Whether you’d like to make love potions, have a special spa day, wine and dine like royalty, spend the night at a luxury suite on the cheap or just relax at home with some cute cupcakes, Budapest always has something up her sleeve. But if you prefer to leave the city behind for a romantic getaway, we still have some pretty special recommendations – just read on.
Enjoy cute cupcakes
If you’d like to sweeten this special day with cupcakes, Cupcake Tortaműhely near Batthyány tér is a perfect choice. While their counter is normally full of fabulous cupcakes in flavours like salted caramel, white chocolate and strawberry, and lime and raspberry, for Valentine’s Day, they’re making some extra special treats. Besides all the usual cutesy stuff from cats and teddies to love hearts, cool-looking cupcakes with black-and-gold toppings will also make an appearance for this day. Our favourite new creation is the space-themed To the MOON and back collection of four cupcakes, but heart-shaped cupcake lollies, chocolate or vegan brownies and fruit loaves will also make it on the menu. Whether you turn it into a cupcake date or pre-order the sweets in boxes of four or six to eat at home, check out Cupcake Tortaműhely's brand-new selection.
You can browse the selection and place an order on Cupcake Tortaműhely’s website.
Have a star-studded night
Taking a photo with Ryan Gosling, David Beckham or Beyoncé, or laying your head on George Clooney’s chest to listen to his heartbeat are equally quirky experiences that will not only leave you with long-lasting memories but also with fantastic photos to show off to your friends. At Madame Tussauds Budapest, Valentine’s Day will be celebrated for a whole week, between 12-18 February. During this time, you can marvel at the lifelike wax figures of 51 famous people, walk around splendid scenes, don heart-shaped glasses in the Fashion room and even immortalise your love by making a wax mould of your hands – now for a reduced price.
For more details and tickets, head to the Madame Tussauds Budapest website.
Dine like royalty
A few years ago, legendary Michelin-starred Californian chef Wolfgang Puck recreated his famous Beverly Hills restaurant, Spago, inside Budapest’s breathtakingly beautiful Matild Palace. The food is out of this world, and the views are gorgeous. For Valentine’s Day, Spago is preparing a divine 6-course menu of real culinary artworks meticulously designed to evoke passion. Each dish will be a testament to the culinary craftsmanship of executive chef István Szántó’s team, promising an unforgettable celebration of love. Expect extravagant courses like lobster carpaccio, flamed salmon, seared foie gras and veal fillet. Make sure not to miss the dessert, a passion fruit cremeux with yoghurt mousse and cassia granola in a “fragile heart”. Special cocktails will also be concocted, and the champagne will be chilled. If you’re after a passionate and unforgettable culinary experience, to Spago it is!
For more details and reservations, visit Spago’s website.
Have a couple’s massage or make love potions at Mystery Hotel Budapest
Downtown’s eclectic Mystery Hotel Budapest will celebrate Valentine’s Day for a whole week between 12-18 February with delightful special offers and packages. If you’d like to go all out, you can spend a night in one of their gorgeous suites offering a bathtub, rose petals, champagne and macarons – now for the price of a normal room. But if you already have accommodation, you can also choose between different packages/ date ideas like a couple’s massage or yoga session at the hotel's Secret Garden Day Spa. If you stay for dinner, you can try a menu full of tasty aphrodisiacs put together, especially for the occasion, and if you’re up for some cocktails, the bartenders will happily help you make a few 'real' love potions.
Browse the available offers and packages on Mystery Hotel Budapest’s website.
Light the spark at Budapest’s Light Art Museum
If you’re looking for something more exciting than dinner and a movie, a date at Budapest’s Light Art Museum could be a great idea. Housed inside the heritage building of a formerly iconic market hall, one of the world’s largest light art museums invites you to understand the nature of light, from supernovas to black holes, from different perspectives through amazing art installations. Walking around here is a truly special experience, and you can also take fantastic photos of each other as a souvenir.
More details and tickets here.
Have dinner on the Danube corso
If candle lights, amazing food and breathtaking views of the slowly flowing Danube and the riverbank’s gorgeously illuminated landmarks take your fancy, a dinner at Corso Bar & Restaurant is a great choice. The special 5-course Valentine’s Day menu will include dishes like foie gras profiterole, beef carpaccio, veal loin, lobster bisque, roasted goat cheese, as well as red velvet cannolo with mascarpone and berries. If you’d like to stay the night, the elegant InterContinental Hotel is just steps away, offering elegant and comfortable rooms and a splendid spa section.
For more details, visit the InterContinental Hotel’s Facebook page.
Visit a downtown jungle
Twentysix in the heart of downtown is a super special green oasis filled with lush green plants from floor to ceiling. The menu offers a tasty selection of dishes to share, such as warm and cold mezze and Middle-Eastern soups and salads. For Valentine’s Day, Twentysix is preparing a special couple’s dessert, a chocolate-peanut mousse with raspberries, mascarpone, Sicilian cannolo crumbs, ricotta and sumac meringue – delicious! Champagne, cocktails and G&Ts will also be at the ready, but if you’d rather have your drinks somewhere a bit more intimate, Twentysix’s little brother, KAA Mixology, awaits at the same location with Valentine’s Day cocktails.
Find more details and book a table at Twentysix and KAA Mixology.
Leave the city behind
There’s no denying that Budapest is a super romantic city, but if you’d like to explore what else Hungary has up its sleeve, the Tokaj-Hegyalja UNESCO World Heritage wine region is always a perfect destination for a trip in the name of love, wine and hikes. The Andrássy Kúria & Spa in Tarcal – some 2.5 hours away from Budapest – offers an amazing spa section, elegant yet cosy deluxe and superior rooms, as well as a Michelin-recommended restaurant called Bobajka boasting an almost unparalleled wine assortment. On Valentine’s Day, the restaurant invites its guests for a gastronomic journey with a special Bobajka in Love menu that allows you to explore the region's wines and gastronomic delights.
For more details and booking, visit the Andrássy Kúria & Spa’s website.
Explore Eldoraro in Tokaj
Nestling among the rolling vineyards of the same region, the 5-star Minaro Hotel Tokaj MGallery is an adults-only accommodation with a special atmosphere fusing local features with South American touches. If you opt for the Valentine’s Day special, a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of Tokaj champagne will be waiting for you in your room, while a couple’s massage will also be included in your stay. For dinner, the hotel’s Tortuga restaurant is preparing a five-course menu with amazing flavours and extravagant presentations. The hotel offers 100 contemporary rooms on four floors, including nine junior suites and three deluxe rooms equipped with a private sauna. The hotel also houses a 1600-sqm spa section, where the award-winning face- and body treatments of the L’Occitane Spa are available.
For more details, visit the Minaro Hotel Tokaj MGallery’s website.
Have a romantic stay at a castle
If you want to go all out on romance but stay within 50 minutes of Budapest, the dreamlike BOTANIQ Castle Hotel is a perfect choice. Surrounded by a huge park, the fairy-tale Castle of Tura houses a 5-star luxury hotel with 19 romantic rooms, a spa section and the Michelin-recommended Clarisse restaurant. On Valentine’s Day, Clarisse will tell a whole love story with a 5-course menu consisting of dishes like duck liver, lobster ravioli, duck breast with truffles and coffee, as well as white chocolate moelleux with truffles and goat milk ice cream. After dinner, you can take a romantic stroll in the castle park before retiring to your room for a lovely evening.
For more details and bookings, visit the hotel's website.
