Budapest
Budapest has always understood the value of a good reveal. At first glance, it is a city of sweeping gestures: the Danube cutting a dramatic line between Buda and Pest, bridges strung between hills and boulevards, and architecture that speaks of an age when the city was intent on rivalling Vienna and Paris. But its pleasures are often found in the details: a tucked away courtyard café, a public bath built with stately grandeur, a bottle of natural wine opened on the terrace.
“Budapest rewards curiosity,” says Áron Szilágyi, guest relations agent at the Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest. “Beyond its grand landmarks, the city reveals itself through hidden courtyards, historic coffee houses and architectural details that reflect its layered past.” Here, Szilágyi shares a few local recommendations, followed by Monocle’s own favourite addresses across the city.
Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest
Part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Párisi Udvar is a masterstroke of elegance, from its awe-inspiring fin-de-siècle facade stretching across two streets to its main feature: a vast indoor arcade, adorned with ornate stained-glass cupolas and intricate carvings. The clue is in the title: the hotel’s name translates as “Paris courtyard”. The hotel’s building began life as a shopping arcade and its ethos – as a place to see and be seen – remains intact. It was later the home of the Central Savings Bank, whose bee motif is prominent in the design.
Párisi Passage Café and Restaurant
Set beneath the glass arcade and crystal dome of Párisi Udvar, Párisi Passage Café and Restaurant is one of the city’s most atmospheric stops. The room brings together neo-gothic, art nouveau and Moorish influences, with stained glass and vaulted ceilings providing a suitably grand backdrop for Hungarian cooking. Come for coffee and patisserie during the day, or settle in for dinner when the passage takes on a more cinematic glow. Either way, this is Budapest at its most theatrical: ornate and unafraid of a little splendour.
WEBSITE
Castle District
Cross the Danube and climb to the Castle District, where Hungarian history unfolds along cobbled streets and viewing terraces. From medieval foundations and Baroque townhouses to Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, the neighbourhood gathers many of the country’s most significant landmarks into one walkable quarter. Between the grand set pieces are small galleries and tucked-away cafés that remind you that this is still a lived-in neighbourhood. Go early, stay for the views, then take the long route back down at a leisurely pace.
Monocle’s top picks…
Bars and restaurants
Marlou
Tucked behind the Hungarian State Opera House, Marlou is a relaxed wine bar and bottle shop with a taste for low-intervention wines from Hungary, Europe and further afield. It is the sort of place that feels seamlessly plugged into the city: warm lighting, informed staff and shelves worth browsing before you commit to a glass. Stop by before a performance or stay longer over small plates.
WEBSITE
Onyx
Onyx has long been one of Budapest’s most closely watched dining rooms. After becoming the first restaurant in East-Central Europe to receive two Michelin stars, it closed and returned with a more experimental approach dubbed ‘Æther’. The experience moves beyond the old model of chef-led fine dining, drawing on a wider creative team and a sense of culinary theatre over 11 courses.
WEBSITE
Café Gerbeaud
Few Budapest institutions carry themselves with quite the same confidence as Café Gerbeaud. Its story began in 1858 and its chandeliers, polished service and counters of cakes still make a persuasive case for the Central European coffeehouse. Come for a slice of Dobos torte, a rich hot chocolate or simply to watch the room in motion. It remains classic without feeling frozen in time.
WEBSITE
Culture
Hungarian State Opera House
Sitting proudly on Andrássy Avenue, the Hungarian State Opera House is the work of the 19th-century architect Miklós Ybl. Opened to the public in 1884, this is the country’s foremost venue for new productions and long-established revivals. Be warned, however, that distractions are plentiful. The ceilings are a work of art, while watching the colourful audience members in their boxes can often be as entertaining as the on-stage action.
WEBSITE
Museum of Fine Arts
We have the exquisite tastes of a select few Hungarian aristocrats to thank for much of the Museum of Fine Arts’ permanent collection. Set on Heroes’ Square, the institution holds one of the region’s most important collections of European art, spanning antiquity to the present day. Its Old Masters are the main draw, with works associated with Raphael, El Greco, Goya and other heavyweights of the European canon.
WEBSITE
