Budapest in Hungary is home to hearty dishes such as goulash, blood sausage, pörkölt, somló trifle and lángos. It has been named the authentic food capital of Europe

Budapest has been named as Europe’s best city for authentic food experiences.

The Hungarian capital is the place to go if you’re after delicious food served up in independent restaurants. It is also a relatively short three-hours away from the UK on flights that cost from £14.

To help tourists expand their palettes, Saga Holidays conducted a study to uncover Europe’s most authentic food destinations by analysing 5,000 restaurants across 125 European cities. Researchers picked through Google review data to track how often diners praised restaurants and dishes as ‘authentic’, alongside an overall sentiment score, to create a final ranking of authentic food cities.

Food can be a celebration of culture and for many, it can be what holiday itineraries revolve around. Yet, while nearly 8 in 10 Brits (79%) say finding authentic food is important when abroad, three-quarters admit that they struggle to know where to go beyond the tourist hotspots.

Budapest (98/100) tops Saga Holidays’ authentic food ranking. There is a good reason why Budapest is known as ‘The Paris of the East’. In addition to its grand, towering town houses and city blocks that bear more than a passing resemblance to the French capital, it also shares a love of fine, artery-clogging dining.

Hungarian cuisine is hearty and filling, with a heavy use of meats. Among the must-try foods are:

• Goulash: A hearty beef soup with potatoes and carrots.
• Hortobágy crêpes: Hungary’s more refined take on enchiladas—these savory crepes are stuffed with stew or minced meat and topped with a creamy paprika sauce. They make excellent starters or even a main course.
• Pörkölt/Paprikás: A thick stew, either plain or mixed with sour cream, often mistaken internationally for goulash. Catfish served with curd cheese and dill noodles are a particularly fine version.
• Roast sausage and blood sausage (hurka-kolbász): Best enjoyed at authentic butcher shops like Pinczi, accompanied by pickled vegetables, mustard (or horseradish), fresh white bread, and a cold beer.
• Lángos: Hungarians traditionally eat it with salt, garlic, sour cream, and/or cheese. The wild versions topped with sausage or kebab are mostly designed to appeal to tourists.
• Somló trifle: A delicious walnut sponge cake dessert layered with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
• Chimney cake: A sweet, spiral-shaped pull-apart bread roasted over charcoal and coated in your choice of toppings—usually nuts, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, cocoa, or coconut flakes.

Budapest local Vernazza has put together a fantastic guide for first-time visitors to the Hungarian capital. The guide offers many great suggestions for places to eat, drink, party, and much else. It also includes some advice about cultural customs that may come as a shock.

“Brusque service by waiters is one of the most common complaints of tourists about their visit to Hungary. Prepare for that, but also remember that the lack of US-style overly friendliness is not necessarily rudeness in itself, just formality,” Vernazza writes.

For the more authentic experience, stay away from the tourist traps around Váci utca, along the Danube and on Andrássy út. Menus displayed in English outside a restaurant are typically a sign that an eatery is not frequented by locals, as is a host tempting you in.

“Waiters in folk dresses, excessive decoration, or live gypsy music are sure signs of a place you don’t want to eat at. In case you prefer the folksy experience, one exception to this rule is Paprika Vendéglő next to Heroes’ Square,” Vernazza continues.

The Sunday farmers’ at Szimpla ruin pub serves up artisanal, vegan and otherwise niche products, while more traditional fare is often on offer from the outdoor stalls of Hunyadi tér, Fény utca or the Lehel tér hall.

In terms of restaurants, Budapest is a big city of nearly two million that stretches about 35km from east to west, so where you decide to eat will likely depend on where you’re staying. Here are some of the more hotly tipped options:

• Rosenstein (a traditional Hungarian restaurant)
• Két Szerecsen (cozy Hungarian)
• Olimpia (casual fine dining)
• Borkonyha (business casual fine dining, Michelin-star)
• Kispiac (modern Hungarian)
• Tüköry (traditional Hungarian on a budget)
• Ruben (traditional Hungarian on a budget)

Saga’s authentic food cities

1. Budapest, Hungary
2. Piraeus, Greece
3. Athens, Greece
4. Vienna, Austria
5. Krakow, Poland
6. Prague, Czech Republic
7. Valletta, Malta
8. Warsaw, Poland
9. Munich, Germany
10. Milan, Italy