Budapest exceeded all of my expectations. I’m not sure what I was expecting as I’ve never ventured into Eastern Europe. Maybe something old-fashioned and historic?
The city is gorgeous and although it does have a historic feel to it in some parts, it’s also modern and cosmopolitan. The quaint cobbled streets and the whole look and feel of Budapest reminded me of Paris. I completely understand why Budapest is dubbed the Paris of Eastern Europe.
I’ve been wanting to visit Budapest for years after seeing the scenic castles and enticing thermal baths, but I had a hard time persuading some of my friends. I can see why they weren’t drawn to it at first glance – it looked pretty but boring.
After scanning online I found cheap flights and I told my bestie Melissa to pack her bags because this was an offer we couldn’t refuse.
-
-
River Danube
-
-
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Background:
Budapest is the Capital and most populous city of Hungary; it comprises of two districts ‘Buda’ and ‘Pest’ which are split by the Danube River.
Pest is busy, buzzing and boujie and is home to most 5* hotels and gourmet restaurants. Whilst Buda is on the hills and is the quiet and historic side.
Need to Know:
Local currency: Hungarian Forints (HUF)
Language: Hungarian, although everyone we encountered spoke very good English.
Transport: The transport was cheap and very easy to navigate. You have a choice of yellow metered taxis, underground metro, overground tram or buses. It’s also really easy to get around by walking and that way you can see a lot of the sights.
Where to Stay
New York Palace, The Dedica Anthology
I stayed at the New York Palace Hotel, formerly known as the Boscolo Budapest. It was between this hotel and the Corinthia Budapest.
Picking this hotel was the best choice, it was elegant and classy and the staff were so lovely. The hotel was also very central so it was easy to get to everywhere. Read my review of the New York Palace Hotel here.
Grand Lobby, New York Palace
As Budapest is a short haul destination you are likely to have a short stay. I would opt for a hotel that is central, as it makes getting around a lot quicker, much cheaper and some of your destinations will even be walkable.
Budapest is a lot much cheaper than other European destinations so you can stay in a luxury hotel for less.
Below are some other luxury options:
- Corinthia
- Kempinski
- The Ritz
The Food
The food in Budapest is amazing! Excuse me if I sound shocked but I wasn’t expecting it at all. Even better, food is very affordable. For example, one evening we dined at Nobu and it was around two-thirds of the price it would be London.
Nobu
We ordered drinks and 5 dishes (two of which were wagyu beef dishes) and the bill was around £120 for two people. If you’ve been to Nobu then you’ll know that this is a bargain.
The service was amazing, just like most places we visited in Budapest.
-
-
Prawn Tempura Sushi
-
-
Crispy rice cubes with Tuna
-
-
Prawn Tempura
The vibe in Nobu was strange for a Saturday night. It wasn’t buzzing like its sister restaurants in London. It was more chilled and you wouldn’t get looked at strangely for coming dressed casually.
-
-
Wagyu Gyoza
-
-
Wagyu Sliders
I highly recommend Nobu if you are in Budapest.
New York Café
I must admit that I was let down by the food at New York Café. This café is definitely on the pricey side. But as it has been named the most beautiful café in the world, you are definitely paying for the atmosphere rather than the food.
One thing I loved was that the food was so well presented. The little things make up the whole experience.
I ordered the beef Goulash – which is a Hungarian soup mixed with meat, veg and pulses. And my friend ordered the duck with cherry sauce and potato dumplings. The food was okay, but nothing I would rave about or order again.
-
-
Duck with cherry sauce and potato dumplings
-
-
Beef Goulash
-
-
Caramel Cake
The hot chocolate was hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. Melted Hungarian chocolate with cream. Now that I would have again 10 times over.
Hot Chocolate
The café itself was a sight to behold, ancient and glamorous and like nothing I’ve seen before. I would definitely recommend visiting this café even if it’s only for drinks.
Deak St. Kitchen
We stumbled across Deak St Kitchen whilst exploring the city. My friends know that travelling with me means I have a jam-packed itinerary, which usually includes restaurants. I had a whole list of restaurants to visit in Budapest but we saw this pretty bistro and decided to go with the flow.
The food was amazing and again, the staff were so friendly and attentive. We ordered the lamb chops.
-
-
Lamb chops, kale, mashed Potatos
After spotting Lemonade on every menu, we soon realised that Budapest has a thing for fresh Lemonade. If you like lemonade (and even if you don’t) you have to try it when in Budapest – their lemonade is in a league of its own.
Fresh, tangy and made to order. I became quite obsessed with the elderflower and strawberry combination. Can’t decide if my favourite lemonade was at Nobu or Deak St. Kitchen.
(left) Cucumber & Mint (right) Elderflower & Strawberry
What to do
Thermal baths
The thermal baths are what initially drew me to Budapest. Bathing in the thermal baths is part of the Hungarian culture.
The water is sourced from hot spring wells thousands of feet below the city, there are over 100 hot springs which pump water to Budapest’s 11 public thermal baths.
After deliberating between the Széchenyi Baths and St. Gellért Thermal Baths, we decided to visit Gellért.
Gellért Spa swimming pool
Gellért bath was quite underwhelming. For a start, the staff were rude and nonchalant. I’d seen comments about the rude staff on reviews prior to visiting.
I understand that there are hundreds of people that visit the baths per week, but it’s not an excuse for being rude and unhelpful. This was the only place in Budapest that I received bad service, everywhere else was perfect.
What drew me to pick Gellért spa was the pictures of the huge bath with pillars. When got there, we found out that this was actually a swimming pool and not one of the thermal baths. The hot baths were a lot less attractive. I guess this is why you have to do your research.
-
-
40 degrees celsius thermal bath
The experience itself was strange, like being in a very hot bathtub with loads of people. But I enjoyed it. Sometimes you just have to try something new. It’s definitely an experience, so I urge you to give it a go, even if it’s not your thing.
Entrance fee was 5800 HUF (£16.12). And you can pay to rent a towel for 3000 HUF (£8), you get about £5 back when you return the towel. Beware that rented towels need to be returned an hour before closing time.
There are spa treatments available. When we went to the baths last minute on a Saturday night the treatments were fully booked so it’s best to book in advance!
Fisherman’s Bastion
Fisherman’s Bastion is a neo-Gothic terrace situated on the hills of Buda. The terrace gets its name from being the home of the fishermen who protected Budapest from invasion.
The views from the terrace are spectacular, you can see the whole of Budapest and the river Danube. It honestly feels like you’re in a magical city, with castles, stairways and cobbled roads.
It’s free to enter the terrace and it’s really accessible. We rode two stops on the metro and a short bus ride to get there, and we decided to walk on the way back to see the chain bridge up close.
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
This bridge was the first to connect Buda to Pest and has become a well-known landmark of Budapest.
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
It was lovely to take a stroll across the bridge and take in the city. Driving past the bridge, especially at night, was equally delightful.
Although it would be hard to miss the bridge, I would recommend getting close up and personal.
Other things to do:
- Visit Buda Castle
- Visit Matthias Church
- Take the Big Bus Budapest Tour
- Take a boat ride on river Danube
- Dinner on a boat on river Danube
- Visit the Hungarian Parliament Building
Budapest was the perfect surprise; I wasn’t expecting much but it gave me everything. This city has fast become one of my favourites in Europe and I’m already counting down the days until my next trip.
Comment with any questions or tell me about your Budapest experience.
With Love,
Roberta x