Budapest is full of glorious and grand restaurants where lunch or dinner is more than just a meal. During the festive season, these places get even more enchanted: amid the beautiful decorations, special festive menus, and elegant surroundings, you can truly experience the magic of Christmas. If you’re planning to eat out during the holidays, count your Christmas wishes one dish at a time in these restaurants.
Párisi Passage Café & Restaurant
Enchanting inside and out, Párisi Passage Café & Restaurant is set in the stunning passage of Parisi Udvar, a richly decorated palace that serves as a luxury hotel near the Elizabeth Bridge. The interior’s historic charm is enhanced in December, inviting you to take an exciting journey through time. Here traditional Hungarian flavours merge with exciting international specialities – prepared with seasonal and high-quality ingredients. During the holiday season, the restaurant offers a festive bistro menu with delicious Christmas dishes, like pike perch fillet with creamy beluga lentils and almond parsnips. Alternatively, you can indulge in a lavish afternoon tea experience with carefully selected desserts. Such unique culinary experiences accompanied by live music and festive decorations will surely put you in the Christmas spirit. And if you’d like to share it with your loved ones, you can surprise them with Párisi Passage Café & Restaurant’s gift voucher.
Details here.
Spago Budapest
Michelin-starred chef Wolfgang Puck's Californian cuisine arrived in Budapest a few years ago. Nestled on the ground floor of the striking Matilda Palace, Spago Budapest comes with unrivalled views of Elizabeth Bridge, further elevated during the holiday season by the restaurant's sparkling festive lights. Between December 2nd and 23rd, Spago offers a special festive menu with home-cured trout, pork ragout, and chestnut mousse for dessert. You can also spend Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve in the exclusive surroundings of Matild Palace: Spago prepares a special four-course gourmet menu for each occasion. The Christmas Eve Gourmet Menu features Hungarian Christmas delicacies like 'kocsonya' terrine, fish soup, venison fillet, and baked stuffed cabbage (this last one is ideal for vegetarians). The New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner starts with sophisticated flavours such as marinated Wagyu tartare with winter truffle, followed by Austrian veal roast loin and braised cheek as a main course or the elegant pairing of pike perch and lobster, and is completed with a gold chocolate sphere or lemon illusion for dessert.
Details here.
Vadrózsa Restaurant
Far away from the buzz of Budapest, yet in the centre of Buda, in the elegant Rózsadomb district, Vadrózsa Restaurant offers traditional Hungarian and international cuisine. The restaurant's staple dishes include goose consommé with Matzah ball and vegetables, Hungarian veal stew with egg dumplings, crispy goose leg with cholent and boiled egg, Wienerschnitzel of veal with mashed potatoes, and veal tenderloin Wellington with truffle potato cream. After such main courses, the Somlói style sponge cake with crispy chocolate and candied walnuts, a classic Hungarian delicacy, is really just the cherry on top. Vadrózsa’s slogan is 'everyday luxury' for a reason: the restaurant is housed in a 1900s villa, an upscale setting for Christmas. Vadrózsa’s elegantly furnished event venues, like the marvellous Library Room for 15-20 people, can be used to turn extended family celebrations or even corporate events into intimate gatherings. For larger groups, the 40-50-seat Gyarmati room, the Wintergarden or Mirror room is recommended, as the latter two can be combined into one room to accommodate 90 guests.
Details here.
The Great Hall Restaurant & Lounge, Mystery Hotel Budapest
Mystery Hotel Budapest is housed in a building of outstanding beauty and mystique, which has undergone many transformations since its construction in 1896. In 2019, Mystery Hotel Budapest reached its final form and has since been honoured with three awards at the 18th World Luxury Hotel Awards gala for its unique interior and quality services. One of these is the magnificent restaurant on the fourth floor, The Great Hall, which won the Best Exclusive Restaurant award at DiningCity National Restaurant Week. Built in Egyptian style and once kept as a secret place by the Hungarian Freemasons, the breathtaking hall is still dominated by its giant chandelier, vast columns, heavy curtains, and spiral staircases leading to the lodge. Such a spectacular setting is even more majestic when dressed up for Christmas. Here you can sample the autumn-winter menu’s elegant dishes such as the pretzel lamb shank with apple relish, Woodford bourbon, and rosemary potato pancakes, along with the restaurant’s signature cocktails.
Details here.
AGOS Budapest
For those who’d like to combine the richness of Hungarian traditions with the lightness of Mediterranean gastronomy during the holidays, AGOS Budapest is an excellent choice. Chef Attila Fehér's appetizing selection features seafood and game dishes that are the jewels of the menu. This festive season, make sure to taste his smoky tuna carpaccio, venison Wellington for two, and the Black Forest dessert. On top of the heavenly food, AGOS’ atmosphere is also worth mentioning. The interiors are a tribute to the work of star designer Marcel Wanders, who uniquely reworked elements from the saga of the magic stag, a central figure in Hungarian folklore. The stag is a central symbol in the lobby, the hotel’s inner garden, as well as in the wallpaper and decorative accessories. This fabulous, eye-catching setting is especially heart-warming around Christmas, making a festive brunch or dinner here a truly memorable experience.
