From leisurely brunches to wild parties – 9 fun things to do in Budapest this spring

Brunch, lunch or dinner at FELIX Kitchen & Bar

Budapest’s Castle District is a prime sightseeing location, as it is a relatively small area, home to many major landmarks lying close together. If you find yourself strolling around here on a lovely spring weekend, FELIX Kitchen & Bar is a perfect choice for a leisurely brunch, lunch or dinner. The restaurant – housed in the building of an old pumping station that supplied the Buda Castle with water in the olden days – uses fresh and seasonal ingredients that turn into spectacular dishes under the hands of executive chef Dániel Katona. Both all-time favourites and more daring dishes feature on the menu, and the brunch at FELIX is super popular in town. If you come for lunch or dinner, be sure to browse the wine list containing more than 400 items, as it was awarded Wine Spectator’s ’Award of Excellence’ in 2023. The building’s ’AQVA Hall’ houses seasonal art exhibitions.

For more details and reservations, visit FELIX’s website.

Hop into Easter at InterContinental

Hippity, hoppity, Easter’s on its way at one of the city’s most elegant hotels, the InterContinental Budapest. You can wine and dine here while enjoying the stunning panorama even if you’re not a hotel guest. The special Easter á la carte menu will feature between March 25th and April 1st, offering such tasty dishes as marinated foie gras roll, roasted lamb loin or salmon trout. On March 31st, you can attend a fun Easter Brunch, when a smorgasbord will be full of mouthwatering courses like foie gras and truffle mousse, Hungarian Mangalica meat, cold mezze, salads, soups and a selection of desserts. And if you’d like to order an Easter takeaway box, you can do so between March 25th and 31st. The takeaway boxes include enough food for six people and are filled with delicacies like duck liver, pork loin, stuffed eggs, ham rolls and dessert.

For more details, visit InterContinental's website.

A taste of Tuscany at Mercatino Ristorante

If this spring, you find yourself in Hungary instead of sunny Tuscany, you can still enjoy the Italian dolce vita at Mercatino Ristorante, located close to Budapest’s postcard superstar, the Chain Bridge. Mercatino is putting a special menu together to celebrate Hungary’s national holiday on March 15th, fusing amazing Italian and Hungarian flavours. The dishes can be perfectly paired with wine from the exclusive selection, put together especially for the occasion. Expect dishes like cacciucco (Tuscan fish soup), veal saltimbocca, pizza sofisticata, and perfect pistachio desserts. A dinner at Mercatino is always a good idea, whether you come with friends, family or a special someone. Don’t forget to take a walk after on the Danube bank, where you can snap a few photos of the stunning cityscape.

For more details and reservations, visit Mercatino Ristorante's website.

Cooking at Budapest Garden

If you’re looking to leave the city’s buzz behind, there’s a huge leisure park in Óbuda not too far from the city centre, where you can relax by the river anytime – dogs are welcome, too. If you’re up for some outdoor cooking, you only need to bring ingredients. All the equipment – alongside takeaway boxes to stay environmentally conscious – will be provided by Budapest Garden. Concerts sometimes take place here in the evenings, and on March 31st, Easter celebrations will await families with egg-hunting, arts and crafts activities, a photo corner and more fun games for kids and adults alike.

For more details, visit Budapest Garden's website.

Party up at Morrison’s 2

Located on Budapest's Grand Boulevard near Jászai Mari tér and the Nyugati Railway Station – a few steps away from the frequent 4-6 tram – Morrison's 2 is a great old party place in Budapest, awaiting partygoers with amazing discounts, free table reservations, bottomless drinks packages, seven dancefloors, sports broadcasts and more. As entry is free before 9 pm, the party usually starts here early and goes on until dawn. Morrison’s is also the place where you never have to feel too old to party, as entry is free for people over 30 all night, every night. If you’re looking to let loose, you’ll find one of the city’s biggest party-going crowds here.

For more details and reservations, visit Morrison’s 2's website.

Kickstart the party season at Doboz

Dobozis a reliable party place downtown, boasting a red, unique and dreamlike atmosphere, two dancefloors, great DJs, delicious drinks and great vibes. The party season kicks off here on 14th March, when the huge, 1000-sqm outdoor dancefloor opens, the opening hours extend (Tue-Sat until 6 am), entry will be free and discounts will feature. Booking a table is free, and if you come with a group of at least five people, you get a free bottle of champagne. Something amazing awaits partygoers every day during the opening weekend, like pints for 500 HUF (less than 2 euros) on March 14th, girl’s night on March 15th, when the first 100 groups of girls get a free bottle of champagne, and an amazing samba show and 2-for-1 drink offers on March 16th.

For more details and reservations, visit Doboz's website. 

A trip back to the Belle-Époque at Centrál Café

Centrál Café is one of the city’s oldest coffee houses, still safeguarding the atmosphere of Budapest’s glamorous Belle Époque. If you’d like to have brunch sitting in the same spot as Hungary’s literary greats once did, be sure to book a table here. You can choose from signature dishes like the Potato Monsieur or smoked salmon tartare, order all-time favourites like a croissant sandwich or shakshuka, opt for a classic egg dish or treat yourselves to one of the brunch towers suitable for two people. The coffee here is outstanding, and the best thing is that these dishes can be ordered all day long, so brunch at Centrál is as leisurely as it gets.

For more details and reservations, visit Centrál's website.

Take amazing photos at Budapest’s Light Art Museum

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 snap fantastic photos of each other or yourself as a souvenir. Visiting the museum is fun anytime during the day, but be sure to reserve a ticket online – for the best customer experience, the number of visitors is limited.

For more details and tickets, visit LAM's website. 

People watching and waffles at Lara Café

Lara Café is a charming and friendly breakfast spot with warm colours, wooden surfaces, huge windows, and plenty of green plants on Budapest’s busy Akácfa Street. Stepping inside, you’ll be welcomed with a smile by the friendly staff and feel at home as you sit back and enjoy a lazy breakfast or brunch. The menu got a full facelift for the spring and features pretty much everything you’d expect from a breakfast place , including both sweet and savoury, as well as meaty and vegetarian options . There are hearty sandwiches, egg dishes and crowd-favourite waffles. Don’t miss out on the coffee here, as the beans come from the owner’s own plantation in Ethiopia . The terrace is now also open, which makes Lara Café even more perfect for people-watching.

For more details and reservations, visit Lara Café's Facebook page.

(Cover photo: Major Kata)