Budapest - Restaurants

Restaurants
Expensive

Fausto
Fausto is considered by many as Budapest's finest Italian restaurant. The setting here is elegant, with antique furniture and large round tables covered in crisp white linen, and the food is first class. The menu includes a variety of soups and traditional Italian starters, followed by primi and secondi piatti of meat or fish. The fresh seafood is truly excellent.

VI Szkely Mihly utca 2
Tel: (01) 877 6210.
Website: www.fausto.hu

Gundel
This has long been regarded as one of the city's fanciest restaurants, and it is certainly one of its most famous. Gundel has been serving traditional dishes since 1894, and some have become city institutions, including the Gundel pancake and goose liver speciality. The wine list is extensive and the art nouveau interior is a feast for the eyes too.

XIV Allatkerti utca 2
Tel: (01) 468 4040.
Website: www.gundel.hu

Kacsa
Decadent cuisine from old is Kacsa's speciality. Its menu is filled with the likes of lobster, quail, grilled goose liver and venison, but most dine here for the succulent duck (Kacsa means duck' in Hungarian). There are eight duck dishes available, all wonderfully cooked, and the wine list is top rate, if a little expensive. Service is also old school, Hungarian old school - don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.

II Fő utca 75
Tel: (01) 201 9992.
Website: www.kacsavendeglo.hu

Krptia
It's hard to find a more elaborate interior than Krptia's. Its walls and vaulted ceilings are richly painted in zigzag patterns and its stained-glass windows look as though they've been removed from a medieval church. The menu is heavily influenced by traditional Hungarian cuisine, and there is a healthy selection of Transylvanian dishes too. Live gypsy music is featured most nights.

V Ferenciek tere 7-8
Tel: (01) 317 3596.
Website: www.karpatia.hu

Malomt
The 'Mill Lake' restaurant (overlooking a tiny pond) caters to locals eager for international cuisine with an imaginative twist. Choose from a wide selection of seafood options and such delights as Cajun steak in thoroughly modern - and comfortable - surroundings before taking a stroll around the pond for a glance over the adjacent Turkish bathhouse ruins.

II Frankel Le t 48
Tel: (01) 336 1830.

Chez Daniel
Chez Daniel serves arguably the finest French cuisine in the city. There is a menu available but you're best skipping it and focusing on the daily specials on the chalkboard, or simply consulting the friendly owner/chef. Its inner courtyard is perfect for warm summer days, as is its cosy interior for dark winter ones. Evening reservations recommended.

VI Szv utca 32
Tel: (01) 302 4039.
Website: www.chezdaniel.hu

Goa Caf
Goa has been a perennial favourite with Budapest's trendy crowd for years. Its international menu, which swings from Argentinean steak to Thai green curry, fails to include anything Hungarian, but nobody seems to mind. The dcor is suitably un-Hungarian to match, featuring serene water installations, Buddha statues, and tropical plants. Evening reservations are essential.

VI Andrssy t 8
Tel: (01) 302 2570.
Website: www.goaworld.hu/cafe2.htm

Khli Restaurant
At first glance Khli appears just another tacky joint focusing its business towards tourists with rural paraphernalia, regular live gypsy music, English menus, and clichd Hungarian cuisine. But a quick glance at the clientele, and a sample of the food, reveal an authentic restaurant that attracts far more locals than tourists and serves hearty dishes Hungarian mothers have been cooking for generations. The house is a gem too; it looks like a 19th-century rural dwelling.

III Mkus utca 22
Tel: (01) 368 0613.
Website: www.kehli.hu

Menza
Liszt Ferenc tr is one of the hottest spots for drinking and dining in Budapest, and Menza is at the square's core. Anyone from business lunchers to in-vogue celebs can be seen dining here, which makes this a place to book ahead. The menu is filled with modern takes on traditional Hungarian dishes, and most are surprisingly affordable considering Menza's popularity.

VI Liszt Ferenc tr 2
Tel: (01) 413 1482.
Website: www.menzaetterem.hu

Caf Kr
The ever popular Cafe Kr first opened several years ago as a miniscule bar but has since occupied more spacious premises, complete with a terrace, near the Basilica. The interior here has a relaxed and cosy caf-like atmosphere, and the light, airy bistro is very popular with young expats, students, and Hungarian yuppies seeking lighter fare.

