No sweeter weekend treat – try brunch at FELIX Kitchen&Bar

We can really say that brunch is the new dinner – not according to research carried out by UK scientists, but just looking at the trend for more and more people to rendezvous on weekend mornings or early afternoons. Those who wake up late are almost certainly ready to eat, and those who get up at dawn look forward to a hearty meal more than anything else. In both cases, we recommend one of the really special locations in the capital, FELIX Kitchen&Bar.

On our visit, a significant percentage of the guests arriving for brunch were Hungarian, many feeling completely at home in the neo-Renaissance building created by Miklós Ybl of Opera House fame – allowing us to deduce that this was not their first time. Most of the tables filling the loggia were already reserved, and those who came on spec to FELIX on Sunday morning were more likely to be seated inside.

A completely diverse gathering had convened for breakfast. A couple weary from motorcycling were ordering vitamin-rich breakfast bowls, girlfriends in their twenties came with puppies in tow, after something sweet, while an Italian couple in love couldn’t get enough of the view, their egg breakfasts slowly disappearing from their plates as they constantly discovered something new on the loggia façade and the houses over the river on the Pest side.

The FELIX brunch is the classic weekend option. From 9.30am to 4pm, you can ask for any dish especially conceived for the occasion. It was still a slightly chilly April Sunday, but with the final burst of spring, you’ll be able to tuck in on the terrace, also ideal for champagne sipping.

Much thought has gone into their brunch menu of carefully conceived combinations, as on the one hand they take allergens very seriously, and on the other, it turns out at first glance they wish to please everyone. No-one is left without an option, be it gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan. The selection of breakfast bowls has been created specifically for guests who prefer a lighter start to the day.


The savoury choice may be the quinoa bowl, based on quinoa seeds, with curly kale, avocado and refreshing grapefruit. You shouldn’t miss out on the acai bowl either, a must-have item in restaurants of similar quality from Miami to Abu Dhabi. Little red fruit play the starring role in the acai bowl at FELIX. The house porridge becomes a feast with raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

The Keep It Casual category more suits a combo brunch, such as the super-premium hot dog made with Sacher sausage or the bison burger. They sneak luxury elements into most items, the aioli truffles that accompany the hot dogs, the cheddar-and-Glenmorangie sauce with the bison burger. This is a pretty juicy sandwich, a real two-hander, but it’s easier to deal with using a knife and fork. Crispy fries are also offered.

You shouldn’t pass up on the egg dishes. These nutritious starters provide the perfect opportunity to test out a place anyway, like a margherita at a pizzeria or an Old Fashioned at a cocktail bar. They also make Eggs Benedict and Eggs Royale, and their exciting egg breakfast is a more complex dish conceived with French fries, goose liver and truffles.

We also sampled the avocado toast, which means homemade avocado paste spread on multi-seed toast, a perfect egg and pomegranate seeds sprinkled for zing. A hearty breakfast that harmonises well with the fresh taste of farm eggs, and a delicacy rich in creamy fats and proteins.

A total of three types of classic, high-calorie sweet options have been added to the brunch menu, of which the Dutch Baby catches the eye at first glance, as it’s not often found in Hungary. The puffed pancakes made in the oven are lighter than their American counterparts and, at FELIX, fresh berries are sprinkled over them, followed by raspberry purée and caramel spread dulce de leche in small bowls. You’ll scarf down this dreamy dessert in no time.

The French toast is made from braided bread, extremely buttery and very caramelised, topped with salty caramel ice cream. We haven’t eaten such well-made French toast in a long time, but frankly, we'd been expecting just such a super sweet delight after sampling the signature golden dumplings here when the restaurant first opened. If you’re still around for lunch, you can also order this divine dish from the à la carte menu. But the brunch desserts are a class act, too, if you really want to go for those golden dumplings…

The thoroughly extensive and professionally conceived drinks menu here also operates for late breakfasts, so you can order fresh fruity, non-alcoholic cocktails, FELIX’s varied mixed drinks, Bellinis or other champagne cocktails, Zhao Zhou tea and the world’s most famous champagnes.

Weekend mornings are ever more accentuated at flourishing FELIX, a former pump house created by Miklós Ybl, the Várkert Kiosk building. After an extended brunch, you’re all ready to scale Gellért Hill, take in the Várkert Bazár and the panorama that opens from there or scoot along the Danube. Make every weekend in Budapest a memorable one!