Where to Find the Best Vegan Food in Budapest

Budapest wasn’t really somewhere I expected to find good vegan food. But I love when a city truly surprises me and I managed to find some true gems in the Hungarian capital.

As usual, I scoured my beloved Happy Cow site to look for vegan eateries in the city. I found far too many to try within three days but here’s a quick rundown of those that I managed to sample.

Kozmosz Vegan Restaurant

My first stop was Kozmosz Vegan Restaurant, which was a short walk from my hostel at the Oktogon junction.

Located in a basement, the restaurant has domed ceilings, exposed brick walls, and simple wooden furnishing throughout. The cosy and informal vibe suited me perfectly; I find it far less awkward to eat alone in casual settings.

The cuisine was similar to pub food – burgers, pasta, seitan “steak”, quesadillas and such. This is by no means a bad thing – I love a good pub meal! (If you’ve been following for a while, you’ll know that I have a particular weakness for a good veggie burger.)

I ordered the Deep Purple Burger – a beetroot patty with salad and vegan horseradish mayo. It came with fried potatoes (similar to chunky chips) with a delicious seasoning. The portion was generous and the burger was huge and so tasty!

Skipping my usual pint with a “pub lunch” I had a Fritz Cola instead. I finished with a “latte”, which was the only slightly disappointing part of the meal as it was more like instant coffee.

However, when the bill came and I converted the total into Pounds, I was stoked – just over £7 for the whole thing! SEVEN POUNDS! My coffee cost me just over a Pound (!) so I forgave it for being underwhelming.

I highly recommend this place for super-cheap but generous and tasty food.

Great Bistro

Great Bistro is in the centre of town and seemed a popular place for locals to grab a bite. The interior is cute with pastel-painted wooden furnishings.

The bistro offers daily lunch specials as well as a permanent a la carte menu which has the standards – soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as some interesting dishes like “faux fois gras” carrot “salmon” toast. They also serve coconut milk buckwheat pancakes with a range of indulgent toppings.

Not gonna lie, I was pretty tempted by the pancakes. However, being lunchtime I stuck with the club sandwich (lettuce, green apple, tempeh, coconut bacon, vegan cheddar, vegan mayo & pickle) paired with a strawberry and apple juice.

Unfortunately, I felt a little let down by my choice. The juice was quite small and served at room temperature, which isn’t my thing. And although it was pretty tasty and fresh, the club sandwich was surprisingly small given the price (it looks bigger in the pic as I cropped most of the plate!). In fact, I paid almost the same for the sandwich alone as I did for my entire burger meal and drink the day prior!

Although I was underwhelmed by my meal, the service was friendly and I liked the vibe, so I’d still go back to try the pancakes!

Veggie Nyers Vegan Bisztro

Veggie Nyers Vegán Bisztró would not be out-of-place in East London. With basket seats, indoor plants a-plenty and cute slogan signs, it has a bit of a hipster vibe.

This raw vegan bistro offers a range of smoothies, cakes, soups, and salads. They also have coffee served with their own plant-milk blend (a mix of coconut, almond and cashew).

I grabbed a slice of raw mango cheesecake and enjoyed it with a delicious latte. Prices were pretty reasonable for a central location, making this the perfect cafe for an afternoon tea stop.

Körösfői Kürtőskalács

Körösfői Kürtőskalács is actually a little street food stall, rather than a cafe or restaurant but I had to include it. Located outside the Budapest Citadel (go there for the views!) this little stand selling traditional Hungarian street food Kürtőskalács (“chimney cakes”) surprised me with its all-vegan menu!

These delicious treats are made from dough, which is roasted on a cone-shaped spit so the outside gets all crispy and the inside stays deliciously soft and fluffy. They’re then coated in sugar, cinnamon and other toppings and can be filled with creams or sauces. They’re kind of like hollow, chimney-shaped doughnuts. Drool.

I went for plain cinnamon sugar, which was served deliciously warm and only set me back around £2.50. Seriously, if you ever visit Budapest… get one.

If you’ve been to Budapest, let me know below where you found tasty vegan food!

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