What makes a restaurant, café, or terrace child-friendly depends on many things. Many places already offer booster seats, a children’s menu, some toys, and the option to change nappies or even animators to help parents focus on their meals. We piled up 10 places with different characters – from cafés to restaurants – where children are welcome, and some great activities to do nearby.
1/10
Normafa Delikát
If you are up for a hike in the Buda Hills with the family, Normafa is an ideal choice. It is easily accessible from the city centre (take bus 21/221 from Széll Kálmán tér), and it offers such sweet breakfast/lunch spots as Normafa Deli. You can even arrive by the Children’s Railway from Hűvösvölgy, as the Normafa stop is just a stone’s throw away. You can recharge your batteries with a delicious coffee, cake, or ice cream (in the summer), and most importantly: they offer babyccino. You can sit on the lovely terrace or play with the kids at the children’s corner, and if that does not exhaust them, head to the playground at Anna Rét (Meadow). Or add to the adventure, and take the chairlift to the Elizabeth Lookout.
2/10
Déryné
If a walk in the Buda Castle and a well-deserved brunch/lunch at a legendary (and Insta-friendly) restaurant sound like your kind of family holiday, book a table at Déryné. The stylish restaurant has welcomed many celebrities, but this is not why it got on the list. Long before the sourdough revolution, they were baking their bread and were among the first to introduce brunch in Budapest. On weekends, from 9 am to late afternoon, you can choose from a selection of brunch classics and enjoy them while live music plays in the background and a babysitter looks after the little ones at the kids’ corner.
3/10
Vakvarjú Étterem
When it comes to child-friendly spots, the VakVarjú restaurant chain is unbeatable, with all of its locations offering a special focus on families. Our favourite unit is still VakVarjú in Újlipótváros because, on your way here, you get to stroll in this vibrant neighbourhood and past pretty Bauhaus buildings (coming from Jászai Mari tér). The restaurant is located in the RAM Colosseum and comes with a relaxed, bistro-style vibe. A big plus is that there are animators on weekends and a kids’ corner so adults can focus on the food in front of them. There’s a separate menu for kids, with meals like Chicken Run, Pinocchio’s favourite, Nemo’s favourite, and Cat Trap. And if there’s time for more playing about afterwards, there’s the Bóbita Literary Playground just inside the gates.
4/10
Városliget Café
Városliget Café is nestled in the City Park, which makes it a family-favourite spot in itself. But really, you can do a plethora of activities before or after popping in for lunch. Such as going to the Zoo, hopping in a boat at the Városligeti Lake, wandering around in the Vajdahunyad Castle, or visiting the House of Music Hungary You also explore the largest playground in Budapest or go ballooning. Everything is set for a great family day out, and when it comes to a break at the Café, you can even settle down on the terrace. Besides the traditional Hungarian dishes (goulash soup, meat broth, chicken paprikash), you can also choose lighter ones, and there’s always a kids’ menu: fish fillet, fried pork tenderloin, and pasta with cheese and sour cream.
5/10
Pagony Café - Dió
Dió, on the corner of Bakáts Square and Tompa Street, is the latest in a series of child-friendly places. It is a super bookstore with great children’s books for all ages (though mainly in Hungarian), but also delicious breakfasts, cookies, coffee, and lots of games. It is close enough to the Danube bank to have a walk there first (Nehru-part and Bálna are impressive spots for that), before settling down with a neatly decorated coffee (really, latte art is super cute here). We especially adore the little hiding den and recommend the place for all ages, from the little ones to teenagers.
6/10
Geraldine
The pastry shop in the National Museum Garden is the fourth shop of the famous confectionary dynasty, the Auguszt family. It is housed in a former (and beautifully renovated) guard and garden house and offers real treats for children and parents alike. The Geraldine Slice is a real speciality, a combination of chocolate, quince jelly, and egg white, but the Auguszt krémes (mille-feuille) or E70 cake is also great, not to mention the cooked ice cream. There’s also a play corner inside with a small kitchen and building toys. You can also head to the Muzi playground in the Museum Garden, inspired by the history of the district and the novel The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnár (see photos here).
7/10
IDE
IDE pizzeria on Pozsonyi út and Arany János utca is renowned for its delicious Roman-style pizzas. So if you fancy crispy dough on the outside and soft, puffy dough on the inside, packed with generous toppings, make your way here with the family. There are familiar versions like Margherita, but also more special variations, such as truffle or Neapolitan salami and four cheese cream, served with a side salad. Pizza is a dish that all children will love to eat, and both shops also have a kids’ corner with a stylish little kitchen, wooden pizzas, and fun cooking toys.
8/10
Vasmacska KávéZoo
Located in a peaceful part of town, near the main square of Óbuda, Vasmacska KávéZoo is recommended for older children, preschoolers, and young teenagers. Inside, you can see a veiled chameleon, a dwarf rabbit, a guinea pig, a dwarf hamster, and a bearded dragon, but you’re not allowed to touch them. There’s a lunch menu on weekdays and brunch on weekends, but you can also grab an artisan tart or panini and sit on the cosy terrace. People with food allergies are also welcome, as free-from sweets are always available. Various animal-related events are organised in the spirit of responsible animal husbandry, as well as workshops.
9/10
Pastrami
After exploring the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre, Margaret Island, or the Szemlő-hegyi Cave, head to Pastrami Restaurant for a well-deserved lunch break. The two-storey open-plan space has casual bistro vibes and offers light food. The children’s corner is upstairs (this restaurant is one of the first places in Budapest to have a children’s corner), but when good weather arrives, the toys move out onto the terrace. The eponymous pastrami sandwich features house-smoked pastrami, sourdough bread, mustard, and crispy fries, but you can also order it as a burger. They also have a kids’ menu: Újházi chicken soup and fried chicken breast with chips.
10/10
Maminti Kuckó
Maminti Kuckó, close to Széllkapu Park, is a favourite place for mums in District 2, but parents with young children come from further afield too. As well as a range of activities, there’s a super toy and book shop, advice on what to choose for which age group, and a little café with a kids’ corner. Here you can enjoy a coffee in the company of a pastry from local-favourite bakeries and confectionaries. And sometimes that’s all a tired mum or dad needs. On Saturday mornings they often have a mini-concert or puppet show.
