Michelin in Budapest: The Latest Guide
In 2023, the international dining guide announced a list of 75 Hungarian restaurants that joined the Michelin ranks, both in terms of stars and recommendations, including Bib Gourmand which highlights cozy eateries with a democratic pricing policy. Out of all the featured projects, 28 are located in the capital city of Budapest. This selection talks about the restaurants that have earned various numbers of stars.
2 Michelin Stars
Stand
Székely Mihály Street 2, Budapest
Stand, led by chef duo Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló, earned its first star less than a year after opening in 2019. This year, their elegant brainchild received its second. With a monochrome interior, neutral tones, an open kitchen behind clear glass, and a modern twist on classic Hungarian cuisine, the restaurant stands out for its restraint and genuinely high taste. The team’s mission is to explore and present Hungarian cuisine from various angles, showing that it’s not all about goulash and kürtőskalács. Their core principles include working with local producers and farmers, sharing the story of terroir, and adhering to a sustainability ethos. Located at the heart of the city’s social life, between the Opera and the Jewish Quarter, Stand adds a few more reasons to its list of why to visit. Additionally, it boasts a wine list with exclusive Tokaji wines.
1 Michelin Star
Babel
Piarista Köz 2, Budapest
Babel is a melting pot of cultures and perspectives on modern dining. Head Chef Kornél Kaszás and his team focus on Transylvanian cuisine, blending it with Austro-Hungarian traditions and a dash of global culinary influences. You’ll find Ukrainian, Serbian, and quintessentially Hungarian recipes, all grounded in Carpathian roots. Swedish Chef David Berlin also serves as a key culinary consultant. The restaurant’s interior and art components were crafted by renowned Hungarian artists and craftsmen, with ceramics by Russian-rooted potter Ksenia Wallenstein. The Babel team celebrates life in all its forms, declaring on their website, “We all have weekends and free mornings and evenings, so we never tire of delivering an unforgettable experience to our guests.” For this reason, booking in advance is recommended.
Borkonyha Winekitchen
Sas Street 3, Budapest
This “Wine Kitchen” opposite St. Stephen’s Basilica boasts over 200 unique Hungarian wines, including some rare finds. It’s unusual for a Michelin-starred restaurant to offer ¼ of its wines by the glass, a delightful surprise. Besides wines, the menu features somewhat designer a-la-carte and tasting menus, paired not just with wine but also with organic juices. Prices are surprisingly democratic, and the atmosphere is decidedly informal. The interior is enhanced with elegant natural materials (like a large tree installation made of geometric lines), retro crystal chandeliers, and old photographs of Budapest.
Costes
Ráday Street 4, Budapest
This restaurant kicked off Hungary’s Michelin story, earning its first star in 2010. Initially led by a Portuguese chef, the focus now, under Jenő Rácz, is on Hungarian cuisine with a global twist. The tasting menu offers seven courses of creative presentations, predominantly featuring local wines. Michelin experts recommend securing a table at the beginning of the main hall to fully appreciate the restaurant’s spaciousness and ambiance.
Essência
Sas Street 17, Budapest
A Portuguese-Hungarian fusion from the family duo Tiago and Éva, decorated with authentic Portuguese azulejo tiles and a story of love. Despite speaking different languages, Tiago and Éva created their own, which they now use to communicate with their guests through food that reminisces about childhood’s main flavors. The menu blends Portuguese and Hungarian culinary roots with current cooking techniques, encapsulating the chefs’ life and professional experiences, or their Essência. Besides the tasting menu, an a-la-carte option is available during the day. The wine list features an international selection, focusing on the culinary direction.
Rumour
Petőfi Square 3, Budapest
Jenő Rácz’s personal project is a spectacle of red hues centered around an open kitchen-cum-gastronomic stage. The heart of the space is a chef’s table for 21 guests, surrounded by mirrors, bricks, and modernist paintings. Having traveled and worked globally, Rácz brings his memories to life at Rumour, introducing guests to the latest trends in modern cuisine. The vibrant presentation and visualization of each dish are complemented by details like the red leather chairs and carefully selected dinner music.
Salt
Királyi Pál Street 4, Budapest
Located in the boutique Hotel Rum Budapest, this restaurant by eco-conscious chef Szilárd Tóth is based on principles of mindful consumption and environmental responsibility. Culinary techniques focus on fermentation and aging, with an interior featuring light, slightly rustic tones and endless shelves of homemade preserves. Classic Hungarian recipes, adapted to modern tastes, are prepared in the open kitchen using products made within the restaurant.
Green Michelin Star
Onyx Műhely
Vörösmarty Square 7-8, Budapest
A creative and decidedly “green” space by the ONYX Creative Community team. ONYX’s main principles include selecting quality, organic products, choosing equipment and accessories wisely, sensible energy consumption, using eco-friendly cleaning products, waste management, and fostering a worldview focused on mindful consumption and calculating the carbon footprint. Guests at Onyx Műhely are welcomed together, starting with drinks and snacks before being invited to a cozy room with an open kitchen. At the end, guests are encouraged to leave written feedback or chat one-on-one with the chef team.
Salt also received the Green Award.
All restaurants have confirmed their star status, shining brightly in the Michelin sky. Meanwhile, the guide’s other sections introduced 15 newcomers in just one year. Over the last 13 years, since Hungary’s first Michelin award in 2010, Hungarian cuisine has significantly raised its profile on the world stage, breaking culinary stereotypes about its simplicity and lack of variety.
Read also:
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Guest author: Maria Zantsevich