With May now upon us, it’s time to find a terrace table, order a drink and watch the world go by. Here are our 20 favourite spots in Budapest for outdoor imbibing this spring!
1/20
Bambi
The revered Bambi
Eszpresszó has been a popular spot on the Buda side since the ’60s. Read about its colourful
history here. The interior remains unchanged to this day, exuding the same homely atmosphere as yesteryear. The best feature of the place is that it also has a
terrace, popular as soon as spring arrives. For breakfast or just a coffee in a small glass cup, you
can expect the same, old-school presentation.
2/20
BÉLA
A favourite spot
on Buda’s trendy boulevard Bartók Béla út, BÉLA is also named after an acronym of its various functions: bar, eatery, loft and
arboretum. Mainly, though, it’s a cosy place for dates and gatherings, its bohemian
feel enhanced by a recent refurb as it welcomes new and returning guests to its
shaded terrace. Superior tapas – beetroot-and-gorgonzola spread, BÉLA platter
with all kinds of cheeses, sausage and ham – complement a discerning drinks
list featuring rums from the Seychelles, Nicaragua and Panama.
3/20
Bereg Embassy Bar & Cafe
The Bereg Embassy
Bar & Cafe is
one of the cosiest gardens in Budapest, imitating the north-eastern Hungarian
region of Bereg, where the sibling owners come from. In the courtyard of the Hattyúház,
a small business centre in a historic building, draught Bavarian Hekkelberger
and Angus beefburgers with homemade sauce are served, along with an excellent
lunch menu. All is not ten minutes’ walk from the Mammut mall, and invariably less pricy than
other local options.
4/20
Bp BARbq Terrace
The Bp BARbq Terrace was one of the biggest openings on the less crowded
section of the Danube-side Római-part in the summer of 2020. The grilled meat which earned the original Bp BARbq its fame, in Pest’s nightlife quarter, is sizzled and served at a shaded, riverfront
location. You can approach the place from the water, in fact, at it’s by a jetty
overseen by the Budapest Yacht Club, and you can try out one of several water
sports or even rent a motorboat.
5/20
Csendes Társ
Csendes Társ is a
real oasis right in the city centre, largely thanks to the proximity of popular
pocket park Károlyi-kert. Some
of Hungary’s best winemakers – Dúzsi, Jásdi, Szent Dónat – feature on the
drinks list while breakfast options abound, including eggs and bacon, and raspberry
granola with Greek yoghurt.
6/20
Fellini Római Kultúrbisztró
Just like Nap
bácsi (see below), Fellini Római Kultúrbisztró is also a well-known place at Római-part,
alongside the Danube in Óbuda. The name, ‘Fellini Cultural Bistro’, suits the
place, as acoustic concerts, film screenings, art workshops and fairs are all
regular events here. Draught beers are Czech-only, either Primátor from Náchod
or Konrad from Vratislavice, there’s bottled cider, too, plus the signature house
softie, the Fellini Fresca, with ginger, lemon, tonic and mint. Food-wise, carnivores
can munch into a Balkanburger of pljeskavica with ajvar, vegetarians can go for spinach-and-cheese
flatbread, among many other options.
7/20
Garden Placc
Garden Placc opened at the riverside
Római-part in 2021, an ideal place
to relax and unwind, with burgers served and HB wheat beer poured from the tap.
You can also rent a SUP, kayak or canoe and reward yourself with a drink and a
deckchair afterwards.
8/20
Halas Guszti
By the Danube at
Ráckeve south of Budapest, Halas Guszti specialises in fried hake but also offers pike, bream, catfish soup, crab
snacks and calamari rings. Those who prefer meat to fish, can choose
from a selection of fried sausage, all washed down with various summer drinks.
9/20
Kabin
Kabin is one of the
most popular places on unspoilt Népsziget,
the lesser-known of Budapest’s islands with its own bohemian scene, and the
perfect place to take in sunset at the foot of Újpest railway bridge. Young and
old mix on the terrace, where local FIRST craft beers can be sipped and burgers
devoured beside the Danube.
10/20
Kis Fecske Presszó
With the arrival of spring, the whole of Mikszáth Kálmán tér in the
Palace Quarter turns into a large terrace, filling the area with alfresco buzz.
