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Our Delicious Budapest Food Tour + Wine Tasting (Taste Hungary Review)

Looking for an incredible Budapest food tour, or a Hungarian wine tasting that features one of my absolute favorite flavor combinations of all time?

You’ve come to the right place!

Several years (and several referrals to friends who similarly raved about this food tour in Budapest) later, and we still consider this Budapest wine-tasting class and this food tour among two of the best culinary tours we have experienced in Europe.

Planning to book a Budapest food tour on your next trip?

Here’s what we suggest!

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Why We Chose These Budapest Food Tours

About taste hungary food + wine tours, budapest wine tasting review: wine essentials, cheese & charcuterie, budapest food tour review: sweet and coffeehouse walk, our review on food + wine tasting in budapest with taste hungary, read more about visiting budapest (and beyond).

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Before we started traveling full-time, we didn’t think it was possible to enjoy eating more than we already did–who doesn’t like devouring tasty foods, right?

With every destination, though, it seems that we adore exploring food more and more.

T he sheer variety of different tastes in the world is incredible, and trying out delicious foods, particularly those specific to the region we’re visiting, has brought us more joy with every new place that we visit.

Hungary is no different.

W e knew when we planned to return to Budapest that we wanted to make a point of enjoying some of the foods and wines that this area is known for and that we wanted to get beyond goulash and paprika (both of which are delicious).

From munching on langos to enjoying all kinds of Hungarian soups to  sipping froccs , we were successful–thanks in large part to  Taste Hungary .

Taste Hungary offers small-group food and drinks tours centered around any number of subjects, from wine to dessert to dinner.

They offer walking tours, and also tastings and dinners at their location near Budapest’s National Museum, The Tasting Table.

Looking at their website , we immediately started getting hungry, and we were thrilled when Taste Hungary invited us to come and experience both their Wine Essentials Class with Cheese and Charcuterie Tasting  and their Sweet and Coffeehouse Walk during our time in Budapest.

We left both food tours completely stuffed–and in the case of the Wine Essentials Class with Cheese Charcuterie Tasting, quite tipsy.

2023 Update : Sadly, the Sweet and Coffeehouse Walk has been discontinued since we experienced it, though the Wine Essentials Class is going stronger than ever! Taste Hungary’s flagship Budapest food tour , featuring a wide array of traditional Hungarian foods, would be our pick to replace it on a return visit to Budapest today.

We arrived at The Tasting Table to find full glasses of delicious sparkling wine already laid out for us–a fantastic start.

We sat with one other couple as our sommelier, Gergely walked us through details of not only the sparkling wine but also one other white and two reds.

Gergely was an expert, and he used a map of Hungary laid out in front of each of us to show us the regions that each wine came from (he was also the one who taught us that Hungary has 22 distinct wine regions!), and taught us different facts about the taste and history of each wine.

While every wine in front of us was varying degrees of tasty, the best was yet to come: the charcuterie boards.

This is the part where I should confess that I’m a bit of a toddler at heart: deconstructed plates with bite sides pieces of delicious food are absolutely my jam, so when I get the chance to eat a board of upscale, amazing ingredients and pretend that it’s acceptable adult cuisine, I am completely on board.

Charcuterie boards, in other words, are essentially my dream food.

These boards came arranged with four different types of cheese and four different types of meat, in addition to pickles, jam, fruit, nuts, and duck cracklings (duck fat fried until it’s crispy as a potato chip–the only food in either tour that Jeremy and I didn’t like).

They were beautiful, they were delicious, and they came with amazing advice about which wines to pair with which food, turning great wine and great food into phenomenal combined tastes.

The boards also came with strict instructions: leave one bite of the (amazing, creamy) blue cheese to eat with the dessert wine.

With that, Gergely set us loose, leaving each person to devour an entire board and four full glasses of wine.

Once we were all sufficiently tipsy (okay, maybe just drunk) and had eaten almost everything put in front of us, Gergely returned with a glass of Tokaj wine.

Of all the wines in Hungary, wine from the Tokaj region is best known.

T he region is known for its sweet, white wines, the youngest of which are drunk at 3 years old and the oldest of which date back to 1700!

