I wrote this post after a weekend in Budapest in April 2022. The addresses were checked again in October 2026, and I added two 100% gluten-free places.

Traditional Hungarian food

Traditional Hungarian cooking is all about paprika and meat. You will find both in most dishes on traditional menus. Here are the dishes that should not contain gluten, although I have not checked every restaurant in the country!

Always carry gluten-free bread. Hungarian meals include lots of soup, usually with bread, so you can eat like everyone else. There are also several tapas-style restaurants in the center, where having bread on hand is essential.

In Hungarian, gluten-free is gluténmentes, and lisztérzékeny means celiac. Many menus are in English too.

Hungarian goulash, naturally gluten-free

Starters

The Hungarian tradition is to start with soup. Careful, a Hungarian soup is a serious affair... You will quickly find that Hungarian food is very filling, and a soup can be plenty on its own. Even in non-Hungarian restaurants, portions are very generous.

Soups often come with bread, or even in a bread bowl! It is fun, but not very gluten-free. If you order soup, check how it is served to avoid bad surprises.

Here are traditional soups that are normally gluten-free:

  • The famous goulash, a soup of meat (usually beef), paprika, onions, potatoes and vegetables (tomatoes, peppers). A full meal in a bowl! Goulash is sometimes served as a main course.
  • Halászlé, do not ask me how to pronounce it... A paprika fish soup with onions, sometimes described as a pepper bouillabaisse.
  • White bean soup, with smoked meat, vegetables and... paprika. Again, very filling.
  • Foie gras. The first time, I thought I was reading a French menu! But Hungary produces a lot of foie gras, so you will see it on many menus.

Main courses

  • Lecsó, a stew of tomatoes, fresh peppers and onion, a bit like ratatouille. It comes with many sides: meat, egg, rice...
  • Töltött paprika, peppers stuffed with ground meat, onions and rice, in tomato sauce. Now that I think about it, it is very close to my stuffed peppers recipe (in French): I cooked Hungarian without knowing it!
Other dishes look gluten-free, like stews or chicken paprikash. I have not listed them for two reasons: I do not know what goes into the sauces, and they are very often served with nokedli , small dumplings that look like gnocchi. If you find gluten-free versions, tell me in the comments and I will add them.

There is no dessert section, because I did not find a typical dessert that is naturally gluten-free. But there are several gluten-free bakeries, listed below.

Grocery basket

Grocery shopping

I did not cook in Budapest, but I went into several supermarkets to look at gluten-free products and buy bread. I found gluten-free products at SPAR and DM (a drugstore chain). You will find the usual Schär products, at prices similar to France. Hungary uses the forint (HUF), not the euro.

Most shops are closed on Sundays, even in the morning. Shop ahead: convenience stores will not give you enough for a decent meal.

One hundred percent written in chalk

100% gluten-free places

There are lots of 100% gluten-free places in Budapest. I even read on a blog that there are more than in San Francisco! And in my own experience, I did find many entirely gluten-free places. Here is a list that is not exhaustive, but should be enough for a short stay. Many links go to Facebook pages, as many restaurants have no website.

Monkey's

I mention it first because it was my first stop in Budapest, on the evening I arrived. In the heart of Pest's trendy district, this restaurant is entirely gluten-free, staff included! The cook and the owner are gluten intolerant and the waitress is celiac.

They opened about ten years ago, and at the time they had two kitchens, one with gluten and one without. Once their gluten-free recipes were perfected, they dropped the gluten kitchen to go 100% gluten-free. They now use the second kitchen for vegan dishes without cross-contamination, which is ideal if you are lactose intolerant or a strict vegan. They pay attention to every food allergy and ask when you arrive, to make sure you can eat safely.

The menu: varied starters, vegan dishes, a big choice of burgers (I admit, I went for one), lots of local and imported beers, several of them gluten-free. Five or six desserts, many of them vegan. I tried the Danish apple and cinnamon dessert: very good and light, perfect after the burger.

Highly recommended!

Dob utca 6, District VII

Kata Restaurant

This gluten-free restaurant opens in the morning, so it is a good place for breakfast. The menu is very varied: Hungarian dishes like goulash, but also burgers (including a Beyond Meat option), pasta, fish and chips... The dessert choice is small, but they are all gluten-free, which is 100% more than most restaurants in Budapest. The plates are beautifully presented, and prices are slightly higher than in other (non-touristy) restaurants, but very reasonable for gluten-free food.

