difference if you scope out the tables.

Other establishments that you will come across in your travels are those whose primary function is to serve liquor, but some also serve meals or snacks. A borozó is a wine bar; these are downstairs off of the street (they are likely to include in their name the word pince [cellar] or barlang [cave]), and generally feature a house wine. A sörözo is a beer bar; these places, too, are often found in downstairs locations. Sandwiches are usually available in borozós and sörözos. Some are wonderful places, while others are dives where cheap drinks are served to the less economically advantaged.

Music -- Live Gypsy music is often touted in traditional Hungarian restaurants that are marketing to travelers. Most often, this is not authentic Gypsy music but a fair imitation for the unbeknownst traveler who can say they heard Gypsy music. One exception is the Mátyás Pince. Chances are a member or the whole band will rotate playing a song or two at your table. If you feel uncomfortable or this is disrupting your conversation, politely decline his or her offer to play for you, as soon as they approach your table. If however, you allow them to play, then you have committed yourself to giving them a tip. The appropriate amount varies whether it is one person or more and the price category of the restaurant itself. Giving 1,000 Ft to 2,000 Ft ($5.40-$11/£2.85-£5.70) is an example for a single musician.

Hints for a Better Dining Experience -- Reserving a table for most Budapest restaurants is almost always necessary. It is not unusual for a table that has been reserved by someone for 9pm to sit empty even if you happen to show up at 6pm. They will not allow you to use that table although there should be ample time to change the linens between guests. Call the restaurant to make your reservation or ask your hotel to do it for you. If you call, speak slowly. To reserve for the half-hour use the phrase "and a half" -- for example "seven and a half," not "seven-thirty." You will want to avoid the downstairs restaurants in summer months; they can be brutally hot. Almost no restaurants offer air-conditioning, even if it says so on their window. Mysteriously, it is just not working on the day you show up for dinner. Before you order wine, take a good look at the menu. Glasses of wine are priced by the deciliter (dl) and you should order how many decis you want. If you don't, you may receive a full glass of wine with a surprisingly large bar tab. 1 dl = approximately 3.3 ounces.

Fizetek, kérem! = "Check, Please!" & Other Tipping Tips -- One of the glorious holdovers from times past is the ability to sit in any drink or food establishment without concern of being hurried out the door. Unless the doors are closing for the evening, no one will approach you to pay your bill until you signal that you are ready; therefore, you can linger for hours on end. In 6 years, I have only found one exception to this.

Don't be surprised if the person who comes to collect your money is not the person who served you. Many places have a designated cashier who will arrive at your table to collect your money. It may be a few minutes before they arrive, so be patient. Smaller restaurants still have this annoying habit of giving you a small piece of paper with a list of numbers and nothing else to associate them with. If you have questions about it, ask to see a menu to match the charges on the list before you pay or ask the cashier to explain it. If there is a mistake, challenge it and it will be corrected.

Always ask if a service charge is already included. It should show somewhere on the bill, but it is worth asking to make sure. If the service is included, you are not expected to tip. If no service charge is included, add 10% to the bill (15% for exceptional service in high-priced restaurants only -- though note that the waiter very rarely gets a share of the tip). I like to hand the tip directly to our waiter to make sure he receives it. Never leave the tip on the table and walk out.

The cashier will often remain at your table after delivering the bill, waiting patiently for payment. State the full amount you are paying (bill plus tip), and the waiter will make change on the spot. If the restaurant accepts credit cards and you are using one, then the cashier will bring a portable card reader to your table to swipe the card. If you want to add the tip to the charged amount, you need to say so before the charge is processed; most often it can't be added to the bill later. When I really appreciated our server, I slip some money to him or her privately to make sure the server receives some compensation.

It is rare, the restaurant that will give separate bills to one table. If you ask, they will often say they can until it comes time to pay, then suddenly they can't do it any longer. If you are sharing a bill, you may want to keep note of your charges to make things easier when it comes time to split the bill.

Price Categories -- For the purposes of this guide, I have classified restaurants as follows: A restaurant is inexpensive if the average main dish is $10 or under; moderate, between $10 and $20; expensive, between $20 and $30; and very expensive, $30 and over. Restaurant meals are not the bargains they once were and with currency fluctuations, they come with sticker shock to some. For those whose home is not in a large urban city with already expensive restaurant meals, prices may be surprising to you. For this reason, I have tried to provide a wide range of choices to fit any mood and budget. One day you may feel like splurging on a great restaurant, but other days you may want something more moderate.

Credit cards are still not as ingrained in all businesses as they are elsewhere, so check with a restaurant if you need to use a credit card. I have listed the cards accepted at the time of this writing, but things change. Unless otherwise noted in the review, an English-language menu is available in all of the restaurants listed, although it may not be posted outside with the Hungarian menu. Don't hesitate to go in and ask to see a menu before you decide to stay.

Sometimes specials are posted either outside or on an inner wall of offerings, which are not on the menu; if you don't notice one, ask your server about any specials along with their prices before ordering to avoid any embarrassment. If a restaurant doesn't list drinks on the menu, which is rare, feel free to inquire about the price before deciding. Cocktails are extremely costly, while wine and beer are reasonable.

Warning -- The U.S. Embassy provides a list of restaurants that engage in unethical business practices such as excessive billing, using physical intimidation to compel payment of excessive bills, and assaulting customers for nonpayment of excessive bills. However, it states that this list is not comprehensive. At all costs, you should avoid these establishments. The list includes Városközpont (accessible by outside elevator), Budapest V district, Váci utca 16; La Dolce Vita, Október 6. u. 8; Nirvana Night Club, Szent István krt. 13; Ti'Amo Bar, Budapest IX district, Ferenc körút 19-21; Diamond Club, Budapest II district, Bimbó út 3; and Pigalle Night Club, Budapest VIII district, Kiss József utca 1-3. If a woman approaches you and asks for directions, but then asks you to buy her a drink, red flags should shoot into the air. The embassy cannot offer too much assistance in these situations due to Hungarian laws that are ineffective. Buyer beware.

You can always check the embassy website for updated information: visit http://hungary.usembassy.gov/tourist_advisory.html.