For the first sip, it was like drinking honey: too thick, too sweet.

But then… the blue cheese. Oh. My. God.

I could eat my body weight in blue cheese paired with sweet Tokaj wine.

Years later, it remains one of my absolute favorite bites of food that I have ever eaten, anywhere in the world.

Suffice it to say, we left our Budapest wine tasting very full, very tipsy, and with a bottle of the (amazing) sparkling wine that we tasted tucked into our bag–a spontaneous purchase that was well worth the price.

Book your Budapest Wine Essentials Class with Taste Hungary today! The outline of this class has changed slightly since we went, but is similar and still supposed to be incredible, as my friend Allison reported when she visited recently.

Who could say no to an entire 3-hour walking tour filled with desserts?

Not us, that’s for sure.

Our Sweet and Coffeehouse Walk with Taste Hungary was led by George, who was as passionate about sugar-filled desserts as one could hope for in a dessert tour guide–in other words, extremely.

We made five separate stops during our tour (not counting a glass of Tokaj wine at The Tasting Room before getting started, where we met up with George and the other couple joining the tour), starting with a stop at Fragola Gelato, where we each ordered a full scoop in a cone.

We devoured them, of course, and then quickly realized that we should have skipped breakfast as well as lunch to leave room for the onslaught of sweets about the hit our system.

During our tour, we ended up sampling not only gelato, but three types of sweet pastries, two types of chimney cake (similar to a funnel cake, but made in a round, hollow shape), a delicious specialty coffee, and six types of traditional Hungarian cakes.

Our favorite stop?

Central Cafe, an absolutely gorgeous coffeehouse that was once the haunt of famous Hungarian writers and poets (and which immediately became a staple of any trip to Budapest for us: we’ve returned to Central Cafe more times than we can count!).

Not only was the coffee there amazing, but the four cakes we tasted made up a timeline of traditional Hungarian desserts.

We tried cakes that were most popular in the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, and while all were delicious, the 18th-century Esterhazy cake ended up being my favorite–even though it was made with no flour.

Several years and several more trips to Budapest later, I still don’t consider a trip to the city complete until I devour a slice of Esterhazy cake at Central Cafe–and it all started with our food tour in Budapest with Taste Hungary!

Jeremy’s favorite was the 20th-century style lemon cheesecake, topped with one of the best meringues we’ve ever tasted.

If you need proof of how much we loved this cafe, well, look no further than the fact that we returned two more times during our stay in Budapest–it was that tasty!

We had an amazing time during both of our experiences with Taste Hungary.

The guides were knowledgeable and kind, the food and drinks were delicious, and the portions were enormous!

We expected to leave both tours contently full but still planning on eating our next meal–we definitely didn’t plan on leaving completely stuffed both times!

Similarly, we expected the wine tasting to include small, partial glasses of wine: five full glasses served to each person was a welcome surprise!

We now know far more about Hungarian cuisine and its history than we did before, and we had a great time eating and drinking our way through the learning experience along the way!

Ready to keep planning your trip to Central Europe?

We’d love to help!

You can  browse all of our Hungary blog posts here , or check out these guides:

• Best Food in Budapest: 25+ Things to Eat + Experience!
• 25 Wonderful Destinations for Winter in Europe (Snow, Sun, or Christmas!)
• Budapest or Vienna: Which City is Right for You?
• 50+ Best Things to Do in Budapest (+ Tips for Visiting!)
• How to Spend One Magical Day in Munich (Itinerary + Travel Tips!)

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Many thanks to Taste Hungary for hosting us on both of these tours. All opinions are, as always, our own.

About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

18 thoughts on “Our Delicious Budapest Food Tour + Wine Tasting (Taste Hungary Review)”

The mere mention of food is sure to capture my attention. I love trying out local cuisines when I travel to a new city. Hence, a foodie tour is right up my alley. Love the ones you sampled – would love to try them soon!

Right?! Tasty food is such an easy sell lol. I’m sure you’d love these!

