With winter showing its true face, there’s nothing better than curling up on the couch with a filling bowl of soup. Grab your coat and head out to pick up a cup of goodness – or have it delivered. Here are our favourite soup spots in Budapest.
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Bors Gasztrobár
Bors was already a popular spot way before Kazinczy utca became the centre
of the city’s nightlife scene. This street-food bistro is characterised by a
speedy service and unconventional menu options: pair your hot baguette sandwich
with a curd cheese-based sweet pancake soup – inspired by Hungarian Túró Rudi bars
– or opt for something more traditional.
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Hokedli
The daily changing menu at Hokedli ensures that you’ll always find dishes
prepared using high-quality, seasonal ingredients purchased from reliable
producers. Their healthy and colourful soups – usually created with an added
twist – are worth any wait in line, not to mention offering value for
money.
3/9
Oriental
If you have a hankering for a fragrant bowl of steaming pho, look no
further. The Oriental Soup House is the original outlet of this authentic Vietnamese
chain where you’re bound to find something you like – whether it’s a flaming
hot or a gently spiced bowl of deliciousness. Unfortunately, their downtown restaurant
had to close down in November but this one in Újlipótváros is still open for takeaway.
4/9
Rapaz
You can’t go wrong with a hearty bowl of soup – especially if you pair
it with a delicious Rapaz sandwich. Besides some well-known savoury classics,
their frequently changing menu items also include enticing dessert-inspired
soups.
5/9
Róma
A spoonful of Róma’s home-style chicken soup should evoke precious
childhood memories of grandma’s kitchen. This storied food spot in Buda is the
best place to go if you want something filling and traditional, as they offer
soups such as their smoky lentil goulash and korhelyleves, the allegedly
hangover-curing Hungarian sauerkraut soup.
6/9
Spatula
If you just want to grab a heart-warming soup for lunch, this breakfast
and brunch café is the place to go. Spatula’s short menu changes daily, but
your soup will always be served in an edible cup which made its debut last
autumn: these homemade containers are not only eco-friendly, but also practical
as they can last without leaking for up to 20-30 minutes.
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Szépilona
Szépilona is lauded for its exquisite Tafelspitz, the king of Austrian
festive dishes, a rarity in modern-day Budapest. It brings back the era of
Austro-Hungary as you go through the ritual of first eating the rich beef broth
and then enjoying the high-quality beef topside slices with apple horseradish
sauce, creamed spinach or semolina dumplings – first having sampled the divine
bone marrow on toast.
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Vietnamigulyás.hu HK
Vietnamese goulash soup, the love child of South-East Asian and
Hungarian cuisine, was created by star chef Krisztián Huszár whose bold culinary
ideas have left indelible marks on the Budapest culinary scene. Huszár offers
numerous spiced-up versions of traditional Asian soups which may be topped with
smoked pork cheek, tonkatsu, loin of bacon or mangalica pork shoulder. Last
autumn, Gábor Mogyorósi – a local chef with fine-dining experience – joined
Huszár to combine forces and create an even more flourishing
Vietnamigulyás.
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WAFU
Budapest is now full of ramen spots, but this is still the top Japanese
comfort food in town. You can’t go wrong with their spicy pork or tasty
vegetarian noodle soups, but if you want a unique taste experience, order one
of their filling traditional Japanese hotpots.
