As the weather is about to get cooler in Budapest, it’s nice to tuck into tasty and fiery Mexican dishes. If you’re after a decent Mexican restaurant with great tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas and fantastic cocktail creations, look no further. Hugo’s Bar & Kitchen on downtown Molnár Street near the Liberty Bridge is a perfect choice if you’d like to immerse yourself in Mexican culture amid a colourful, fun and friendly atmosphere.
You’ll find Hugo’s Bar & Kitchen on Molnár Street, just a few steps away from Fővám tér and the Liberty Bridge – its colourful neon signs make it easy to spot. The interior is far from minimalist, but it is everything a basement bar needs.
There are sombreros, Mexican sculls, colourful murals, paintings, tiles and neon signs everywhere. The interior is bold yet laid-back – this is a place that lives up to the saying ‘mi casa su casa’, and that will make you feel like an old friend.
There are sombreros, Mexican sculls, colourful murals, paintings, tiles and neon signs everywhere. The interior is bold yet laid-back – this is a place that lives up to the saying ‘mi casa su casa’, and that will make you feel like an old friend.
The staff is friendly and smiley, and the service is attentive and fuss-free. The owners behind Hugo’s have actually been successfully running a restaurant, Riso Restaurant & Terrace, in Budapest for some 13 years. More recently, various holidays and a love for Mexico have inspired them to open Hugo’s in October 2022, a Mexican-American style sports bar, where games are always broadcasted on big screens and where the salsa is as delicious as it is spicy.
Tex-mex cuisine
When it comes to starters, we recommend the jalapeño poppers, that is, chili filled with cheese and wrapped in bacon, served with chipotle mayo, as well as the coconut shrimp, which is crunchy deep-fried shrimp with a mango-habanero salsa. If you’d just like to grab a few bites before your main dish arrives, you can order chips with perfectly spiced salsa – of course, with a Frozen Margarita on the side that comes served in a glass covered in chili powder and decorated with a chili pepper. It is delicious, and the good news is that you can also order it by the pitcher.
When you crave Mexican food, you can hardly ever go wrong with a taco, a fajitas, a burrito or a quesadilla. When we visited Hugo's, we tried the taco pescado, which comes with mahi mahi, guacamole, coleslaw and chipotle mayo. It was so delicious that after sprinkling some lime on it, we made it disappear in just a few bites.
The steak fajitas is perfectly spiced, mixed with black beans and peppers, topped with a sunny-side-up fried egg. We also tried the polluello burrito that comes with chicken, avocado, pico de gallo, bean purée, cheddar sauce and fried sweet potatoes on the side. Hugo’s signature burger comes with beef, salad, caramelised onion, guacamole, bacon, cheddar cheese, chipotle mayo and french fries. Don’t forget to order a Pacífico Mexican beer to go with it.
The menu further boasts burgers, chili con carne, saucy and melt-in-the-mouth ribs, sticky chicken wings and vegetarian dishes, as well as desserts like homemade cheesecake, chocolate soufflé or coconut milk panna cotta with a pineapple-passion fruit salsa.
The menu further boasts burgers, chili con carne, saucy and melt-in-the-mouth ribs, sticky chicken wings and vegetarian dishes, as well as desserts like homemade cheesecake, chocolate soufflé or coconut milk panna cotta with a pineapple-passion fruit salsa.
"Para todo mal, mezcal y para todo bien también"
That is "For everything bad that may happen, there’s mezcal, and for everything good, the same”. Hugo boasts a really stylish bar, where smoky mezcals, tasty tequilas, whiskeys, rums and other spirits line the shelves, and they also serve as a base for various amazing cocktail concoctions.
Our favourite is the Frozen Tequila Sunrise, as it is refreshingly cold and nice and sweet after the spicy sauces.
Our favourite is the Frozen Tequila Sunrise, as it is refreshingly cold and nice and sweet after the spicy sauces.
Another great drink, Valentino comes with hpnotiq and passion fruit liqueurs, vodka, lychee and lime, but you can’t really go wrong here with any of the cocktails or gin and tonics as both sweet and sour flavours go well with spicy and fiery food.
All in all, Hugo’s Mexican Bar & Kitchen is a friendly place with amazing food, fantastic cocktails and a lovely atmosphere, where you can pop in anytime whether it’s for Taco Tuesday, the upcoming Día de los Muertos celebrations or just a regular day. You won’t be disappointed. ¡Salud!