Culinary tours are the best kind of tours! Not only do we get to taste delicious local dishes, but you get another taste of the culture. Both Hungary and Budapest have a remarkable cuisine. That lemon cheesecake topped with meringues looks irreesistible! It makes my mouth water by seeing the picture only haha I couldn’t agree more, culinary tours are indeed a great leaening experience while drinking and savoring delicious recipes throughout the tour! Great post. All best, – Mariella

Belive me, it was as good as it looks! We ate every crumb.

Food and Culinary tour is the best way to explore a place and to know its culture. Hungary and Budapest have delicious traditional cuisine. Central Cafe also looks so lively with nice decor. Wine and Cheese tasting must be also fun.

It was all a blast! Central Cafe was definitely beautiful inside–one of the only places we stopped that we preferred a table inside instead of on the sidewalk!

You’ve hit the jackpot with this one as I love food tours! Duck crackling sounds delicious, as does this Tokaj wine. I would so love to do the sweet and coffeehouse walk; this should be obligatory in every city! Those desserts look heavenly.

Obligatory dessert tours–I think I can get behind that! 😀

Hmm…maybe I should have read this post AFTER lunch…because yum! I’m a sucker for a good charcuterie plate. I love making my own and visiting the butcher for some “different” things to put on it that you wouldn’t find at a local grocer. And cheese? Stick a fork in me. I’m done. 🙂

We love making our own too! It was a weekly traditional this summer on Game of Thrones nights lol.

Wine cheese and charcuterie oh my! Definitely my favorite thing to try and eat all over the world! I never even thought about taking a food tour while in Hungary, although it does make sense haha. Looks like you had a blast!

I agree, it’s so easy to forget about food tours in less obviously food driven places, but we love Hungarian cuisine! So many tasty options.

Sounds like you didn’t go hungry in Hungary! LOL! The food looks absolutely amazing. I love food tours, and think they’re such a great way to get to know a new place.

Ha! No, but I DID double-check that I didn’t type “Hungary” for “hungry or visa versa about 10 times before publishing this post! 😉

I found that a lot of street stalls and food markets in Budapest overcharged tourists so a food tour with Taste Hungary sounds worthwhile. Being able to enjoy the local food whilst paying what you should pay makes the experience genuine. Sampling the sweet pastries would be my favorite part of the tour.

That’s interesting, we didn’t notice that! We didn’t eat at a lot of food stalls in Budapest though, with the exception of langos–and they can really charge me whatever they want for that, it’s so freaking good.

Sounds like an incredible tour, with plenty of good food to enjoy!! So glad I stumbled across your blog x Abby

Glad to have you around, Abby!

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Taste Hungary Wine Club & Shop

Taste hungary wine club & shop:, connecting wine lover's with hungary's unique small-batch wines.

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Unique, Small-Batch Hungarian Wine ... Now In The US!

The Taste Hungary Wine Club & Shop is a tasting (and educational) adventure into the world of Hungarian wine. For the past decade we’ve been dedicated to sharing our love for Hungarian food and wine culture, and putting it in context for travelers to Hungary through our writings, tours, and wine tastings. At The Tasting Table Budapest—our tasting cellar and shop in Budapest's Palace District—our team of sommeliers holds daily educational wine tastings, through which we serve from our collection of 200+ carefully-chosen wines. During the tastings we hope to spark the beginning of a passion for Hungarian wine! Now, through our directly-imported selection of fine Hungarian wine, you’ll get to experience just how exciting Hungarian wine is from your own home in the US. We are proud to bring our business full-circle by connecting American wine-lover's with these unique Hungarian wines.

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We taste hundreds of Hungarian wines every year, and the ones we choose for the wine club shipments tell unique stories, which we hope will transport you to Hungary. These are wines with personalities, made by passionate family producers. We know these regions, wines, and winemakers well. We visit them regularly, and taste wine with them from the barrel, in their cellars, and often at home with their families. We already sell them at The Tasting Table Budapest , and we love bringing travelers  to visit them . With each shipment we’ll guide you through the history, geology, regional characteristics, varietals, and styles, and most importantly, the stories, of Hungarian wine.

