Juice mania, or where you can drink health in the city

2012. 03. 28.

Our compilation of the restaurants with the best juices are not only meant for those who are ready to shun solid food seeing the first rays of the spring sun. Though everyone might make use of a liquid diet to deal with spring fatigue, you don’t have to go into extremes. The energizing juices abundant in vitamins and effective for clearing out your body could be great for everybody, that’s for sure. What follows is the top 6 places to go for such drinks together with one of their specialties.

LéBár

1053 Budapest, 19 Múzeum krt. Opening hours: mon-fri: 10:00-18:00.

At LéBár next to the Bio ABC in Múzeum körút we could’ve chosen the simple, unfiltered grapejuice, wheatgrass juice as it is or mixed with water or the various combinations of apple, beetroot, carrot or orange juices with some sea-buckthorn juice but we went with the spring hit named Green Drink (Zöld ital). The delicacy containing nettle and chard leaves can be drunk as a dessert or a smoothie. Its flavors are defined by sweet bananas, dates and a little bit of lemon. A further advantage besides its richness in vegatables is that 150 ml cost only 250 HUF. If you can’t stay in the tiny place, take the greenness along to the stairs of National Museum.

Kiwi

1054 Budapest, 14 Holló utca (Gozsdu udvar) Opening hours: mon-fri: 6:30- 22:30 sat-sun: 10:00-20:00.

This place takes juices indeed seriously and this is apparent from the selection and quality, as well. No water is added to the shakes, only honey is used as sweetener and drinks containing milk can be asked with soyamilk, too. Among the ingredients you can find such peculiarities as algae, broccoli, celery or pear. And though the healthiest are those made exclusively of vegetables, it’s still the sweet flavors that are the most popular, so we ourselves decided to have a drink that contains orange besides beetroot, carrot and spinach. Not only the flavor, the name also draws attention: Red Magic (Vörös varázs). 300 ml of freshness cost 890 HUF.

Napfényes Étterem

1077 Budapest, 39 Rózsa utca Opening hours: mon-sun: 12:00 – 22:30

Napfényes Étterem has such an extensive menu that it would require pages to enumerate its merits, and we wouldn’t get further than the entrées. The pumpkin juice with or without ginger is divine and for a mere 200 HUF/0,1 l it’s a fine deal. From among their healthy drinks Vitamin Cocktail is an outstanding one containing carrot, beetroot, celery, pumpkin, apple and ginger, as well. Of course, the ingredients can be adjusted if the need arises, so those on a strict liquid diet or those who merely pick a drink to go with their meal will surely find what they’re looking for.

Mannaturál Ételmanufaktúra

1054 Budapest, 5 Garibaldi utca Opening hours: mon-sat: 11:00-20:00.

Vegetarian, raw and special – this is Mannaturál, at a new site since 15 December with continuous improvements done with the place. Besides their raw juices, it’s advisable to taste the milks made of almond, coconut or black sesame. We tested Poppy Seed Milk (Máktej) this time, that contains only dates and water apart from the stimulating seeds but is still great. You can have it for 500 HUF and it can definitely substitute a breakfast or it could serve as a dessert.

Fruccola

1051 Budapest, Arany János utca 32. Opening hours: mon-fri: 7:00-19:00.

Fruccola is one of the most well-known bars of the city, where healthy juices reign and they make you happy and happiness is good. The drinks made of vegetables and fruits can indeed enliven you. We sampled a classic: a combination of beetroot, carrot, apple and ginger. You can get it for 750 HUF at any time of the day.

Édeni Étterem

1011 Budapest, 31 Iskola utca Opening hours: mon-thu: 8:00 – 21:00, fri: 8:00 – 15:00, sat: closed, sun: 11:00 – 21:00.

Édeni Étterem is a provider of vegetarian delicacies and in a very satisfactory quality at that. Since we were interested only in the juices and the staff has to make ginger lemonade and mint mojito lots of times anyway, we resolved to have something squeezed. Our drink of choice was the Green Drink (Zöld ital) with ruccola, pineapple, cucumber and apple. Its richness in fibers, iron and other nutrients makes it ideal for those on a liquid diet. The price is 600 HUF. Another reason why the place is recommended for the followers of healthy eating is that you can buy frozen wheatgrass cubes for take-out.