Budapest

We had heard many good things about Budapest from friends who had been there, and it didn’t disappoint at all. We flew from Warsaw to Budapest, the flight time was like going from Bangalore to Kerala!

Where to stay in Budapest

Buda side for a laid-back ambience, and Pest side for more vibrance. We preferred the former, and thus back in the arms of the Radisson Group in Park Plaza. A bit of checkin time snootiness and a membership flex later, we were in our Danube-facing room.

…which we chose over the Castle View on the other side of the hotel

It was definitely pretty, especially at night

But we loved the Danube and Parliament view

What to see/do in Budapest

Just walk around to begin with. It’s an absolutely gorgeous city, and amazingly peaceful , particularly on the Buda side. There are churches all around.

This one is the Szilágyi Dezső Square Reformed Church

Chunky Church, as I called it, thanks to the other side

Take a Buda castle tour if you’re interested in history.

The Matthias Church in the background and the equestrian statue of St. Stephen 

The Castle area has some phenomenally good panoramic views.

Alright, Matthias Church standalone.

The Ministry of the Interior building. Apparently, the fancy rooftop tiles you can see on the centre and right cost quite a bit.

King Saint Stephen. Who said anything about the separation of  church and state!

That’s a Busó mask, I don’t think it is as scary as it used to be!

This is the bronze equestrian statue of András Hadik, a Hungarian nobleman and Field Marshal of the Habsburg Army. More importantly, invisible in this photo, is the horse’ family jewels, rubbing which will grant you luck. There is a signboard that explicitly asks you not to do that. It has not been heeded judging by the colour of the jewels.

The fountain of King Mathias had a very GoT feel to it.

Like I said, great views from this part of the city.

One lovely thing to do would be to walk along the promenade. Excellent views of the Pest side.

So many bridges connecting the two parts!

And the magnificent Parliament.

In the right season, even the trams are all lit!

When you get bored, hop on to the metro and go to the other side.

And have fun on these crazy escalators while at it!

We took a food tour in Budapest, and during that passed Gozsdu Udvar, a famous pedestrian passage and social hub

Street decor be free zing!

This is the Hungarian State Opera House.

…and this is the W Budapest hotel, located in the historic Drechsler Palace building. We didn;t enter either because I think we’d be severely underdressed!

The Jewish ghetto marks its boundaries

This is St. Stephen’s Basilica, one entry point to the Christmas Market.

Stephen from another angle.

In case you want to dress up

The Matild Palace, one of the Klotild Palaces 

A very well done installation.

A very pretty Christmas-y tram that we kept seeing around. Almost like sprinkles on a donut.

A river cruise gives you a good view of the bridges and major landmarks. This is the Liberty Bridge.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge with the Buda Castle in the background

The Buda side, all lit up

And if you want to get away from the streets, try Margaret Island.

And the lovely Japanese garden there.

Where to eat, and what

This was our first lunch in Budapest. Lánchíd Söröző.

They let us have a cosy table with a street view. We love these!

The place is usually packed, and has a strong music vibe.

We began with a Jókai bean soup – rich, with vegetables, smoked pork pieces and noodles.

And then a Transylvanian Pork Stew. This turned out to be the sauerkraut version, of which we aren’t fans.

Told you about that food tour. The first stop was Bors Gasztrobár, and its owner is apparently a big Star Wars fan. That was pretty evident.

The soup we had there was just fantastic.

Gozsdu Lángos Bistro was the next stop.

No, not only for the Dreher, though I liked it

…but mainly for the Langos, traditional Hungarian fare, and going by our guide, anything other than cheese toppings is too modern!

We then dropped in at Szek, named after a place in Transylvania

Pálenka! And it was strong!

Delicious chicken paprikash, a traditional dish featuring chicken, onions, sour cream, and paprika. 

The final stop was Spinoza…

…because dessert is a philosophy we agree on! We really liked the food tour because it was structured, had a good host who knew her cuisines and their history, and the food was great.

And of course, we had to drop in at a ruin bar – Szimpla Kert

It is a completely different vibe…

…and obviously a well-stocked bar

One of the lunch spots we had planned was closed for the holidays, so we dropped in at Horgásztanya Vendéglő, which happened to be very close to our hotel and was recommended by our guide

A nice apple drink to start with

Fish soup, which is apparently a little tradition during the holiday season

Frog’s legs, after ages!

The Grilled Carp Fillet with Mushroom Pasta was fantastic, and for a change, those chillis were quite potent!

In case you’re fond of beer, Beer Brothers is a cosy hangout.

And their blueberry is very good!

Another place to go is First Craft Beer.

For the excellent service, and a wide variety of beers. The Blueberry and the Witbier are excellent.

And the Nachos wasn’t bad!

Our last meal in Budapest was at The Spot, which gives you a view of the Danube.

I loved my Old Fashioned, and D sipped some fancy tea

She also had a pike-perch risotto, which was delicious.

And I had an excellent beef stew with those tiny eggy dumplings

And if you’re looking for some dessert, Gelateria Pichler Fagyizó will be a good choice, crowd notwithstanding

Chimney Cake with a hot chocolate filling. How yum!

We really liked Budapest because of its cosmopolitan vibe, and different kinds of settings one can enjoy. The food was great, public transport was excellent, and the Christmas Markets, though it couldn’t beat Wroclaw, were fun.