Brunch in Budapest: A Guide To The Best Brunch Spots for Every Vibe
🎶 brunch, brunch baby 🎶, and now that song will be stuck in your head forever. Not sorry.
Caleb and I love brunch (like every other human in the universe?) So, when we lived in the city, we made it one of our missions to find all the amazing brunch spots in Budapest to start our day strong. IE: full of carbs and coffee. Mmmmm.
If you’re a brunch-loving couple like us, looking for where to have brunch in Budapest, the answer really depends on the vibe you’re looking for. So, in our guide, we’re breaking our favorite spots down by what they are best for! Truth be told, any of the spots on this list are great and will not let your hangry, morning self down. Let’s dive in!
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A Quick Guide To Budapest
When to go and how long: April, May, September or August for 2-7 days.
Where to stay: We love staying in the 7Seasons Hotel for the cheap, large rooms, friendly staff, and epic, central location.
How to get around: walking or tram.
Must-do foodie activities: this wine tasting and this local cooking class with flowing wine, or this food tour if you’re short on time and want to eat all the top traditional foods. They’re unmissable foodie experiences!
Quick Navigation: Fagel // Dobrumba // Deszka // Cork // Zerge // Cafe Kicsizso // A Table // Cirkusz
For Healthy Options – Fagel
Nestled beside our most favorite bakery in Budapest, Artizan, you’ll find Fagel, a quaint little oatmeal bar. It’s super perfect if you want something cozy, quick, and healthy!
Here, they serve bowls of hot oatmeal or rice, and they are a totally vegan-friendly spot. You can choose between a rice base with coconut milk or oats with oat milk. The menu features a few sweet options inspired by the season, a savory choice, and a daily oatmeal special, which is always creative.
The cozy oatmeal bowls are really reasonably priced at around 2000 for a medium serving, and they’re the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and hearty. We tried the seasonal special, which was the plum crumble featuring plum compote, oat crumbles, nuts, pomegranate seeds, grapes, kiwi, and a huge dollop of homemade nut butter.
Practical tip: Fagel is TINY – only a few counter seats, so you may have to wait a bit if they’re taken!
Address: Budapest, Hold u. 3, 1054 Hungary
Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 7 am-2 pm, until 3 pm on Thursdays and closed Sunday.
For Midde Eastern Flavors – Dobrumba
If you love Middle Eastern cuisine, clear your weekend morning schedule and head straight to Dobrumba! We love ethnic flavors, so we do think this Dobrumba has the best brunch in Budapest (and one of the best places to eat in general!) and is one of the reasons why Budapest is in the list of best European brunch cities!
This vibey, Middle Eastern-inspired eatery offers not only lunch and dinner with some super unique cocktails but an eclectic brunch menu as well. We loved their epic ethnic dishes like hummus bowls with lentils, eggs, and veggies or oatmeal with caramelized bananas and tahini!
Caleb opted for the lamb sausage, while I delighted in the challah toast paired with labneh, sage butter, za’atar, poached eggs, veggies, and spicy pickled peppers—the flavors were ACTUALLY explosive, and we both gave each other “the look.”
You know, the one no words are necessary to know that you’re both thinking, “OMG, THIS IS SO GOOD.”
Set in a chic and trendy ambiance, Dobrumba is the perfect setting for a brunch date with cool flavors.
Practical tips: Many of their breakfast items end at 11:30, and then they serve just a few brunch dishes along with lunch/dinner, so time your visit accordingly!
Address: Budapest, Dob u. 5, 1074 Hungary
Opening Hours: 9am – 11pm Friday through Sunday and 11 am – 11pm Monday through Thursday
for Instagrammable, Creative Flavors – Deszka
Deszka, located just outside the city center, is a truly hidden gem with super unique dishes, like the seasonal pumpkin spice eggs Benny we saw – who woulda thunk it?
We can personally vouch for their smooth and strong coffee (a brunch staple, am I right?) along with their gravlax eggs royal, a creative twist on the traditional eggs benedict, served on cheese scones with perfectly poached eggs, ginger gravlax, pear, and a flavorful pesto sauce.
Caleb enjoyed the Deszka toast, which features soft yet crispy thick bread topped with cheese and crispy Serrano ham chips.
Make sure to keep an eye out for the owner’s doggo. He brings him often, and he’s the star of the show. Obviously.
Practical tips: There is an upstairs, so it’s bigger than it looks – don’t stress if you don’t see a spot when you walk in!
Address: Budapest, Veres Pálné u. 31, 1053 Hungary
Opening Hours: 8:30 am – 4 pm daily
For a Romantic Morning – Cork Breakfast and Wine
We almost didn’t go here because half of our brain was like, “Isn’t focusing on breakfast wine kind of a weird combo?”
But then the other half was like, “BUT MAYBE IT’S GENIUS?!” And, friends, that side was VRY correct. 😏
The vibe inside is modern, dark, and sexy, with exposed brick and wine bottles everywhere. It was super hard to decide on eats with all the options like Hungarian scrambled eggs or poppyseed cottage cheese and DONUTS with pistachio sauce.
Seriously, creative and trendy things are happening.
I opted for the savory zucchini pancakes with sour cream and smoked salmon, and I would have licked my plate if Caleb didn’t give me the “no” look. I’ve never had anything like that for breakfast -garlicky, herby perfection. Caleb had toast with tomato, poached eggs, and massive CHUNKS of halloumi cheese.
Practical tips: go between 9-11 am to get a free coffee with your meal!
Address: Budapest, Hajós u. 17, 1065 Hungary
Opening Hours: 9 am – 11 pm daily
For a Quick Breakfast Near The Castle – Zerge Coffee Shop
Zerge Coffee Shop is ideal for a quick and reasonably priced spot that is one of the best places for breakfast in Budapest if you’re exploring the Buda side/castle district for the day.
