Hungarians love soups of all styles, from the country’s classic goulash to exotic bowlfuls from afar – and at several excellent Budapest eateries, guests can savor every slurp of these diverse liquid delights. These seven high-quality restaurants offer some of the best soups in the city, with many of their steamy concoctions considered as specialties of the house.
2/7
Gundel
The soups served at this legendary restaurant are almost in a league of their own: in keeping with the traditions of the region’s most venerable eateries, they are prepared with the utmost care and attention to detail. Spacious rooms, historic paintings, and premium ingredients are all key to Gundel’s iconic status. Updated three times a year, the menu focuses on juicy vegetables and fruit in the spring, and autumnal flavors towards the end of the summer season. Guests can either pick one of six soups (3,600-3,900 HUF), or go for a three-item soup selection (4,500 HUF), such as a combination of consommé, a cream soup, and goulash. The first item we’d recommend is the intensively flavored essence of pheasant with pheasant quenelles and truffles. Some of our other favorites include the cauliflower cream with baked garlic and a green oil made from parsley and rucola, the pumpkin soup with pumpkin-seed cracker, and the asparagus cream soup with truffle oil and cottage cheese scones – the asparagus was surprisingly fresh and crisp despite the cold season. At the end of our visit, we sampled some of Károly Gundel’s goulash and János Gundel’s fish soup, both of which have been cooked based on the original recipe since 1910. The chefs say they could easily put a modern spin on either dish, but that would contradict the restaurant’s dedication to tradition and continuity.
3/7
Szabadság Bisztró (Closed)
When we walked into the recently opened Liberté café, we didn’t know that we were in for an unexpected treat: originally intended to be featured on the menu of another Asian-themed eatery by the same restaurateur, the ramen (2,970 HUF) was simply sensational with just a subtle hint of coriander, savory pork belly, fresh vegetables, and a harmonious broth. The Asian-restaurant idea has been put on the back burner for now, allowing Liberté – located on prominent Aulich Street – to take center stage with this soup. The eatery is hard to pin down in terms of direction, with all-time favorite dishes dominating the selection.
4/7
Macesz Bistro (Closed)
We Love Budapest recently visited Macesz Bistro for our company Christmas dinner, and while many of us picked the broth with traditional matzo balls, even more of us chose the spinach cream soup (990 HUF) with egg and garlic chips, a creamy creation with an understated but delectable garlicky taste. Poured from a glass jar, the soup is so gorgeous we could have it for lunch or dinner every day of the week.
5/7
Menza
With a cozy interior reminiscent of the ’70s, Menza knows how retro is done with taste. The eatery had established itself on Liszt Ferenc Square way before Budapest’s recent gastro revolution started, and it’s been a strong presence in the area every since. The cuisine is absolutely reliable, which is demonstrated by the fact that it’s quite a challenge to find a free table during lunchtime. We’ve been here many times before, but we’ve never felt disappointed about the service. Being a foolproof classic, the beef soup (1,490 HUF) of the house definitely deserves to be on our list, but the garlic soup (990 HUF) served with miniature sour cream-and-cheese lángos is a must as well. Let’s not forget about the creamy pumpkin soup (990 forints) with pumpkin-seed oil and roasted pumpkin seeds either. It’s safe to say that Menza is an ideal inner-city soup spot.
