We recently returned from our cousin’s beautiful
wedding in Sissi Castle just outside Budapest. I (Flo speaking) went a week early and quickly
settled in the Astoria neighbourhood, and found a lot to love about the city.
Between the two of us, we discovered a lot of great places that we think you’d
enjoy too, so here is our little black book...
Where to stay:
I found Kriztina’s place on Airbnb and quickly made it my
home away from home. Every morning, as the sun came through the French blinds, I’d walk out on the balcony to a view of the National Gallery
Museum.
 |
| The lovely old marble stairwell to get back down to the street |
Having tasted a lot of bad coffee in Budapest, I realise how lucky I was to have Fekete just downstairs, which serves a beautifully sweet blend of ‘Elixir’ coffee roasted in Alchemy near St. Paul’s in London. A little birdie also tells me that Butter Brothers round the corner do fantastic pastries but I never woke up in time for breakfast!
Where to eat:
None of us are the biggest fans of hearty stews, dumplings, paprika
or dill, but, with
a little research and advance planning, we ate like kings. This may have had something to do with the fact that we could actually afford the Michelin starred restaurants there - the two we tried were divine and under
£50 a head with (very good) wine. Book ahead and you will not be disappointed...
Borkonyha Wine Kitchen
 |
| I am very excited about what comes next! |
 |
| Duck liver with peas and pickled cherries |
 |
| Baked mangalica pork with watercress, ginger and mushroom |
 |
| The venison daily special - my favourite dish |
 |
| Daily special desert of white chocolate and raspberries - looks simple but was ambrosia on a plate... |
 |
| Don't you dare take the last spoonful! |
We went here for my birthday meal and they were absolutely charming (birthday card on the table, a surprise birthday cake and even a special macaron for mum who can't eat dairy). It was tricky to get this booking but they moved everything around to fit me in an called me in person to tell me the good news! There is a fantastic lunch menu that starts from around £17 and is so delicious you'll be planning your next visit as soon as you leave.
 |
| Home baked breads |
 |
| Tuna and tomato raw salad |
 |
| Goose liver, sour cherry, loaf |
 |
| Deconstructed Goulash Soup |
 |
| We drank a beautifully creamy white - the Percze Furmint - Szent Tamás winery 2011 - so good I bought a load to bring back |
 |
| Elle's Robbie kindly photographed my sesame seed in tooth drama! |
 |
| Sweetbreads! |
 |
| Badly photographed lamb, white aubergine, goat milk |
 |
| Venison - my favourite |
 |
| Chocolate, banana, yuzu, black sesame |
 |
| A special mango dessert for mum |
 |
| 21st century Somló sponge cake |
 |
| Birthday wish... |
Other places we quite liked were:
Vintage Garden for a good burger and lovely setting
Bistro Zeller for the service
360 bar for the view
Spinoza for traditional Budapest style jewish food and great jazz piano
What to do:
Budapest has plenty of great sightseeing. The city wears its history still so there's a lot of contemporary and older graffiti still around making for an unusual mixmatch aesthetic. Whether you're in a historic old area or a more run down place, there's plenty to see and to photograph...
 |
| Lens off |
 |
| The castle |
 |
View from the Castle
Another view of Pest from the Buda Castle area
 |
| Mother, daughter heart to heart |
 |
| Love these post boxes and all the detail from the windows to the woodwork |
|
 |
| View from Margaret Bridge |
 |
| Taking in the rough with the smooth |
... but some of the less obvious things to do that we loved were...
The open air opera on Margaret Island. While Budapest is known for its opera - the season is pretty much finished in August. The Open Air Opera on the island does however continue to do a few shows later on. We saw a hilariously kitsch, beautifully sung rendition of Verdi's Aida with Hungarian subtitles (thank god for the internet!) and it was lovely to see the whole thing while the sun set.
When you're in Buda, you should also look out for the small sculpture gallery gardens hidden down back streets that are free to come into. This one was particularly picturesque and a quiet haven away from the tourists on the street.
Another thing we very much enjoyed was wine tasting at Cultivini. Much like Hedonism in London, they have a machine that keeps the wine sealed so you to taste some pretty amazing ones. After tasting, we bought what wines we could from a Bortarsasag shop which is better value for buying.
Another fantastic place to taste wine (see Figula Winery),
and have a lovely day out is lake Balaton. Only a couple of hours away, it is the perfect place for a day trip or an overnight stay. We went to Balatonfured and it was idyllic - think beautiful lakes, fantastic views and wonderful food.
 |
| Franciska Grill - a very traditional restaurant with most delicious goulash (everything else was pretty mediocre) |
 |
| Incredibly tender venison at Baricska Csarda - one of the best dishes all week |
Flo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest Hungary Flo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest HungaryFlo and Elle Budapest where to stay what to see where to eat best restaurants in Budapest Hungary
