There is so much to see and many amazing vegan restaurants to visit in Budapest. My favourite thing to do is an evening or night walk with a view of the Parliament Building. You have to get to the other side of the river; that way, you can take beautiful postcard photographs of this astonishing building.
The best view of the whole of Budapest is from the Buda Castle, and one thing you cannot miss when you are up there is Matthias Church because it is magical. One of the interesting parts of visiting Budapest is also the Dohány Street Synagogue.
If you do not like to go sightseeing, you can still enjoy walking and shopping in the city centre. Overall, the city of Budapest has so much charm and life, and it is one of Europe’s capitals, you cannot miss.
I have been to Budapest twice, and I love the vibe this city has. The first time was with my mother for her birthday, and for a surprise, we stayed in the Anantara New York Palace hotel.
The hotel is beautiful with the charm of the Italian Renaissance style. Inside this hotel is the New York Cafe, which was the most beautiful and beloved coffee house in Budapest in the 20th century.
The coffee shop is so beautiful that you really have to visit. Vegan options are almost non-existent in the cafe, but you can drink some tea, black coffee, or lemonade and enjoy the atmosphere.
WHICH HOTEL TO CHOOSE IN BUDAPEST?
The second time I visited Budapest was for a New Year’s celebration with my boyfriend and friends, and we stayed in the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest.
Although it does not have as much charm as the Anantara New York Palace Hotel, the location is so much better. From this hotel, you can walk almost everywhere. For short stays, I would definitely stay there, or I would search for other hotels nearby.
SZIMPLY RESTAURANT
And now, for the most important part of the trip – vegan food. Budapest has some vegan restaurants, and I tried to eat at as many as I could in my two short stays there. The first restaurant I would recommend is Szimply. It is a very small restaurant with an inviting interior,r and they offer different vegan options.
The restaurant itself is not vegan, but you have many vegan choices. The presentation of dishes is beautiful, and the taste is amazing. For breakfast,t I ate vegan porridge with fresh fruit and oat milk cappuccino – both were delicious. You can check for menu updates on their Facebook page.
FRENCH BREAKFAST SPOT A LA MAISON
Another great breakfast spot is A La Maison. There are two locations of this restaurant in Budapest: Buda and Pest, and I visited the Pest one twice. It is a cute French breakfast café with nice décor.
The same as the previous one, this one is also not an exclusively vegan restaurant, but it has some vegan option,s which is great because in some cities it is hard to find vegan breakfast.
You can try homemade granola with plant milk and fruit, Matcha Green bowl, or Black currant raspberry bowl, and they offer coffee with plant milk. I recommend getting a reservation because it is quite popular with tourists and locals as well.
NAPFÉNYES ÉTTEREM – VEGAN RESTAURANT
In my opinion, the best lunch option in Budapest is Napfényes Étterem, which is quite a hard name to pronounce if you are not Hungarian. The restaurant is all vegan and delicious. Besides lunch, they also offer a variety of vegan cakes. There are only a few outside tables on the street, but there is a lot of space inside the restaurant.
I had seitan with grilled vegetables and sauce, and my mother had Caesar salad, and we both had rosewater lemonade. I also tried one cake, but I ate it so fast that I did not take a photo – ups. You can also have different vegan Pizzas, falafel plates, soup, and don’t forget to check their daily menu.
VEGANLOVE BUDAPEST
Veganlove Budapest is a fast-food restaurant that we stopped at right after a long travel day to Budapest. It has a great variety of vegan fast food, not just basic burgers but extra special, unique vegan burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and other snacks.
Even my two friends who are not vegan loved their burgers. You really have to stop there to have a little vegan cheat meal when travelling to Budapest.
VEGGIE RAW VEGAN BISTRO
Veggie Raw Vegan Bistro is a raw food restaurant that has many vegan food options. One hour before closing time, they did not have many different options, and I tried two dishes that were available. I do not remember exactly what it was, but it was fresh, delicious, and a little bit spicy.
I think this vegan restaurant is the best option for raw vegan-loving foodies and the best fresh lunch option for hot summer days in the city of Budapest. The inside of the Veggie raw vegan bistro is super cute and Instagrammable, with two hanging chairs.
Great Bistro in Budapest was a vegan lunch spot with a daily changing menu, but as I checked them on Google, they are now closed. I would love to recommend the restaurant because, as I remember, the food was great. If they ever open back again,n you have to try their vegan food.
The same goes for Slow Foodies restaurant. I ate da delicious lunch there,e but as I was just checking their website, apparently, they are closed as well. I hope that it is just fora short time because of the coronavirus and not for good.
SAVED FOR NEXT TIME
One restaurant that I did not have enough time to try is Kozmosz Vegan Restaurant. Their goal is to prove that vegan food is not only delicious but also diverse, filling, and affordable. You can check their menu on their website.
Another restaurant that I am super sad I did not have a chance to try in Budapest is Vega City, which has different weekly menus that you can check on their Facebook page or on their website.
Next time I go to Budapest, I will definitely try Tökmag Vegan Street Food that offers different kinds of burgers, and if you are not a fan of burgers, they also have more healthy lunch options like sweet potato hummus bowl and broccoli salad with cashew cream. Their menu is also available on their Facebook page.
CAN’T WAIT TO COME BACK TO BUDAPEST
Budapest is one of my favourite cities among the ones I have visited in Europe. It has a lot of vegan options, and I am sure that I missed some of them. There are also some parts of Budapest that I am adding to my bucket list for my next trip there.
Budapest is famous for its incredible thermal springs. One of them is the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, which is the biggest medicinal bath in Europe, and pictures on the internet also show how beautiful it is. There is also the Gellért Baths, which is one of the grandest spas in the city of Budapest.
There is also Margaret Island, which is like a big city park located on the island in the middle of the Danube River. One day, I will return to Budapest and try the other vegan restaurants or restaurants with vegan options that I did not have a chance to visit in my two latest trips, and I have to bring my swimwear so I can visit thermal springs.
SEE ALSO:
Have you Heard About the Beautiful City of Ljubljana? Check This Guide for Vegan Breakfast Tips