Details here.
Pavilon Restaurant & Bar, Dorothea Hotel
Thanks to its location in the inner courtyard of Dorothea Hotel, right next to Budapest’s favourite Christmas market at Vörösmarty tér, Pavilon Restaurant & Bar boasts a special festive atmosphere. Even more so because the restaurant calls for a grand entrance. To enter Pavilon, you have to stroll through the pillared lobby of Dorothea Hotel, part of the elegant Autograph Collection Hotels, past the deep blue Zsolnay tiled wall, and up the heritage staircase. Above all, the restaurant itself is like walking into a lush and lavish greenhouse. Pavilon is a spacious oasis of plants, where a living wall of herbs and spices and surprising flavour combinations, like cocktails made with herbs, are perfectly juxtaposed. During the holiday season, the restaurant takes sophisticated cuisine and quality service to a new level with exclusive culinary experiences. You can enjoy the last brunch of 2024, sip tea in luxurious Zsolnay porcelain during a Christmas afternoon tea, or spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with a feast.
Details here.
FELIX Kitchen & Bar
If you’re up for celebrating Christmas in a traditional yet modern setting this year, FELIX Kitchen & Bar is the place to go. This spot is an art gallery and a popular gastronomic destination in one. The restaurant is nestled in the Várkert Bazár’s kiosk, a restored neo-Renaissance complex on the side of Castle Hill, designed by one of Hungary’s most celebrated architects, Miklós Ybl. In this historic setting, FELIX is a place where flavours and a unique atmosphere meet to create a lasting culinary experience. The elegant dishes are a combination of traditional Hungarian flavours with international innovations, crowned by carefully selected ingredients from local farms or markets in Paris or Japan. During the Christmas season, the restaurant’s signature dishes include foie gras terrine, lobster bisque, beef Wellington, beef cheek, and aranygaluska ( a traditional Hungarian dessert made of yeast dough balls and vanilla sauce). If you prefer to spend your Christmas feast at home, you can also order these holiday treats as a takeaway. Plus, FELIX’s special gourmet selection of caviar, marinated salmon, Spanish sausage, olives and more also serves as a great festive snack package, even for a business event to kick off the new year.
Details here.
Marischka
If you’re on the hunt for a sophisticated yet relaxed eatery this Christmas season, Marischka is your place. Located at the foot of the Buda Castle, on the ground floor of a luxury apartment building, this restaurant is committed to quality but with a cheerful, casual touch. The lasting experience here derives from genuine kindness and delicious dishes made with quality ingredients, without overthinking. During the holiday rush, you can especially appreciate such a setting, no matter the occasion. Marischka is ideal for a family lunch, a dinner with friends, or even a corporate celebration. Taste the delicious homemade veal-pork sausages with caramelized pumpkin, steamed red cabbage and baked beetroot puree or the tomato-cabbage pottage with confit pork ribs (or with falafel for vegans). Among the festive drinks on offer, try the mulled wine with black tea, cinnamon and orange, the hot chocolate with gingerbread, or the Somlói Milk Punch, made with Diplomatico rum, chocolate liqueur and walnut syrup with golden raisin garnish. Marischka's festive menu of Hungarian fish soup, stuffed cabbage, and beigli is also available for takeaway.
Details here.
DNB Budapest
DNB Budapest , Budapest Marriott Hotel’s well-known restaurant, stylishly responds to contemporary interior design trends. In addition to offering modern Hungarian cuisine, DNB also prepares for Christmas with a number of festive events. From Christmas brunches and dinners to a New Year's Eve celebration, this spot certainly has something for everyone. All the more so because the restaurant's stunning view of the Danube is a must on New Year's Eve. DNB’s special New Year's Eve buffet dinner starts at 7 pm with a glamorous five-course menu for those wanting to bid goodbye to 2024 in style. It’s a real New Year's Eve feast with lentil goulash, slow-cooked pork belly, and a homemade strudel selection, just to name a few dishes on the menu. Plus, you can have unlimited Sauska wine and champagne, beer, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and mineral water throughout the evening, while live music and DJ light up the mood. At midnight, you can welcome 2025 with a glass of champagne and midnight snacks.
Details here.
