Hungarian food, especially in Budapest, is real 'haute cuisine'. This is partly because Hungary wasstronglyinfluenced by Turkey centuries ago. It is a long way from the sea, so there is little seafood. But, nearby lakes produce delightful fresh water fish. Look for Halételek (fish dishes), especially Fogas (pike-perch) and Ponty (carp). Halászlé is fisherman's stew.
There is often game on the menus, too.
Do try a Barack Pálinka (apricot schnapps) as an appetizer before a meal.

Fenyögyöngye
1025 Budapest, Szépvölgyi út 155
Phone: +36-1/ 325 97 83 & 325 50 06
Fax: +36-1/ 325 97 83
Not Gay but gay owned Restaurant
Restaurant in the Buda hills, gay owned, very good service. Call before, as they sometimes have private parties.
Daily from 12 pm until 11 pm

Pizzeria Club '93
1087 Budapest, Vas utca 2
Phone: +36-1/ 338 11 19
(Metro 2 Blaha Lujza tér and Astoria, Bus 7, 7a, 78, Night bus 78é)
Gay, lesbian and straight mixed Restaurant
A friendly small pizzeria often visited by lesbians and gays. Italian kitchen.
Monday - Saturday: 12 am til 1 am, Sunday: 5 pm -1 am

Menza Restaurant and Cafe

1061 Budapest Liszt Ferenc ter 2

Opening hours Daily 10 am til 24pm

Phone: +36 1 / 413-1483

Web: http://www.menza.co.hu

Located at Liszt Ferenc ter which is one of the most popular and vibrant square in Budapest , with plenty of bars and cafes . The restaurant has excellent wine and international food selections . Clientele straight , but very often visited by Gay and Lesbian couples . Mindful service , fantastic kitchen on reasonable price .

Vadrózsa (Local)
II Pentelei Molnár u 15, Budapest
Tel: +36 1 326 5817

Alabárdos (Local)
I Országház ut 2, Budapest
Tel: +36 1 356 0851

Kisbuda Gyöngye (Local)
III Kenyeres ut 34, Budapest
Tel: +36 1 368 6402

Karpatia Restaurant
V. Ferenciek tere 7-8, Budapest
Tel: +36 1 317 3596
www.karpatia.hu

Lou Lou (Local)
V. Vigyázó Ferenc ut 4, Budapest
Tel: +36 1 312 4505

Restaurant PocoLoco
(good, middle price)
II. Budapest, Frankel Leó u. 51.
Tel: +36 1 438-3227
www.pocoloco.hu

Soul Cafe Restaurant
Budapest IX. kerület 1092 Ráday utca 11 /13.
Tel: +36 1 217-6986

Indian Restaurants in Budapest

Bombay Palace
VI. Andrássy út 44, Tel: 332 8363
Website: www.bombay-palace.com
Open: 12pm-2.45pm, 6pm-11.15pm daily (including Sat/Sun Brunch), All major credit cards, Metro: M1 Opera
Self proclaimed as 'India's culinary ambassador' to the world, the Budapest branch of this international chain doesn't disappoint. Although it's mainly Brits and Americans that eat here, locals are now also coming in greater numbers. The Bombay's two large dining rooms, with chandeliers and marble flooring, are suitably impressive for a restaurant just a short walk away from the Opera. An all too tempting pickle tray, a decent chicken pakora starter and delicately spiced beef rogan josh made up our meal. Finishing with a refreshing lemon sorbét we were suitably impressed. Amstel on tap helped fire fight those hotter moments during the meal, while impeccable and friendly service rounded off an excellent evening.

Irish Restaurants in Budapest

Beckett's
V. Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 72, Tel: 311 1033, Fax: 311 1034
Website: www.becketts.hu
Open: Mon-Thu 5.30pm-11.30pm, Fri/Sat 5.30pm-midnight, Metro: M1 Bajcsy-Zs. Út
Disappointingly non-Irish in the menu stakes, although mains and desserts are both good value. The lively bar atmosphere guarantees ex-pats a good night out, with Murphy's and Guinness (on tap) to help smooth things along.

