7 brilliant spots to try bejgli, the Hungarian Christmas dessert

1. Gerbeaud 

We are used to getting the most traditional, turn-of-the-century flavours at Gerbeaud confectionery, with a professional touch, and on the bejgli front, they certainly won't disappoint. They make the two classic flavours, poppy seed and walnut, flawlessly. The 500-gram walnut and poppy seed rolls (HUF 4,490) are made with 50% filling, almond marzipan, orange and lemon peel, and raisins. The dough is soft, the filling-to-dough ratio is perfect, and if you order the gift box, it makes the perfect gift for a friend or relative who loves classic flavours.

• • Address: 1051 Budapest, Vörösmarty tér 7–8.
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2. Három Tarka Macska 

Although Három Tarka Macska is a French-style bakery, they are also very good at the essential Hungarian Christmas dessert. With the traditional 500-gram poppy seed and walnut bejgli (HUF 4,600) available, they don't go overboard. They source the ingredients from small producers, adding a dash of cinnamon and lemon to the walnut, and grated orange peel to the poppy seed to make the rolls more refreshing. They also have the right dough-to-filling ratio, and you can expect a real homemade, light, classic bejgli for the festive table.

• • Address: 1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 41.
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3. La Tené 

A dessert shop based in the majestic hills above the Lake Balaton opened a pop-up store in Budapest. In the run-up to the holidays, they make it easy to get your hands on their desserts. Their bejgli is particularly exciting, as in addition to the two classic flavours, they also offer two more modern versions, one with hazelnuts and one with pistachios, plus they make the dough in the traditional way, with butter and fat, so it's incredibly rich and fresh.

The rolls weigh 500 grams, and the poppy seed and walnut rolls (HUF 4,490) are both made with outstanding ingredients from local small producers, the former with candied lemon and the latter with candied orange peel and a hint of cinnamon. The Nutella-Turkish hazel version (HUF 5,490) is a pure energy boost, made with roasted Turkish hazelnuts and hazelnut chocolate cream, as well as cocoa. And the pistachio roll (HUF 6,490) is their most popular bejgli; with pure pistachio filling, it's a real treat. One of the great advantages of their bejgli is that it's not too sweet, so it's also recommended for those who don't like overly sugary desserts.

• Address: 1114 Budapest, Bartók Béla út 35.
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4. Csók Bistro, Confectionery & Bakery

You can always find traditional classics in the pastry shop of this bistro on Andrássy út, and December is no exception. Their bejgli has a rather long history, with the 500-gram nut and poppy seed rolls (HUF 4,200) made according to a 150-year-old recipe from the time of Hungarian confectioner Emil Gerbeaud. Csók Bistro's bejgli has 250g of boiled filling, but it seems more due to the intense flavour. Moreover, the soft, crumbly yeast dough provides a pleasant, moist frame for the perfect filling. (x)

• Address: 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 112.
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5. Kuglóf Bistro

Kuglóf's bejgli is available in walnut and poppy seed options, and is one of the best value for money, with 500 gram bejgli going for HUF 3,480. Their traditional buttery, crumbly dough comes with a dense, compact filling, making it amazingly soft and crumbly, but also perfectly sliceable.

• Address: 1052 Budapest, Piarista köz 1.
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6. Babka Deli

Baking the best bejgli is not a real competition, but if it were, our favourite this year would be Babka's, albeit entirely subjectively. Although you can tell they are masters of pastry, they also believe in tradition. Aunt Klára has been baking bejgli for years in the good old granny style: crumbly, soft, rich, sweet filling, perfect proportions. Walnut, poppy seed, and chestnut bejgli (HUF 4,900) are available in 500 g packages, with or without raisins.

• Address: 1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 20.
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7. nor/ma

The Scandinavian bakery has a reputation for quality, even more so as the holiday season approaches. Both their bakeries, nor/ma grand and small nor/ma, serve bejgli, with the traditional poppy and walnut (500 g HUF 4,250) available in both shops, plus a cranberry and marzipan one at nor/ma grand and a raspberry and hazelnut one at Kecskeméti utca (500 g HUF 4,950). The dough is flawless in all four varieties. In keeping with Scandinavian tradition, they are not overdone, just plain and simple. Our favourite this year is the one with marzipan, not only because it is relatively rare and unique, but also because of the excellent marzipan with a distinctive almond flavour.

• Address: 1053 Budapest, Kecskeméti utca 11.
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(Cover photo: Gerbeaud)