You can choose from several places, of which the Kis Fecske is a particular favourite, thanks to its relaxed feel and wallet-friendly
prices. A lunch menu operates from noon to 4pm.
11/20
Kőleves Kert és Vendéglő
The garden at Kőleves Kert in the heart of the Jewish Quarter has just opened. Here diners may enjoy one
of the best lunch menus (11.30am-3pm) in the area or choose from the seasonally
changing selection of mainly Jewish classics, in reliably bohemian and retro surroundings.
12/20
Mad Garden Buda
Mad Garden Buda has just opened in the grounds of a historic factory in Óbuda by craft-beer
crew Mad Scientist. See here for a look at how brewing is done down in Kőbánya. With the experience
of running Mad Kert at the brewery and the Madhouse Bar in town, Tamás Szilágyi
and team are well set up for this
new venue, where gluten-free tacos can help soak up the various craft beers.
13/20
Majomhoz
The secret garden of Buda opened in 2020,
smuggling in a touch of festival atmosphere to Városmajor this year as well. Renowned experts DiVino takes care of the wine at Majomhoz (‘At the Monkey’s’), but there is
also a separate gin and champagne counter, street food provided by
Burger Market, and an occasional agenda of performances and events.
14/20
N28 Wine and Kitchen
The lively nightlife
scene on theatre-lined Nagymező utca was expanded with the N28 Wine and Kitchen in the summer of 2021. Here, everything is centred around wine, with a separate
menu for those available by the glass and a directory of Hungarian labels
categorised by region, it’s that kind of place – although the quality of cheese
and ham platters isn’t to be sniffed at. In addition to their themed dinner
evenings, they also organise regular tastings.
15/20
Nap bácsi
At weekends, the Római-part
by the Danube often gets crowded, but luckily Nap
bácsi is still a place for peaceful relaxation. Its wooden deckchairs, cauldron
stews, small-batch beers, home-made lemonades and DJs from Tilos Rádió make it
a special place to wind down after a stressful week. Open from the last days of
April.
16/20
Nemdebár
The key location of Nemdebár on the busy Buda square of Széll Kálmán tér attracts musicians and artists all
year round, familiar faces convening in a bohemian space. In addition to the
familial atmosphere and great underground music, a dog-friendly attitude applies.
Now with the warmer weather, you can take a seat outside the entrance and watch
the constant tram blur and bustle – or find a place in the inner
courtyard under open skies.
17/20
Pántlika
The Pántlika has been integral
to City Park since the 1960s, occupying an authentically retro house constructed
as an information booth for fairs that once took place here, and an Expo that didn't. Read about
its colourful history here.
These days, it serves a large range of shots and pálinkas, as well as the
signature Budapest burger in relaxed, family- and dog-friendly surroundings,
mainly beneath tree shade.
18/20
Zengő Bár
Zengő Bár opened on
Krúdy Gyula utca in the Palace Quarter in 2020. It’s mainly a place for wine, 250 varieties
covering nearly all of Hungary’s 22 wine regions, but the range of spirits is
also impressive, Lagavulin single malt, Diplomático rum, and so on. Craft beers
feature, along with tapas – look out for the mixed antipasti – and occasional
tastings.
19/20
Zöld Küllő
Its name a play on words – referring both to the European green
woodpecker, Bird of the Year in 2022, and to the spokes of a wheel – the
cycle-friendly Zöld Küllő occupies
a former transformer house behind pretty Vajdahunyad Castle.
Unlike its Disneyesque, lakeside neighbour, its greatness lies in its
simplicity. Draught beer consists of its own brew, either a lager or, unusually,
a ginger wheat beer, the house burger is made with juicy suckling pig.
20/20
Zsiráf/Zsiráf Buda
Zsiráf opened on
Eiffel Square by Nyugati station in 2016 and soon become a popular
summer-night venue with acoustic concerts, Hungarian fried-dough favourite
lángos, BBQ street food and parties. If you just want a few beers with friends, Zsiráf is a great spot for that, too. Sister
outlet Zsiráf Buda now awaits guests at Széllkapu Park, open all year round. When
the good weather arrives, their huge terrace opens up. The selection of G&Ts is wide, and there are also lots of rums, whiskies and wines, plus pizzas for the kids.