Italian Restaurants in Budapest

Fausto's
VII Dohány u. 5, Tel: 322 7806
Website: www.fausto.hu
Open: 12pm-3pm, 7pm to 11pm daily, All major credit cards, Metro: M2 Astoria
Although the kitsch Venetian décor isn't to everyone's liking, Fausto's is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in town. Expensive but unpretentious, it's frequented by the type of people 'who live to eat', rather than 'eat to live'. With fresh pasta and daily specials to rave about, we like this place a lot.

Okay Italia
XIII. Szent István körút 20, Tel: 322 6960
Website: www.okayitalia.hu
Open: midday-1am daily, No credit cards, Metro: M3 Nyugati pu.
Disappointingly for us, Okay Italia did little more than live up to it's name. Although the early 90s saw it set the pace for good, inexpensive pasta and pizza in Budapest, nowadays with a larger number of Italian restaurants around, it doesn't quite deliver. Apart from the excellent tiramisu dessert, our main courses of cannelloni and lasagne were distinctly average.

Ristorante Krizia
VI. Mozsár u. 12, Tel: 331 8711
Open: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-12am daily
Metro: M1 Opera/M1 Oktogon
Having read some complimentary reviews about the (then newly opened) Krizia, we expected the restaurant to be fairly full on the Tuesday lunchtime that we visited. However, it seems Budapest's populous have yet to take the plunge and we were greeted instead by the sight of a completely empty restaurant. So, with the place to ourselves, we set about choosing from the many home made pastas and daily specials on offer. And delicious they were too! Our main courses of spinach and ricotta ravioli, home made cannelloni and risotto of langoustines were all a cut above the norm. Finishing off with equally impressive caramelized fruit pancakes and a chocolate torte, we're happy to be among the critics who rave about this place. Recommended!

Japanese Restaurants in Budapest

Arigato
VI. Teréz körút 23, Tel: 353 3549
Open: Mon-Sat noon-11pm, All major credit cards
Metro: M3 Nyugati pu.
Small but impressive Japanese restaurant with a wide-ranging menu selection, plus separate sashimi and sushi offerings. Lunch time specials are a real boon, while service is considered to be first rate.

Miyako
XIII. Visegrádi u. 1, Tel: 340 5223
Open: 11.30am to midnight daily, All major credit cards
Generous portions, functional décor and friendly service neatly sum up Miyako. Offering both noodles and sushi, the restaurant offers a wide-ranging menu together with sake and imported Japanese beers. Very good.

Sushi An
V Harmincad u. 4, Tel: 317 4239, Open: noon-3.30pm, 5pm-10pm, daily, All major credit cards, Metro: M1 Vörösmarty tér
No-nonsense sushi and sashimi which attracts a dedicated following from both locals and tourists alike. Good value.

International Restaurants in Budapest

Articsoka
VI. Zichy Jeno utca, Tel: 302 7757, Fax: 302 7758
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Website: www.articsoka.hu
Open: noon-midnight daily, All major credit cards, Metro: M3 Arany János u
One of Budapest's newest arrivals, Articsoka (meaning Artichoke) is a swanky affair located just a few minutes walk away from Parliament. As you might have guessed, extended opening hours mean that the restaurant has both breakfast and lunch menus. With dishes mainly influenced by Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, the Articsoka is a welcome addition to this part of town.

Barokk
VI. Mozsár u. 12, Tel: 331 8942, Open: 12pm-midnight daily, All major credit cards, Metro: M1 Oktogon
Upmarket theme restaurant, where staff dress in period costume and serve dishes based on 17th-century recipes. Nicely kitted out in a downtown cellar near to Oktogon, Barokk is fun but expensive.

Belcanto
VI. Dalsínház utca 8, Tel: 269 3101
Website: www.belcanto.hu
Open: 6pm-2am daily, All major credit cards, Metro: M1 Opera
Charming restaurant situated a few yards away from the Budapest Opera. Specializing mainly in pasta and seafood dishes, Belcanto is best known for it's singing waiters (downstairs only), who'll take any opportunity to form a chorus line as they emerge from the kitchen. Service swings along nicely too. Fairly expensive, but a good time almost guaranteed.

