Whilst in Budapest over the festive period we ate really well but something that really excelled for me was the brunch options. Brunch is one of my favourite meals to grab at home; there is nothing better than lazily strolling off for food around 11ish and having a slap-up meal to get you going for the day.
We did little to no research on Budapest before arriving there, suitcases in hand, and instead relied on impromptu Google searches. Whilst searching for brunch in Budapest near me we found a couple of good spots and then spotted another whilst wandering about. Eating well on holiday is really important to me, it can be rubbish if you come away feeling like you’ve had bad luck with food and as someone who loves trying new things, I feel we did such a good job in Budapest.
If you’re heading there yourself then I fully recommend stopping for brunch in any of these places below. All are affordable, friendly and delicious food.
On our first morning we went with one of the Google search results and brunched at 3 Pajamas Breakfast Club. It was a cosy Spanish-Russian cafe, hidden off the main street but bustling inside. We sat on the mezzanine and both ordered the pancake specials off the day, I had blueberry and Rachel had bacon. This was my favourite place to eat from the whole trip and I almost wish we’d gone back to eat there again. The staff were so friendly and it had such a buzz about it as it was constantly packed and the kitchen is open.
where? Szondi ucta 22
what’s nearby? It’s about ten minute walk from St Stephen’s Basilica and 5 minute metro ride from Szechyni Baths.
what to eat? We had the pancakes which were specials and oh my god, so delicious. I don’t really like having sweet things for breakfast but these were perfect. The coffee was also amazing – we had take-away flat whites. One thing I also appreciated about 3 Pajamas was the offering of apple juice. I’m fussy with orange juice and won’t drink it if it had bits in (which all the orange juice in Budapest seemed to have) so here I could have fruit juice as well.
Whilst wandering to the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus we passed Brunch Bistro Budapest which sits in perfect view of St Stephen’s Basilica. It was a busy and popular spot with gorgeous interiors and bright airy windows. It was queued out the door when we arrived and the waitress told the table of four in front it would be an hours wait.
Seeing as the weather was so beautiful, we asked to sit outside and she shrugged like we were crazy but said yes. We sat out there with menus for about fifteen minutes before she came out and gave us a table inside. The place really emptied out as we were eating so I guess it just comes down to timing on whether or not you’ll get a table but they do take bookings. It was lovely inside and the food was great but the staff were quite rude and unhelpful – it took us about six years to pay.
where? Bajcsy-Zsilinszky ut 19/b
what’s nearby? You are opposite St Stephen’s Basilica so if you’re visiting in the festive period you are also super close to the Christmas markets. You are also close to the shopping districts of Pest. The Hop-On-Hop-Off bus companies all have stops and vendors along here as well.
what to eat? I went for the Hungarian sausage and smoked cheese toastie as the girls at the table next to us where having toasties and I was sold. It was so good and all of the fillings sounded delicious. Rachel went for Hungarian French toast which was also delicious and a little bit more different. I’d definitely recommend that if you’re looking to try more local food. We also both had coffees which were tasty.
Cafe Brunch Budapest had come up on our Google search but we also stumbled across it by accident on our way to the city centre. It was tucked off the main streets in this cosy corner with plenty of outdoor seating with blankets. We ate there on the Thursday morning and it was super busy – I didn’t think we were going to get a table as inside was packed and the only outside table only had one seat.
We got menus and managed to get a seat from another table and settled in. Eating outside in the cold sun was fun and it was a great way to people watch. The staff here were super friendly and the service was really quick. Brunch Bistro and Cafe Brunch are part of the same chain but they do offer slightly different menus and Cafe Brunch has a whole pastry range as well.
where? Hajos ucta 26
what’s nearby? It is close to both the city centre (15 minutes walk), the basilica (5 minutes) and the metro (5 minutes) which means you can hop on that for 5 minutes to get to Szechyni Baths.
what to eat? Rachel went for the granola which looked delicious (and healthy) whilst I went for eggs sunny side up. It was essentially three fried eggs all stuck together (deliciously runny yokes) with some pieces of homemade bread and a little side salad. It was so good and I had missed eggs all week so it really hit the spot.
We passed so many other cute places when we were wandering around Budapest as well and all the food we ate was so delicious so I’d love to try out some new places next time I head back as well.
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