These are the Michelin Guide’s top Hungarian restaurants in 2023

The publication showcases 75 restaurants, including one that has just been awarded the Michelin Green Star, one that has been certified Bib Gourmand, and 14 other newly recommended restaurants.

Michelin has just unveiled the list of Hungarian restaurants featured in the 2023 edition of the Michelin Guide Hungary, without any prior publicity, as usual.

This year’s guide recommends a total of 75 restaurants, 28 in Budapest and 47 in the countryside. There are 2 two-star, 7 one-star, 7 Bib certified Gourmand restaurants – one of which is included for the first time –, and 59 other recommended establishments, 14 of which are included for the first time. There are also 5 Michelin Green Star restaurants, one of which is a newcomer this year.

'As we continue to follow the exciting gastronomic developments not only in Budapest but throughout the entire country, we are delighted to announce that 14 restaurants have been added to the second edition of The MICHELIN Guide Hungary,' commented Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. 'The 2023 edition of the Guide also recognizes the diversity of the existing culinary offer, with one restaurant from the main selection promoted to a Bib Gourmand for its great value cooking and another awarded a MICHELIN Green Star for its fantastic sustainable credentials.'

Two restaurants maintain their two Michelin Stars

Platán Gourmet in Tata and Stand in Budapest retain their two Michelin Star distinction for 2023. Both restaurants were awarded two stars in last year’s inaugural Michelin Guide to Hungary. Platán Gourmet is an intimate spot hidden away in the cellars beneath the castle walls. Here, in the open kitchen, Chef István Pesti and his small team create refined, innovative dishes with perfectly balanced flavours and textures. 

Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló’s elegant restaurant, Stand, is also centred around an on-view kitchen, and their beautiful dishes are full of depth and sophistication. Whilst modern in construction, traditional flavours shine through, with passion for their heritage infused into every dish. 

Seven restaurants are awarded one Michelin Star

All seven restaurants awarded a star in the 2022 Guide retain their status for another year. In Budapest, Babel is the perfect blend of tradition and modernity both in its décor and its cooking. The unassuming-looking Borkonyha Winekitchen offers over 100 wines and lets top-class ingredients shine in intensely flavoured dishes. Elegance and sophistication lead the way at Costes, from its smart décor to the well-orchestrated service and the vibrant global dishes. At Essência Restaurant, Portuguese chef-owner Tiago and his Hungarian wife Éva blend their heritages with three different menus: one Portuguese, one Hungarian, and a tasting menu that combines the two. The chef at Rumour works with calm precision and passion to create innovative dishes in the counter-wrapped kitchen. Intimate restaurant Salt sits within a boutique hotel, while shelves laden with preserved produce contribute to the exquisitely constructed surprise dishes. 

Outside of the capital, 42 Restaurant in Esztergom combines tradition with modernity in dishes that are sometimes playful and always full of flavour. 

One restaurant is newly awarded a Bib Gourmand

Seven restaurants receive a Bib Gourmand for their good quality, good value cooking – one is promoted from the main selection and six retain their distinction. 

• Casa Christa, Balatonszőlős
• Kistücsök, Balatonszemes
• Macok, Eger
• Mór24, Balatonfüred
• Morzsa, Pécs
• Sparhelt, Balatonfüred

The latest restaurant to receive a Bib Gourmand is Morzsa in Pécs, which is promoted from the main selection. This new-wave bakery-bistro sits on a part-pedestrianised lane and has a relaxed, urban style. The loaves and pastries are oven-fresh and the great value, all-day small plates are packed with flavour. 

14 restaurants are added to the main selection

59 restaurants feature in the main selection this year, with 14 joining for the first time. 

• Bobajka, Tarcal
• Botanica, Dánszentmiklós 
• Csopaki Resti by Laurel, Csopak 
• FLAVA, Budapest 
• Fricska 2.0, Budapest 
• GÓRÉ, Kisharsány 
• MoszkvaTéЯ Bistro, Budapest 
• NOON, Balatonfüred 
• Piac 42, Esztergom 
• SHO, Budapest 
• Solid, Budapest 
• Tati, Budapest 
• White Salon, Budapest 
• Zincenco Kitchen, Budapest 

One restaurant is newly highlighted with a Michelin Green Star

The MICHELIN Green Stars highlights restaurants at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their practices regarding sustainable gastronomy. Their initiatives could include: sourcing home-grown and local produce; performing their daily activities in a manner which reduces their carbon footprint; the use of clean energies, such as solar; or the sourcing of regional textiles and locally crafted ceramics for use in the restaurant. 

This year's recipients are:  

•  Almalomb, Hosszúhetény
• Graefl Major Kétútköz, Poroszló
• Onyx Műhely, Budapest
• Salt, Budapest
• Villa Kabala, Szigliget

Hungary’s newest Green Star restaurant, Villa Kabala, works exclusively with produce from their own vegetable garden and from local farmers and suppliers. They make their own breads, jams, hams, and beers, and have an exclusive, family-run winery on the hill opposite. They roast their own coffee on-site and even make their own crockery in their pottery workshop! Their hotel follows the same ethos and is furnished with only reclaimed items.

Three special awards were presented

While the Michelin Guide’s culinary distinctions are awarded to a restaurant as a whole, the Michelin Special Awards are given to outstanding individuals who, thanks to their infinite passion and considerable skills, can make a restaurant experience unforgettable.

For impeccable service, the Welcome and Service Award was given to Péter Fölföldi and Petra Terjék (at restaurant Villa Kabala in Szigliget), who impressed the Michelin Guide inspectors with their genuine warmth and enthusiasm. In the restaurant itself, the service is chatty and friendly yet at the same time professional – and they present their homemade produce with palpable pride. They also love to show guests around the grounds, as well as welcome them to their hotel, which they see as an extension of their home. 

The Sommelier Award went to Imre Rácz (at the restaurant Spago by Wolfgang Puck in Budapest), for his passion for his work and his endearing and personable interactions with diners. He loves to share his knowledge and brings as much pleasure to the process of choosing the wines as to drinking them. While his wine list offers global representation, he is particularly supportive of the constantly developing Hungarian wine industry. 

The Young Chef Award was offered to Zaida Zincenco (at restaurant Zincenco Kitchen in Budapest), for her ability to create wonderful dishes that fuse the classics with an elegant, occasionally inventive touch. She loves ‘supper club’ style dining and successfully recreates this in her relaxed apartment restaurant, which feels like an intimate home-from-home. With a beaming smile and the utmost pride, Zaida presents dishes such as nokedli (Hungarian noodles) with egg and sturgeon with fennel and caviar. 

The Michelin Guide hotel selection showcases the most unique and exciting places to stay in Budapest and around the world. Each hotel in the selection has been chosen by Michelin Guide experts for its unique style, service, and atmosphere – across all price ranges – and can be booked directly on the Michelin Guide website and mobile app. The selection for Budapest features the city’s most spectacular hotels, including high-design pleasures like Pest-Buda Hotel, standouts from the “Plus” collection like Kozmo and Hotel Clark, and music-inspired luxury boutiques like Aria. 

Visit the Michelin Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.