Hmmm, what should I tell you about Hungarian food as a Hungarian?! Well, it’s delicious! 😋 And it’s definitely more than just goulash. If you’re coming to Budapest and wondering, “What Hungarian food should I try?”, you’re in the right place. In this Budapest food guide, I’ll take you through 15+ traditional Hungarian foods, from hearty soups and paprikash to Hungarian street food, desserts and drinks. And because I’m Hungarian, I’ll also share some local tips and recommend Hungarian restaurants in Budapest where you can try these must-try dishes.

After reading this Budapest food guide, you’ll know what to order in a Hungarian restaurant 😉

 

Last update: August 2026 – Links and information updated, old prices and closed restaurants removed

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What Food Is Hungary Famous For?

Probably the most famous Hungarian food is goulash, a soup with meat, potatoes and vegetables, flavoured with paprika and other spices. However, nowadays, restaurants put the “goulash” name on more dishes that are flavoured with paprika. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you the difference.

Fun fact!

Almost all traditional Hungarian dishes are flavoured with paprika powder. It’s not spicy, it just adds a unique taste and a red colour to the food.

 

Here’s a local’s practical guide to what to eat in Budapest, including traditional dishes, street food, desserts, drinks and where to try them.

Hungarian food	What it is	Try it if…
Goulash	Soup with meat and paprika	You want the traditional
Stew	Thick meat stew	You want something filling
Chicken paprikash	Chicken in paprika-sour cream sauce	You like creamy dishes
Lángos	Fried dough with different toppings	You want a classic street food
Stuffed cabbage	Cabbage stuffed with meat and rice	You want something different
Chimney cake	Sweet dough in a cylindrical shape	You have a sweet tooth
Somlói sponge cake	Sponge cake dessert with chocolate	You love chocolate and walnuts

 

How to Order Traditional Hungarian Food in Budapest

Nowadays, almost all restaurants have English menus, although if you need some extra help, here’s a little translation:

• gulyás = goulash soup
• pörkölt = stew
• paprikás = paprika-based dish, often creamy
• nokedli = Hungarian dumplings
• tejföl = sour cream
• savanyúság = pickles or pickled cabbage
• csípős = spicy/hot
• édes = sweet
• sós = salty
• hús = meat
• vegetáriánus = vegetarian

Want to taste several Hungarian dishes with a local? Consider joining a Budapest food tour, GetYourGuide and other platforms have many options.

 

 

What to Eat and Drink in Budapest?

Traditional Hungarian Soups

Goulash Soup (Gulyásleves)

Goulash soup is one of Hungary’s national dishes.

Gulyás is closely connected to the Hungarian cattle herders (gulyás) of the Great Hungarian Plain. They cooked meat outdoors in a bogrács, a traditional Hungarian cauldron, over an open fire. The name itself comes from gulyás, meaning cattle herder.

The soup is flavoured with paprika and a mix of meat and vegetables like potatoes, onions and carrots. It’s delicious and warming, but not as heavy as it looks. Although, if you’re having it as a starter, you might want to share it if you’re also planning to have a main dish.

Most Hungarian restaurants have it on their menu.

 

Fisherman’s Soup (Halászlé)

One of my favourites, I have to admit, I’ve never tried it in restaurants because my dad makes the best one at home 🙂 Fisherman’s soup is also made with paprika, has a bright red colour, and uses freshwater fish. My dad also puts onion and red wine into the mixture.

Halászlé developed from the cooking traditions of fishermen along Hungary’s major rivers. Traditionally, fishermen cooked the soup in a kettle over an open fire using freshly caught fish.

Fun fact!

There are two famous regional styles: Bajai and Szegedi. Baja’s version is traditionally served with pasta (that’s my favourite), while Szeged-style halászlé is generally associated with a thicker, more concentrated fish base and eaten with bread on the side.

 

 

Traditional Hungarian Main Dishes

Before You Order: Goulash vs Stew vs Paprikash

Goulash is often called a “must-try Hungarian food”, so some places tend to add the goulash name to more items on the menu. I’m here to clarify this.

