The number of restaurants in Budapest that cater for special dietary needs is on the rise. Whether you are following a vegetarian lifestyle, have gone vegan or live with gluten intolerance, there's an eatery in town for everyone – find out more in our guide.
RESTAURANTS
1/17
Drop (Closed)
100% gluten-free
With a kitchen specifically geared towards food that is fully gluten-free, Drop by the Opera House is ideal for guests on a special diet. Breakfast offers include Hungarian-style omelette, while you can have Magyar goulash soup, Italian penne and even hamburger for lunch or dinner. Daily lunch specials and gluten-free beer are also served.
2/17
Govinda
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-, onion- and mushroom-free
Building on ancient Indian Vedic traditions, Govinda is the place to go for mildly spiced sabji, pakora and other plant-based treats offered alongside turmeric-infused rice and Indian flatbread. Govinda is run by the Hungarian Society of Krishna Consciousness and they use fine-quality ingredients for their dishes.
3/17
Great Bistro (Closed)
Vegan, gluten-, lactose-, sugar-free
Come lunchtime, a lengthy queue appears in front of the Great Bistro, where a variety of menu options is available with soups, main courses, sides, salads and desserts, all made without using meat, dairy products or eggs. From Wednesday after 5pm, gourmet dishes feature à la carte, including gluten-free delicacies.
4/17
Kitchen of Health (Closed)
Soy-, milk-, gluten-, corn-, additive- and sugar-free
Focused on the paleo diet, Kitchen of Health is the go-to locale for sportspeople looking for a meaty menu, dreamed up by the restaurant’s owner with a nutritionist background. Duck liver, chicken breast, beef burger and salmon are the real deal, while sweet potatoes and rice are served on the side. Salt extracted from the Himalayas or the Romanian cave of Parajd is used for seasoning.
5/17
Napfényes
Vegan, gluten-, lactose-, and sugar-free
A pioneer of vegan dining in Budapest, Napfényes offers a menu that's also sugar-free and while it’s not a dedicated gluten-free restaurant per se, they serve dishes of this nature. Hungarian specialities also feature, including bean goulash and stuffed cabbage. On weekdays, daily changing lunch specials are offered at fixed rates.
6/17
Napos Oldal (Closed)
Vegan, gluten-, lactose-, and sugar-free
Whether it's a prix fixe or a proper dinner, Napos Oldal on Jókai utca serves vegan versions of dishes such as lasagne and green-bean stew. Some dishes are made without using wheat, barley or rye, and are free from sugar.
7/17
Nemsüti
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free
Featuring restaurants at three locations (near the Downtown Market Hall, at Jászai Mari tér and within the Klauzál Market Hall), Nemsüti is a popular hotspot for vegetarian lunch specials. Every day, a soup and three types of main courses are on offer, at least one being vegan. Gluten-free food is also available. Expect lengthy queues.
8/17
Nyugati Cöli Bistro
100% gluten-free
Those with gluten intolerance often have a hard time finding bakery products, pancakes or pizzas made from special ingredients suitable for their diet. Nyugati Cöli Bistro is the answer to this problem, proffering these very treats made gluten-free. The selection includes two-course lunch specials on weekdays.
9/17
Vega City
Vegan, gluten-free
Around midday, students and office workers form a queue in front of spacious Vega City, resembling an ordinary canteen from the outside. What sets the eatery apart is that from goulash to kebab and from burgers to Asian curries, all dishes are created for a vegan clientele. The menu also includes gluten-free treats.
BAKERIES, DELIS AND CONFECTIONERIES
10/17
Fill Good
Vegan, gluten- and lactose-free
There are several street-food options at Jászai Mari tér, where Fill Good makes vegan pastries with mostly local ingredients and raw cane sugar. Besides classic cocoa and cinnamon rolls, there are more special treats here such as rosemary-potato pizza or poppyseed-banana bites.
13/17
Golden Granet
Vegan, gluten-, lactose- and sugar-free
The Golden Granet café-cum-bakery on the Buda side offers a wide variety of sweet and savoury pastries, biscuits and even cashew cheese.
14/17
Manióka
Gluten-, egg-, soy-, yeast- and lactose-free
At this little bakery, everything is made of tapioca flour, which is complemented with other flours made of different kinds of nuts. Hence the name, as tapioca is called manioc in South America. Besides gluten-free pastries, lactose- and sugar-free products feature, too.
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15/17
NoGlu Confectionery
Vegan, gluten-, lactose- and sugar-free
This confectionery by the Mammut shopping mall offers healthy guilty pleasures and raw vegan treats.
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16/17
Vegán Édes Élet Confectionery
Vegan, gluten-, lactose-, sugar- and egg-free
Pogácsa scones, biscuits and cakes here are made strictly only from plant-based ingredients. In addition to sweets, vegan and gluten-free pizzas are also on offer.
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17/17
Zabrakadabra
Vegan, gluten-, egg-, soy- and lactose-free
Sweets and cakes made of wholegrain wheat flour, as well as gluten- and lactose-free products made at a separate workshop, await at Zabrakadabra.