IDA Bistro
IDA Bistro in the heart of Várkert Bazár is a modern yet timelessly elegant restaurant where you can try a fresh take on the flavours of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. This bistro with a sophisticated but relaxed atmosphere bridges the gap between the Austrian capital and Budapest with classic dishes of bygone times such as tafelspitz, schnitzel, roasted duck legs, kaiserschmarrn, and cottage cheese dumplings. Everything is prepared with premium ingredients, heart-warming flavours, and a unique assortment of exceptional wines and spirits. IDA does not seek to copy the greats of Vienna, but rather to respect them, as the restaurant was born with the kind of reliability and consistency in mind that surrounds Vienna. With an ambience of elegance and effortless charm, IDA is an ideal place for a special dinner or Sunday family lunch around Christmas. The grandiose interior, with its vast ceilings and domed vaulted ceiling, immediately creates a festive atmosphere, enhanced by the panoramic view of the Danube.
Details here.
Babel Budapest
What makes the Michelin-starred Babel Budapest so special is its multi-ethnic team, mixing Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Serbian traditions. The dishes here are prepared in the spirit of fine dining, using the best ingredients from Hungary and the neighbouring countries, often in unexpected flavour combinations. In December, Saturday lunches return to Babel with a unique eight-course gastronomic experience. In addition to Saturdays in December, you can immerse yourself in the divine flavours of smoked eel, mangalica bacon with layered potato, red shrimp, turbot fish soup, and the guest-favourite casino egg with sturgeon caviar also on December 29th and 30th. Casino egg is such a key part of Babel’s feasts that it will be a centrepiece of theirChristmas dinner too. And for those who’d like to devote New Year's Eve to a unique fine dining experience, Babel offers a twelve-course serving, including duck liver, fish soup, venison, casino egg, and other surprise dishes. Plus, the restaurant’s tasting menu also features new dishes.
Details here.
Fiktív Gastronomy
Situated in downtown Budapest on Horánszky utca, Fiktív Gastronomy is a very likeable and cosy place, ideal for getting acquainted with fine dining. It strikes a perfect balance not only between classical fine dining and the restaurant’s bistro origin but also between the traditions of Hungarian cuisine and modern creativity, offering a culinary experience full of stories. You can choose between a five- and seven-course degustation menu with wine and juice pairings. The five-course menu starts with cremini mushroom served with buckwheat and salotta, followed by a pairing of cabbage, peanuts, buttermilk and fig leaf oil, then gooseberries and ginger. For the main course, you can choose either carp from Akasztó village served with cottage cheese noodles and dill or mangalica with lovage and beetroot. All that is crowned with peaches with poppy seeds and juniper as a dessert. On top of all that, the seven-course menu also includes rhubarb served with kapia peppers and goat yoghurt as a starter and a surprising combination of sorrel, elderflower and salted caramel for dessert.
Details here.
Hello Buda
For a more relaxed yet cosy Christmas setting with outdoor holiday vibes, head to Hello Buda, the gastronomic courtyard next to the Rózsadomb Center. In December, the spot transforms into a real winter wonderland with sparking lights, a heated terrace, and an ice rink for kids. In Hello Buda Winterland, the air is thick with the sweet smell of mulled wine, and delicious snacks are served in the courtyard’s five restaurants and a bar. Buja Disznó(k) offers huge portions of crunchy schnitzels, while at Cafat you can taste excellent pulled pork and BBQ. Italian food lovers can choose from Salve Pop-up's Neapolitan pizzas, Tom Yum makes sure authentic Asian flavours are also in abundance in this winter wonderland, and last but not least VAJ brings top-notch pastries and cakes to the culinary mix. Open all week, Hello Buda is ideal for families and friends, or even for corporate events. For themed events, like cook-offs or a daytime champagne New Year party, check their Facebook page.
Details here.
Bobajka Restaurant, Andrássy Kúria & Spa
Budapest is packed with amazing restaurants, but sometimes, as the holidays approach, we get tired of the bustle of the city and want to dive into the silence of winter. The historical yet modern mansion, Andrássy Kúria & Spa is an ideal setting for a romantic Christmas getaway in the heart of the Tokaj-Hegyalja region, famous for its sweet wine. Bobajka Restaurant, nestled in the mansion, has a wine list unrivalled in the region along with Michelin recommendations, guaranteeing an unforgettable culinary experience. In December, the restaurant offers a traditional Christmas menu. Plus, on Sundays, a beigli-making workshop awaits guests led by the restaurant’s chef. Beigli is the staple Hungarian Christmas dessert, so mastering the recipe always comes in handy here. The intimate festive atmosphere is enhanced by the Sunday Advent candle-lighting and the fire in the mansion's huge fireplace, which is best enjoyed with a glass of mulled wine or punch, accompanied by Christmas desserts, like zserbó, a layered short-crust pastry made of ground walnut and apricot jam.
Detail here.
(Cover photo: AGOS Budapest)