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• Great wines at great prices. We directly import all of the wines to the US.
• Our educational packet—recipe pairings, tasting notes, maps, and information on the regions, varietals, and winemakers—is included with each shipment.
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• Join tour to explore firsthand the amazing wine regions (and delicious foods) of Hungary!
• Attend a wine tasting at The Tasting Table, our wine tasting cellar in Budapest's historic Palace District
• Visit our wine shop, where we stock 200+ of uniqueHungarian wine and spirits, as well local artisan cheese

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We were thrilled that our online shop (and wine club) was mentioned in this piece from the April 2022 issue of one of America's leading wine magazines!

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What Do Our Customers Say?

We are long term customers of Gábor and Carolyn and the Taste Hungary team, all the way back to 2012 when we were living in Budapest. Their offerings, from the wine tours to Tokaj, to the culinary walking tours in the city, to the delicious dinners paired with select winemakers gave us the chance to experience Hungarian food, wine and culture in a very personal way. I continue to demand that my friends and colleagues who visit Budapest spend time with Taste Hungary. We can hardly wait to sample the fantastic wines from small vineyards and winemakers that they personally know right here in the US.

Emily & Michael

Gabor and Carolyn, and their company, Taste Hungary, introduced me to the delicious, beautiful world of Hungarian wines several years ago. I look for Hungarian wines everywhere I go, and now I'm excited to learn that they'll be easy to find, at least in DC.

Thanks to Gábor and Carolyn, and Taste Hungary, we now know the joys of Hungarian wine. It’s so good, I want to keep the secret all to myself, but I can’t help sharing. I’m so happy that my friends in the States can now have easy access to this delicious wine!

Brian & Anne

Living in Budapest for three years, we had the great pleasure of getting to know the people and the wines at the Tasting Table. Gábor, Carolyn and all of their employees were exceptional in suggesting wine, booking events, and hosting their fantastic winemaker dinners. The Tasting Table gave us an open door to high-quality Hungarian wines, food, and culture. Now back in the United States, we look forward to this new wine club to again enjoy their wonderful, small production, Hungarian wine showcase.

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Taste Hungary

Taste hungary wine club, what you'll get.

• Unique, high quality wines, mostly from smaller and family-owned producers, which we’ve specially chosen for club members
• Great wines at great prices. We directly import all of the wines sold in the US, and wines sold in Europe come straight from our Budapest shop.
• Our educational packet—recipe pairings, tasting notes, maps, and information on the regions, varietals, and winemakers—is included with each shipment.
• A steady supply of Hungarian wine shipments delivered to your door throughout the year! Each shipment has a unifying theme (such as focus on a particular region, soil type, winemaker, varietal, or a contrast between styles/regions/varietals).
• Travel deals and tips for when you visit Hungary. For Budapest locals, discounts for our tastings and events, and special member tastings.

Connecting Wine Lovers With Hungary’s Unique Small Batch Wines

The Taste Hungary Wine Club is a tasting (and educational) adventure into the world of Hungarian wine. We’ve always been dedicated to sharing our love for Hungarian food and wine culture, and putting it in context for travelers through our tours, tastings, and writings.

Now, through our regular curated shipments of small-batch wines, you’ll get to experience just how exciting Hungarian wine is from your own home—whether you live in Hungary, the EU, or the US.

We taste hundreds of Hungarian wines every year, and the ones we choose for the wine club shipments tell unique stories, which we hope will transport you to Hungary. These are wines with personalities, made by passionate family producers. We know these regions, wines, and winemakers well. We visit them regularly, and taste wine with them from the barrel, in their cellars, and often at home with their families. We already sell them at The Tasting Table Budapest , and we love bringing travelers to visit them . With each shipment we’ll guide you through the history, geology, regional characteristics, varietals, and styles, and most importantly, the stories, of Hungarian wine.

The Taste Hungary Wine Club also offers the chance to experience Hungary in person through discounts on our tours and tastings (available year-round for all of our tours and wine tastings), and an annual Hungarian Wine Trip for club members. Budapest-based members (and any other member who happens to be passing through Budapest) are invited to our monthly pick-up parties, where we’ll crack open a few bottles of our current favorite wines.