This restaurant replaced the gluten-free restaurant Drop, which closed during the pandemic. The menu is much the same if you knew it.

Kata PEST, Hajós utca 27, a few minutes' walk from the Opera House. It is entirely dairy-free too.

Cöli Bisztró

This gluten-free bistro serves quick food: burgers, pizza, hot dogs, pasta... and breakfasts and Hungarian pastries. Being able to buy gluten-free sandwiches is a real luxury, compared to sitting down in a restaurant for two hours. The pizzas are not exceptional, but the bread is very good. There is also a small grocery corner, handy between two sights.

Jókai utca 40

Tibidabo Bakery

This bakery is entirely gluten-free and dairy-free, and also rice-free, corn-free and low-carb. I stopped for a sandwich and a slice of cake for a quick lunch. For Budapest, prices are a bit high, but for a quick gluten-free meal of this quality, I highly recommend it. For sandwiches, arrive early: by 1 pm there is not much left.

They also have cake slices all day for a sweet break, pastries (I loved the cinnamon roll, one of my weaknesses) and gluten-free products.

It is in the center (Dohány utca 7), ideal between two visits, and you can eat in. The entrance is at the back of the building Google Maps shows.

Manioka Bakery

This bakery sells gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free breads and pastries, with options for other allergies. Go early, as most products sell out in the afternoon. It is a good place to try Hungarian pastries gluten-free, like bejgli (poppy seed or walnut roll) or rétes (strudel).

Ráday utca 15

Bohémtanya

I have not tried this family restaurant yet, open since 1975, which now cooks Hungarian classics entirely gluten-free and dairy-free. The ideal place to taste Hungarian food without asking questions.

Paulay Ede utca 6

NonGlutén Pizzéria

A 100% gluten-free pizzeria, in the bar district. I have not tried it.

Király utca 58

Gluten free spelled out in letters

Gluten-free-friendly places

As I said at the start, most restaurants mark gluten-free dishes on the menu. These are dishes without gluten ingredients: cross-contamination is always possible, depending on how they are prepared. But it helps you rule out restaurants, or eat out if you tolerate traces. If you are celiac, call to check before you go.

Fajitas at Tereza, a Mexican restaurant in Budapest

Tereza

This Mexican restaurant has an almost entirely gluten-free menu, except for the quesadillas (wheat tortillas). I went in winter, so I could not enjoy the courtyard terrace, which looks lovely in the photos. The atmosphere inside is great, with Latin music that is not too loud. It is in District VI (Nagymező utca 3), close to the nightlife district, just outside the very center.

The dishes are generous and very good, according to a Mexican food expert. Prices are fair, except for the cocktails, which are quite expensive. For a light meal, go for the tacos; if you are hungry, the fajitas are for you (photo above).

Others

  • McDonald's. I have not tried it, but there used to be a gluten-free option in Budapest (a double cheeseburger with a Schär bun). I could not find recent information confirming it still exists. Given Hungarian restaurant prices, I suggest trying Hungarian food first, but that is just my opinion.
  • Hotel Eurostars Ambassador. A four-star hotel near Oktogon metro station (Eötvös utca 12). If breakfast is included, you can ask for gluten-free bread at no extra cost, and you may even get cakes.
  • Hotel Parliament, now renamed Ikonik Parlament (Kálmán Imre utca 19), a four-star hotel in central Pest. The staff take food allergies very seriously, and there are gluten-free options at breakfast.

Friends toasting with colorful cocktails

Going out gluten-free

Budapest is famous for its nightlife, so I had to mention it. If you like to party, go to a ruin bar, an abandoned building turned into a bar or club. Entry is free, so you can just have a look, but you will probably stay: most have many rooms with different atmospheres.

Eating (and drinking) gluten-free will not be a problem. Hungary is a wine country, with wine bars serving local grapes. I recommend Doblo (Dob utca 20): pricey for Budapest, but a great wine list, good advice, live music some nights, and in the nightlife district if you want to go dancing afterwards.

Doblo wine bar in Budapest

You will also find wine in every restaurant and bar, and lots of cocktails at very competitive prices. For celiacs who like a drink now and then, you are freed from the beer problem!

Continuing through Central Europe? Read my gluten-free Prague guide, and my gluten-free travel tips. If you have more tips about Budapest, share them in the comments!

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