Cyrano
V. Kristóf tér 7, H-1058 Tel: 266 3096
Open: 11am-2pm, 6:30pm to 12am daily, All major credit cards
Metro: M2 Vörösmarty tér
Trendy eatery in downtown Pest, which leans heavily on French cuisine for inspiration. The kitsch interior, complete with wrought iron staircase and furnishings, also boasts the chandelier used in the Depardieu version of Cyrano de Bergerac.
Well-prepared, imaginative starters such as wild duck salad with cranberries, and lobster tails with melon feature. Decent poultry and game main courses too. If you plan to sit on the terrace make sure you reserve a table.

Dominican Restaurant (Hotel Hilton)
I. Hess András tér 1-3
Open: 7pm-12am daily, Tel: 488 6757, Várbusz from M2 Moszkva tér
With one of the finest views of Budapest from any restaurant in the city, the Dominican serves first-rate modern cuisine in elegant formal surroundings. Under the tutelage of Head Chef István Juhász, beef, lamb, game and fish dishes are prepared to exacting standards, with delicate sauces and well-combined flavours. The excellent foie gras and goose liver terrine are dishes well-worth sampling, while our personal favourite was the exquisite baked pheasant. For dessert, the choice proves all too difficult with a mouthwatering selection of fresh pastries and gateaux. If you can, reserve a window table to enjoy a truly unique dining experience. Expensive.

Gambrinus Restaurant
V. Váci u. 20, Tel: 485-3100
Open: 7pm-midnight daily, All major credit cards
Metro: M2 Vörösmarty tér
Located in the downtown Taverna hotel, the Gambrinus is an award-winning restaurant considered to be among the top ten in the country. With modern interpretations of classic Hungarian and International dishes the restaurant setting is formal, although music from the excellent gypsy trio helped lighten the atmosphere considerably. Our starters of goose liver risotto with wild mushrooms and wild boar pancakes in cream sauce, were both well-executed and full of flavour. Main courses consisted of borjúfilé (veal steak) with pear and grillezett szarvasérm (wild deer). Again, each had a good combination of subtle flavours, although the deer was very slightly overcooked. Accompanied by an excellent Villány red from an extensive wine list, we finished our meal with two delicious (palinka laced) Kecskeméti apricot puddings. The attentive service (from waiters wearing tail coats and white gloves) and the quality of cuisine left us suitably impressed, although at over 8000 HUF per head an evening at the Gambrinus does not come cheap.

Gundel
XIV. Állakérti út 2, Tel: 468 4040
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Website: www.gundel.hu
Open: midday-3pm, 7pm-11pm daily, All major credit cards
Metro: M1 Hosök tér
Reawakened from its slumber by Hungarian-American restaurateur George Lang in 1992, the Gundel is without doubt the city's finest restaurant. With millions of dollars invested into recreating the original turn-of-the-20th-century atmosphere, the cuisine in this fine Art Nouveau establishment remains faithful to the ideals of founder János Gundel. Masterchef Kálmán Kalla's menu is well-executed, with innovative personal touches such as goose-liver parfait with Tokaiji Aszu gelée and smoked trout will dill crayfish. Although a meal here costs around 12,000 HUF per head (unless you take advantage of the fixed price special lunch menu), the expense is borne out by the fact that both the Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II have dined here.

Légradi Testvérek
V. Magyar u. 23, Tel: 318 6804
Open: Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight, All major credit cards
Metro: M3 Kálvin tér
Old time restaurant in a stately drawing room setting with antique furniture and Herend porcelain. Owned by the Légradi brothers who also run the Antique restaurant (see below).

Le Légradi Antique
V. Bárczy István u. 3/5, Tel: 266 4993, Open: Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm and 7pm-midnight, Sat 7pm-midnight, All major credit cards, Metro: M1, M2, M3 Deák tér
Hidden away behind the window display of a quaint old antique shop, the restaurant is very much a journey back in time to a bygone era. Service and food are first-rate, with both the foie gras and steak tartare prepared to perfection. If your budget doesn't quite stretch to the Gundel try here instead.