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US Residents

• 4 wine shipments a year (6 or 12 bottles)
• 20% discount on Taste Hungary tours and tastings
• Occasional wine tastings and classes in DC
• Opportunity to join an annual week-long group tour to Hungary to visit the winemakers

Hungarian Residents

• Monthly wine shipments (6 or 12 bottles)
• 10% discount on wine purchased at the Tasting Table (in Budapest or online)
• Monthly wine club tasting in Budapest at the Wine Club Pick-up Party
• Access to special tastings, tours, and events

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Connecting Wine Lover’s with Hungary’s Unique Small-Batch Wine

Every Wine Tells a Story

We present these stories through daily wine tastings in our cellar, and the wines we sell in our shop (and on this site). We work with winemakers who respect their terroir and the local traditions. We also focus on smaller wineries doing great things with minimal intervention. Our wine selection reflects our fascination with Hungary’s native grape varieties, some of which are only grown on a few hectares. Running a wine shop in a dynamic wine-producing country allows us to frequently visit our winemakers to get to know their vineyards, learn their winemaking philosophies, and taste with them in their cellars.

We’d love to share these stories with you!

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“Egerszólát” Olaszrizling – Gál Lajos Pincészet

• Very Small Batch

Olaszrizling – Trinkgeld

Kadarka – Sebestyén Pincészet

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Franom – Havas & Timár Pincészet

“Márga” Furmint Válogatás – St. Donát

Maghari – Malatinszky Kúria

Sík-hegy Egri Bikavér Grand Superior – Gál Lajos Pincészete

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Unique Hungarian Varietals

Csókaszőlő – Bussay Pince

Kéknyelű – Málik Pince

Királyleányka – Nádas Borműhely

Juhfark – Kolonics Pincészet

Natural wines.

Narancsbor – Páger Pincészet

“Freyja” Cserszegi Fűszeres – Sándor Zsolt

Méthode Ancestrale – Bussay Pince

Kövidinka Herreberg – Sziegl Pince

Tokaji sweetness.

“Hetedik” Tokaji Aszú, 6 puttonyos – Disznókő Winery

Mézes Mály Tokaji Aszú, 6 puttonyos – Royal Tokaji

Édes Szamorodni – Szent Benedek Pincészet

Tokaji Eszencia – Béres Tokaj

Taste with us in budapest.

We offer daily wine tastings in our cellar, food and wine tours all over the country, and private events. Whether you have two hours or two weeks, our skilled guides and sommeliers will take you off the beaten path, share stories to put Hungarian history and culture into context, and introduce the delicious foods and drinks that make Hungary’s food culture so unique. Just want to pop in for a glass? We always have a bunch of open bottles in the shop for tasting!

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Every month we curate our favorite wines (and new discoveries) for members of our wine clubs … shipped straight to your door! We have several types of clubs for different kinds of wine-lovers. Each shipment contains a selection of three wines with a unifying theme (such as a focus on a particular region, soil type, winemaker, varietal, or a contrast between styles/regions/varietals). Our wine club is available to ship to most countries in Europe (and in the US ).

It all started with a book. in 2008 Carolyn published her first book on Hungarian food and wine. That year Carolyn and Gábor started Taste Hungary (a food and wine tour company), and the first clients were readers of the book. Their interest (and obsession) with wine grew, and so did general interest in learning about and tasting Hungarian wine. They opened The Tasting Table Cellar in Budapest’s Palace District in 2014, Tasting Table US wine imports and online shop in 2019, and The Tasting Table Wine Shop in 2020 (located across from the cellar). Along the way they gathered a team of fantastic tour guides and sommeliers (and a keen chef).

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A Culinary Walk through the Heart of Budapest with Taste Hungary

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Scrumptious strudel, filling goulash soup and sweet Tokaj wine are just some of the amazing Hungarian delicacies we were fortunate to try on a Taste Hungary culinary walking tour. We are strong believers that food and travel go hand in hand, so whenever we visit a new country we make sure we sample the local cuisine, and what better way to do it than spending four hours walking the streets of Budapest and eating food as you go.