• Goulash is the soup (see above).
• Stew sometimes also gets the goulash name because it’s flavoured with the same spices, mainly paprika. But stew is much thicker and has more meat. It’s a main course.
• Paprikash is also flavoured with paprika (surprise, surprise…), and sour cream is added to the sauce to make it creamier, giving it a bright orange shade.

The main dishes can be served with egg barley (tarhonya), dumplings (nokedli), egg dumplings (tojásos nokedli), cottage cheese noodles (túrós csusza), bread dumplings (zsemlegombóc) and potatoes (burgonya, krumpli). My favourites are dumplings and egg barley.

As an additional side dish, we usually eat small salad plates (savanyúság), such as seasoned pickles (kovászos uborka), cucumber salad with sour cream (tejfölös uborkasaláta), or a mixed cabbage salad (csalamádé).

 

Hungarian Meat Stew (Pörkölt) and Chicken Paprikash

Stew (pörkölt) is an everyday Hungarian home-cooking classic, but it is also common at family gatherings and celebrations. A large pot of pörkölt cooked outdoors in a cauldron is a classic Hungarian social meal. Its taste is deep, savoury and rich. The meat can be any kind of meat and any part of the animal: chicken, lamb, pork, beef, veal, knuckle, etc.

The stew is mostly flavoured with paprika and gets its flavour from the slow-cooked meat and onions.

Paprikash is also flavoured with paprika, and the sour cream makes the sauce creamier. One of my favourite combinations is chicken paprikash (paprikás csirke), which is usually served with dumplings (nokedli).

Fun fact!

The paprikash sauce is also used for Hortobágyi palacsinta, a savoury Hungarian pancake dish.

My favourite Hungarian restaurant is Gettó Gulyás, where you can try all types of stews and paprikash. This is a beef stew with homemade egg barley.

 

Mushroom Paprikash (Gombapaprikás)

A vegetarian version of paprikash made with mushrooms, onions, paprika and sour cream. It is milder and lighter than meat-based paprikash but still has that unmistakably Hungarian paprika flavour. I had this mushroom paprikash with dumplings (nokedli) at Frici Papa kifőzde (Frici Papa’s local diner).

 

Stuffed Cabbage (Töltött Káposzta)

The situation is the same as with the fisherman’s soup: my family makes the best one! Out of curiosity, I’ve had it once in a restaurant, but I compared it to my aunt’s stuffed cabbage, and it was far from that.

It’s common in Central and Eastern European countries, and every country adds its own methods and additional flavours. In Hungary, cabbage leaves are stuffed with seasoned minced meat, usually pork, often mixed with rice, and cooked with sauerkraut. It is commonly served with sour cream.

It’s savoury, rich and slightly sour from the sauerkraut. The pork filling makes it hearty, while the sour cream adds creaminess and balances the acidity. It’s not a light dish, so it’s mainly served during the colder months, especially during the festive season.

 

Lecsó

Lecsó is a Hungarian vegetable stew (similar to ratatouille) made with peppers, tomatoes and onions. It’s sweet, juicy and slightly smoky. The main ingredients are peppers, tomatoes and onions.

You can mix it with sausage and eggs, or I’ve heard of people adding rice to it.

 

 

Best Hungarian Street Food to Try in Budapest

Lángos

Lángos is a famous Hungarian street food made from fried dough. The basic dough is made with water (or milk), yeast, flour and salt. It’s crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside. You can eat it plain or choose from many toppings. Hungarians’ favourite topping is sour cream and cheese, plus a garlic sauce spread over the dough.

Budapest has so many lángos places, so you must be wondering where to eat the best lángos in Budapest. I was curious too, so I tested 10+ lángos places in Budapest.

Read my local’s guide to the best lángos in Budapest to find out!