V Sas utca 17
Tel: (01) 311 0053.
Website: www.cafekor.com

Gerbeaud
This landmark Budapest caf/confectionery is a must-see. The interior is gorgeous, done up in Austro-Hungarian opulence, complete with rich plaster work, magnificent chandeliers, marble tables, lavish fine wood panelling, and brocade wall coverings. Among other decorative items is the piano that was intended for use on board the Titanic.

V Vrsmarty tr 7-8
Tel: (01) 429 9000.
Website: www.gerbeaud.hu

Napos Oldal
Half health-food store, half caf, 'Sunny Side' is a spot to find scrummy food that is both easy on the waist and wallet. Spelt-based pastries, vegetarian salads, and a daily lunch menu of soup and main are made fresh on the premises Monday to Saturday and are available to eat in or take away. Napos Oldal also runs an organic produce store across the road.

VI Jkai utca 7
Tel: (01) 354 0048.

Hotels
Cheap

Kulturinnov
Kulturinnov is one of the few remnants of socialist hotel design left in Budapest. Its rooms are bland but adequate, and there's no beating its location near the Matthias Church in Buda and the surreal feeling of staying in a communist throwback. Service is thoroughly modern and friendly.

I Szenthromsg tr 6
Tel: (01) 224 8102.
Website: www.mka.hu

Danubius Hotel Gellrt
Art nouveau in style and with an extravagant spa/thermal bath complex attached, this hotel was made famous by restaurateur Kroly Gundel in the late 1920s and quickly became the place to be seen for rich, well-heeled Hungarians. For tradition and charm, it's still hard to beat. Ideally located on the Danube riverbank, it's just a 10-minute walk from Great Market Hall and the downtown shopping area.

XIGellrt tr 1
Tel: (01) 889 5500.
Website: www.danubiushotels.com

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace
Many hotels use the 'palace' moniker without justification, but not the Gresham. Built in 1906, this architectural delight is a masterpiece of art nouveau design, both inside and out. Many of the fittings, including Zsolany ceramics and a stained glass window by Miksa Rth, are original, while the rest were lovingly restored in 2004 when the palace received a glorious makeover. The Gresham has all the trappings of a 5-star establishment, including a fitness and wellness centre.

V Roosevelt tr 5-6
Tel: (01) 268 6000.
Website: www.fourseasons.com/budapest

New York Palace
Attached to the famous New York Coffee House, this luxurious hotel-cum-palace offers everything a discerning hotel guest could desire. The entire complex has recently been refurbished to its fin-de-sicle splendour and is once again a stunning example of Italian neo-Renaissance style. The 107 rooms are immaculate and combine beautiful antiques, fine art and fresh flowers with plenty of mod-cons, including plasma TVs and Wi-Fi access. Besides the coffee house, there is a cigar bar and fitness and wellness centre.

VII Erzsbet krt 9-11
Tel: (01) 886 6111.
Website: www.boscolohotels.com

art'otel Budapest
Budapest's first boutique hotel, the stylish art'otel, situated on the Buda side of the Danube, affords splendid views of the river and the parliament. The hotel, an interesting combination of old and new (think baroque townhouses meet contemporary architecture), was designed by Donald Sultan, the American artist, whose paintings and sculptures are on display throughout the building, decorating both the light, spacious public places, and the 164 well-appointed bedrooms.

VI Bem Rakpart 16-19
Tel: (01) 487 9487.
Website: www.artotel.hu

Hilton Budapest
Located in the heart of the historic Castle District, and next to the Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion, the Hilton Budapest successfully incorporates a contemporary structure with 13th-century remains. The 322 rooms and suites (some non-smoking) have all mod-cons.

Hess Andras tr 1-3
Tel: (01) 889 6600.
Website: www.budapest.hilton.com

Hotel Pest
This mid-range option is located on a quiet back street of inner Pest within easy walking distance of the big sights close to the Danube. Its 25 rooms are simple, clean and modern, and the attached bathrooms are in pristine condition. Its pleasant inner courtyard is topped by a high atrium, making it a fine spot to relax whatever the weather.

VI Paulay Ede utca 31
Tel: (01) 343 1198.
Website: www.hotelpest.hu