Taste Hungary Culinary Walking Tour

The tour began at 10.00 am by the entrance to the central market hall, which is the oldest and biggest indoor market in Budapest, and can be located at the end of the famous Váci Utca shopping street. We met with our fantastically funny guide Sabi, plus three other fellow Brits who were to join us on the tour. Before we get any further, a special mention must go to our guide Sabi, not only did we learn a lot regarding the food and history of Budapest and Hungary, he made the tour fun and pleasurable experience. Now on to the tour!

One for the road…

Sabi kicked off the tour leading us up to the 1st floor, to a small bar in the corner of the market, and proceeded to order shots all round, of one of Hungary’s national drinks, Unicum. Pronounced oo-nee-coom, it is a Hungarian herbal liqueur consisting of more than 40 herbs and is drunk as a digestif. The recipe is a closely guarded secret and the original recipe is still being used today. Even during communism in Hungary, the Zwack family managed to keep it secret by giving a fake recipe to the Russians.

To be honest, neither of us enjoyed it as it’s very bitter, but as we don’t like wasting anything we downed it for good measure. There is a plum version available, which apparently is more appetizing. It had just gone 10.00 am and we’d had our first drink, what a way to start a tour!

Salami’s & Sausages!

Once back downstairs in the main market hall, our group was led over to a butcher’s stall all the while learning about paprika and the huge role it plays in Hungarian cuisine. Arriving at the butcher’s we were presented with a fine platter of salamis and meats, and what a selection it was! Starting with a winter salami and ending with a horse salami, we tried a whole range of different meats including the very tasty Mangalica (hairy pig) and a surprisingly delicious cow’s tongue.

Super Strudel & Pickled Chili’s

Altogether we spent around an hour in the market hall wandering the stalls taking in the sights and watching the locals going about their daily life. As we made our way around Sabi was always on hand to answer any questions we had and gave us a great rundown regarding the food on display and the history of this great market hall. Along the way, we stopped at a little bakery that served some amazing strudel with a great range of fillings to choose from, we both went for the sour cherry apple filling, guess what? It was delicious (there seems to be a common theme with Hungarian food here). We also visited a pickling stall, where we sampled a range of different pickles, including a range of chili’s and watermelon, apparently, you can pickle anything!

For the Chocolate lovers…

Leaving the central market hall we made our way up Váci Utca heading towards Belvarosi Disznotoros (the butchers) for a Hungarian lunch, via a stop at Mantra coffee minibar, a cozy place that takes coffee very seriously, their attention to detail in their coffee making is second to none and the expresso is the best we’ve ever had.

There was one more stop before lunch and for chocolate lovers, it was quite simply heaven. Rozsavolgyi Csokolade is an award-winning chocolatier who source cocoa beans directly from growers in Venezuela. The chocolates we sampled were some of the best we’ve tested, and between us, we’ve tried a lot! Of course, we couldn’t leave without buying some for later, and was good to know that they support the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund!

Meat, Meat, and More Meat!

Finally, the time had arrived, the moment we had been waiting for since the tour began, lunch at Belvarosi Disznotorus. We waited outside crowding around one of the tables, patiently waiting while Sabi, the guide went and ordered a selection of food. Moments later we were presented with a fine array of typical Hungarian dishes, There was goulash soup, crispy duck leg, roasted pork chunk, blood sausage, local Hungarian sausage, fried potatoes, pickles, braised red cabbage, and a huge slice of bread to clean up.

Needless to say, the food disappeared into our ever-expanding waistline as quickly as it arrived. (unfortunately, we didn’t manage to take a photo of the food, as you can well imagine our minds were on other things!). Lunch was certainly worth the wait and it didn’t disappoint, although we’re not sure we could eat it every day, we’d have to roll everywhere.

Did someone mention cake?

There were two more stops left on the tour, the first a traditional patisserie called Auguszt. Established in 1870 four generations of the same family have been making quality pastries and cakes for locals and tourists to enjoy. We tried a few different cakes including Esterházy, a traditional Hungarian walnut cake with vanilla cream. The cakes were amazing and we’d recommend this place to anyone visiting Budapest who has a sweet tooth.