Here’s a little glimpse:

One place I recommend is Retro Lángos, with two locations. You can choose from the classic toppings, and there are even more combinations with ham, sausage, onion, tomato, etc. Omnomnom… nowadays, modern adaptations are being invented, too. They also have stuffed and gluten-free lángos.

If you want something special, try the Lángos Burger at Karaván Street Food (next to Szimpla), which also offers filled lángos burgers. They have the classic version, but I’d highly recommend the beef lángos burger. The burger contains layers of sheep cheese, arugula, grilled paprika, beef and two lángos “buns”, of course. You can choose a burger with chicken or pork as well.

 

Kolbice by Kobe Sausages

Small grilled sausages are served in cone-shaped bread with sauces and extras. You can ask for additional roasted onion, bacon, cabbage, or all of them in one. My favourite topping is the cheese sauce.

You can also choose between different base breads. The original cone bread is covered with linseed and sesame seeds. They also have prebiotic cone bread and whole-grain cone bread with chia seeds.

You can order the tasty sausages in a bun, baguette, or without any bread. Check out the Kobe Sausages website for the selection.

Kolbice is a very popular street food, so you can find them in many places. At a festival, a Kobe truck is always there with a big queue.

 

Chimney Cake (Kürtőskalács)

Chimney cake is made from sweet yeast dough, wrapped around a cylindrical baking spit and coated with sugar. It’s baked until golden, the outside becomes caramelised and crisp, while the inside stays soft. You can choose from cinnamon, coconut, cacao, walnut and even more coatings.

In the main tourist areas, you can find kiosks selling chimney cake. It’s easy to find them, just trust your nose and follow the sweet scent.

Chimney cake also has an advanced level: the chimney cone, which is perfect during summer. For the cone, you can choose ice cream, with a coating on the inside and outside. Ooooooh, a must-try if you’re into special sweets!

Looking for the best chimney cake? Read my ultimate Budapest guide to chimney cakes!

 

Traditional Hungarian Desserts

Sponge Cake, Chocolate “Somlói” Style (Somlói Galuska)

Somlói galuska is one of the most famous Hungarian desserts. Three kinds of sponge cake are mixed with vanilla cream, chocolate cream, walnuts and rum, and topped with whipped cream.

I like it when orange zest and raisins are added, too. I had my most special sponge cake at Kispiac bistro.

Fun fact!

Somlói galuska was created at the famous Gundel restaurant in Budapest in the late 1950s. The idea came from the head waiter, while the pastry chef developed the dessert. It became internationally recognised after the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, where it received awards.

 

Dobos Cake (Dobos Torta)

Hungarian pastry chef József C. Dobos created it in Budapest in the 1880s. It was introduced at the 1885 National General Exhibition of Budapest, where Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth were among the first people to taste it.

Dobos cake is another kind of sponge cake. The layers are divided by chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel. The crispy caramel cover makes it a bit challenging to eat, but don’t be afraid to remove the top. The caramel topping wasn’t just decorative: it helped protect the cake from drying out, which was especially useful when modern refrigeration wasn’t available.

This slice of Dobos cake was served at Szamos Confectionery. They have amazing cakes and also produce chocolates.

 

Strudel (Rétes)

Authentic Hungarian strudel dough is famously stretched by hand into an extremely thin sheet, so thin that you can almost see through it. Classic strudel is long and has a golden, flaky crust.

It comes with many different fillings, both sweet and savoury. The most popular sweet versions include:

• Cottage cheese (túrós rétes)
• Apple (almás rétes)
• Sour cherry and poppy seed (mákos rétes)
• Sour cherry (meggyes rétes)

One of the most well-known places in Budapest is First Strudel House of Pest (Első Pesti Rétesház). For a more hands-on experience, you can also join a strudel-making workshop. These baking classes teach you how to stretch the dough, prepare fillings and bake authentic Hungarian strudel. It’s a great cultural food experience to enjoy alongside sightseeing.