This quaint spot specializes in excellent coffee and offers a selection of bagels, along with breakfast plates that include bacon and eggs if you don’t like bagels. Who are you?
The ambiance is lively with bumping music, which might feel a bit club-like for a breakfast setting (FYI) but adds to the vibe. We loved that it had more locals than tourists, and the coffee was super flavorful yet smooth.
I enjoyed a smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese and pickled cucumber, and Caleb had the Rueben—both nice and big, filling and tasty! Also great if you’re a couple on a budget, as it’s cheaper than more trendy spots on the list.
Practical tips: You order at the counter and then find a seat where they’ll bring your food. It can get really busy, but it moves quickly, so your wait shouldn’t be too long (if any!)
Address: Budapest, Fő u. 7, 1011 Hungary
Opening Hours: 7:30 am – 4 pm Monday – Friday and 8 am – 3 pm Saturday/Sunday
For a More Local Vibe – Breakfast Cafe Kicsizso
Just over the Margaret Bridge, outside the city center, Breakfast Café Kicsizso is a charming, farmhouse-inspired spot that has a more local vibe. As it’s not in the main “tourist area,” the prices are a little bit lower! We paid around $28 for 2 plates and 2 coffees each.
The menu is a little on the smaller side, but it’s packed with creative options like milk loaf French toast with duck liver or an American pulled pork croque monsieur. Caleb raved about the smoked salmon bagel sandwich, declaring it the best he’s ever had. My omelet was generously loaded with ham, accompanied by bread and a salad dressed in an incredible pesto sauce.
Practical tips: they also offer a good selection of baked goods if one of you is feeling like something lighter but the other is hungrier! This is a great stop if you plan to visit Lukacs baths!
Address: Budapest, Frankel Leó út 11, 1027 Hungary
Opening Hours: 7:30 am – 3 pm Monday-Friday, 9 am – 3 pm Saturday and 9 am – 2 pm Sunday.
For Light And Heavier Options To Please Everyone – A Table
A Table is a well-established chain scattered across Budapest, making it easy to find one wherever you are in the city. Styled as a French patisserie, stepping into A Table feels like walking into a quaint home in a small French village – it’s SO CUTE.
The prices are on par with other brunch spots in the area, and the options feel simple and very French. I enjoyed the scrambled eggs with three add-ins, which came with bread and a delicious salad, while Caleb had a hearty mushroom and cheese toast topped with an egg.
We can also vouch for their delicious French pastries. This bakery cafe was right under our apartment, so you can imagine how dangerous that was!
Practical tips: this is a popular spot, so it gets pretty packed. But it has the most locations on this list, so you should be able to find one near you!
Address: Check their website as they have many! Or, our map below.
For traditional, all-day brunch – Cirkusz
Located in the trendy Jewish district, one of our favorite districts to stay in, Cirkusz offers all-day brunch, and it’s one of the most popular, well-known brunch spots on the list. We’ve been many times, but Caleb’s favorite is the pulled pork Benedict, while I LOVE the eggs royal. Their English muffins are like nothing we’ve ever eaten, buttery and brioche-y, and they’re SO tasty. OMG.
The café is renowned for its coffee, which we found smooth and rich, and we loved that they have oat and rice milk options available. Inside is turquoise and circus-themed, and it has this overall happy vibe, which is always a good way to start the day, no?
We found this brunch spot to also be pretty reasonable for being so trendy – just over $30 for 2 meals and 2 coffees.
If you’re looking for traditional options like English breakfast, eggs bennies, or sweet waffles and pancakes, Cirkusz is definitely a contender for your best breakfast in Budapest.
Practical tips: this is a popular spot, so it gets pretty packed. But because it only focuses on brunch, you get people moving in and out quickly!
Address: Budapest, Dob u. 25, 1074 Hungary
Opening Hours: 7:30 am – 4 pm daily
Other runners up here
We went to many more simple and traditional brunch spots, so it’s hard to narrow it down. If Cirkusz is far away from you, 2 other spots that are almost as good are Bistrology (photo 1) and Cosy Cafe! (photo 2)
Brunch Spots On A Map For Easy Navigation
How to use this map: Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the index. Click the star next to the map’s title to add it to your Google Maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu and go to ‘Your Places’/’Maps’. If you want to print the map or see it in a bigger window, click on ‘View larger map’ in the top right corner.
Two Popular Spots That We Dont Get the Hype
We always like to tell you the good with the bad, so here are the two places we went to for brunch that we would not go back to:
- Pantry – when our food was brought to us, we both immediately had deja vu and remembered that we had gone here years earlier and hated it then, too. It’s an interesting concept to build your own breakfast a la carte, but they really miss the mark.
The eggs felt like they were made from a powdered mix and were hard and flavorless, and we felt that way about almost everything on our plate. It’s also so small that you feel like you’re sitting on your neighbor.
They serve Cirkusz coffee, so just go there.
2. New York Cafe – we get the hype in the sense that it IS beautiful inside, but it’s way too overpriced for what it is, in our opinion. One of our Budapest tips is to go at opening hour (or else you’ll wait in line forever) and just order a coffee so you can see inside, take your pics, etc, and then go somewhere else. It’s in a main tourist district so you have LOADS of options around!
There you have it -the good and the bad of brunchin’ in Budapest. While these options aren’t traditional Hungarian dishes by any stretch, you can never go wrong by starting the day with brunch, and these all hit the mark. If you have any questions, just let us know in the comments. Or let us know where you go!
Now that you’ve had untraditional brunch, you need to try some traditional Hungarian dishes! Good thing for you that we have an ultimate guide to the best Hungarian traditional foods and where to eat them in Budapest!
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