We left the patisserie, making our way through the local neighborhood to the finalé of the tour, Taste Hungary’s headquarters the Tasting Table, to sample a glass of local wine or two.

We arrived at the final stop of the tour, the Tasting Table, and was introduced to the wonderful Annette who would talk us through the different Hungarian wines and the countries twenty-two wine regions, we went on to learn each region has its own unique grape and wine, before arriving in Budapest we never knew Hungary had such a large wine industry! While Annette was talking us through the different wines we got to try three different types, a white 2013 Babylon Furmint, a red 2013 Bulls Blood, and last but no means least, a 2009 Tokaji dessert wine, a very sweet and quite thick wine, which has a very fruity taste to it.

The wine tasting concluded the tour, which was, without a doubt, one of the best things we did while visiting Budapest. Not only did we taste some amazing food, but we also learned a lot about the history of Budapest and Hungary, Sabi, but the guide also made the tour that little bit more special. We highly recommend anyone with an interest in food to book this tour, just don’t eat breakfast in the morning!

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5 of the Best Budapest Food Tours

Budapest has a great food scene, from traditional fare like stuffed cabbage and chimney cakes to Michelin-starred restaurants. Here’s how to check it out. 

(Photo: getyourguide.com)

Budapest is fast becoming famous for its foodie scene, mixing up traditional hearty comfort food with cutting edge cuisine to satisfy all taste buds. Whether it is goulash and cabbage stuffed with pork, beef and rice, or one of seven Michelin-awarded restaurants, the Hungarian capital has something for everyone. It’s not just warm, salty snacks either, there is a whole host of sweet treats to try too, including chimney cakes and Gyümölcsleves, a cold fruit soup made from sour cream and cherries. Famously separated into two side, the hilly Buda and the flatter Pest, with shabby lanes full of bars and little eateries, the city can take a while to get your head round. That’s why a food tour is highly recommended – here are five of the best Budapest food tours.

Hungarian Grandma’s Tour – Food tour in Budapest

As the name suggests, this is not about seeking out the latest hipster joint in the city, this tour is designed to give a taste of what grandma would serve up on Sundays. The guide is an expert in local fare, taking you off the beaten track in search of real Hungarian cuisine – we’re talking sausages, goulash, langos and a glass of pálinka, a traditional fruit spirit. Lunch is at an authentic local restaurant and then it’s on to a wine bar to sample two of the most famous Hungarian wines. It’s a great introduction into the world of Hungarian food and drink. From €103.39.

Book at Getyourguide.com

Jewish Cuisine and Culture Walk

Jewish food is a key part of Budapest cuisine. The Jewish Quarter, the city’s seventh district and one-time ghetto, has changed a lot over the years, now being a hip hangout full of quirky bars, trendy cafes, secret art galleries and design shops. This tour aims to navigate through the modern facade, visiting the Dohány Street Synagogue and taking in the diverse traditional Hungarian-Jewish culinary offerings in Budapest, including sausages, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, Jewish eggs, cholent, roasted goose, and flódni. You’ll leave the tour with a great understanding of Hungary’s Jewish history, culture, and cuisine – and a full belly. From €102.11.

Budapest Food Tour

This 3.5-hour tour is about getting to know both Budapest and its food, traveling through various neighborhoods tasting regional foods and learning about the city in a fun, informative way as you explore. The food and drink is tasty, traditional – there’s nothing too out of the box here – and starts with a visit a local café house to taste a delicious homemade Hungarian strudel and an espresso. Then there is a stop at a street food stand for Hungarian langos, goulash soup at a classic restaurant, and tastings of Hungarian sausages, pickled vegetables, and local cheese. All washed down by some organic Hungarian wine. From €87.92.

Book at  Getyourguide.com

Food and Wine Tastings Tour

This is another tour that focuses on local food, heading to a number of different venues in Budapest, including a spice shop, kosher bakery, coffee house, candy producer or artisan chocolate shop, depending on the day of the week. There is also a visit to the Central Market Hall to learn about how locals use ingredients such as pork fat, paprika and goose liver. Finally, during the four-hour tour, sample typical dishes at a butcher’s shop and go to a traditional patisserie to taste the elegant cakes. End with a tasting of three wines from the different wine regions of Hungary. From €106.76.