 

 

Gundel Pancake (Gundel Palacsinta)

Hungarian pancakes are more like thin crepes, not like fluffy American pancakes. The Gundel crepe is filled with a mixture of ground walnuts, raisins, lemon zest and rum, then served with a warm chocolate sauce. Aaaaand the waiter will light it on fire after serving it.

I had this at Frici Papa kifőzde (Frici Papa’s local diner). There wasn’t any fire, but it was very tasty. But if you order a Gundel pancake at Gettó Gulyás, your plate will be on fire.

 

Cottage Cheese Dumpling (Túrógombóc)

Túrógombóc are balls made from cottage cheese dough, topped with sweet sour cream and powdered sugar. Thanks to the cottage cheese, the balls aren’t too sweet or heavy, and the sour cream makes the dessert creamy.

 

What to Drink in Budapest and Hungary

Those were the best Hungarian dishes. But you also have to drink something…

If You’re in Hungary, Drink Pálinka 😉

Try pálinka, a traditional Hungarian spirit. It is made from ripe fruits. The most common ones are apricot (one of my favourites), pear, plum and cherry.

Be aware: it’s very strong. Its alcohol content can range from 40% to 70%.

Sometimes we drink it before the meal as an aperitif, sometimes after the meal to finish dinner properly. Or just for fun 😉 The right way to drink it: inhale deeply, take a sip (or more), and enjoy the fruity flavour as you exhale.

Egészségedre! Don’t know what “Egészségedre” means? I explain it in my 40 Reasons to Fall in Love with Budapest post.

 

Hungarian Wine

Hungarian wine is very delicious. We have white, rosé and red wines as well. My favourite is the dry red wine from the Szekszárd region. I could mention a few of the best wineries, but there are so many good ones…

On warm Hungarian summer days, we sometimes mix wine with soda (sparkling water), which is called a wine spritzer (fröccs). If you don’t want to get drunk, ask for a fröccs. Just don’t drink high-quality wine with soda, that would be a sin…

I don’t like sweet wines, but I have to mention Tokaj’s famous dessert wine. The grapes used for Tokaji aszú are measured by baskets (puttony). More puttony means a higher sugar content.

 

Where to Try Traditional Hungarian Food in Budapest

You’ll find many Hungarian restaurants in Budapest for every price range. Try to avoid the super-touristy areas and go to more hidden, intimate places.

Here are a few of my favourites:

• Gettó Gulyás: Super tasty food for an affordable price, good service, and a wine selection that is just perfect. I always book a table in advance to secure our seats.
• Puli & Juhász: A wide variety of dishes (menu with photos), sizable portions, friendly staff, live music and delicious food.
• Visit Frici Papa kifőzde for the real Hungarian mood. It’s more affordable, the portions are big, and the food is delicious.
• The Great Market Hall has many food stalls serving Hungarian bites and dishes. You can also buy paprika as a souvenir.
• Time Out Market Budapest: Great for sampling more dishes in the same place. Many Hungarian restaurants represent themselves there with their reimagined menus.

For more restaurant recommendations, read my blog post about Budapest’s best Hungarian restaurants.

 

Okay, now you know what to eat and drink in Budapest! From goulash soup and pörkölt to lángos, chimney cake and Somlói galuska, there are plenty of traditional Hungarian dishes worth trying. And yes, Hungarian food is so much more than goulash!

Now it’s time to put this Budapest food guide to good use and start exploring. Try a few different dishes, visit a traditional Hungarian restaurant, grab a lángos from a market or food stall, and don’t forget to leave some room for dessert. 😉

 

Which Hungarian food is your favourite from this Budapest food guide? Is there a must-try Hungarian dish I missed? Leave a comment below!

 

For more foodie and travel tips about Budapest, read the following posts:

• 12 Mistakes to Avoid When Visiting Budapest, Hungary
• A local’s guide to the best lángos in Budapest, Hungary
• A local’s guide to the best chimney cakes in Budapest
• New York Palace Café in Budapest, Hungary – Is it worth visiting?
• 10 must-visit stylish specialty coffee shops in Budapest, Hungary

 

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