Vegan Hungarian Food Tour / Local delights

Hungarian food is not exactly famous for its vegan food – meat does feature a lot – but times are changing. This vegan tour is proof of a new taste for meat-free options in Budapest. The group visits four vegan food establishments, trying meatless and dairy-free versions of goulash, paprikash, and chimney cake in a bakery, bistro, and two restaurants. The guide is a licensed vegan chef and the group is kept small. It’s a wonderful alternative view of Budapest’s food scene – and recommended even for non-vegans. From €52.00.

Book at  Viator.com

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Xi's European tour: red carpets, but 'no breakthroughs' on tensions

A s Chinese President Xi Jinping wraps up his European tour with his stop in Budapest, analysts say the Chinese leader made an impression but no real breakthroughs on trade and Ukraine tensions.

This week's tour was his first to the continent since 2019 and led the Chinese leader to France, Serbia and Hungary.

- Royal welcome -

Xi began his tour in France, where President Emmanuel Macron received him with pomp and ceremony, including a dinner at the Elysee Palace.

But there was also a more informal day that included a trip to the French leader's childhood haunt in the Pyrenees mountains.

Macron took Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan to taste local wine and watch a dance performance. They offered him gifts such as berets and a Tour de France yellow jersey.

In Belgrade, President Aleksandar Vucic showered his "friend of Serbia" with the "respect and love" he said Xi would "not find anywhere else".

The final leg of Xi's trip took him to Hungary, Beijing's closest ally in the European Union.

He was received with military honours, attended a gala dinner and held long discussions at the residence of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"For Xi, it was a good trip" that placed him again at the centre of international attention, said Bernhard Bartsch, a specialist in Europe-China relations at the Mercator Institute for China Studies.

"In France, he got the media images that his home audience expects of him as a respected global leader," he told AFP.

Xi's trips to Serbia and Hungary were "a show of force" aimed at throwing his political weight behind "the two governments that pose the greatest challenge to European unity".

- 'No breakthrough' -

Analyst Ja Ian Chong from the University of Singapore however said he wouldn't qualify Xi's trip to Europe as a "victory".

"There was no breakthrough," he said, even though Macron had invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Paris to press Xi over imbalances in global trade.

It remains to be seen whether Xi's trip will result in "a clear and persistent European commitment not to take action on their trade dispute with (China), including on alleged overcapacity and dumping," he explained.

In recent months, the EU has stepped up its investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by China in different sectors, from solar panels to electric vehicle subsidies.

Beijing has slammed the moves as "protectionism".

While Xi flaunted China's flourishing "global strategic partnership" with Hungary, it is unclear to what extent it has convinced other EU countries for whom "material gains... may not always be the top goal," notes Chong.

"The trip has done little or nothing to improve Europe's strategic confidence or trust in Beijing direction," said Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University.

It did not help that Xi chose to visit Belgrade and Budapest, while avoiding other major capitals such as Berlin and Brussels, thus potentially "accentuating the message that NATO and China are security rivals, even adversaries".   

- War in Ukraine - 

During the visit to France, Macron thanked Xi for backing his idea of a truce in all conflicts, including Ukraine, during the Paris Olympics this summer.

But the Chinese leader -- who is due to host Russian President Vladimir Putin in China later this month -- did not appear to be willing to compromise on his relations with Moscow.

Xi also warned against using the Ukraine crisis "to cast blame, smear a third country and incite a new Cold War", insisting that Beijing was playing a "positive role" in trying to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Some European countries are concerned that while officially neutral over the Ukraine conflict, China is essentially backing Russia, which is using Chinese machine tools in arms production.

"Macron and von der Leyen have clearly explained the European position to Xi on Russia's war against Ukraine, but there are no signs that the Chinese position will fundamentally change," said Bartsch.

Especially since the trip ended with Orban, who is also close to the Kremlin and who praised China's crucial efforts to "promote peace in the region".

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