Football fans from London and Paris will descend upon the Puskás Aréna on May 30 as Arsenal take on PSG in the Uefa Champions League final.
But beyond the showpiece event in the football calendar, it’s not hard to find an excuse to visit Budapest. Hungary’s capital, straddling the Danube, combines stately beauty with a buzz that never wanes.
Pest is the heart of the city, an agreeable mix of wide boulevards, Art Nouveau gems, old-fashioned thermal baths and a dizzying number of excellent places to eat and drink.
But be sure to cross the River Danube to more dignified Buda for a stroll among its grand palaces, elaborate bastions and pleasing Baroque architecture.
Where to stay
Housed in a reconstructed 19th-century palace just a few minutes away from the Danube, the Prestige Hotel (00 36 1 920 1000; prestigehotelbudapest.com) is among Budapest’s smart four-star hotels. Decked in creamy tasteful wood and touches of gold, most of its elegant rooms look out over its soaring atrium crowned with an enormous Swarovski chandelier. The effect is dazzling rather than blindingly bling.
There’s a small spa with a hot tub and a gym, and the chilled-out dining room is run by Michelin-starred restaurant Costes Downtown. The same kitchen provides the excellent breakfast, including specialities such as blinis with smoked salmon and sturgeon caviar.
What to eat and drink
If you want to get away from the tourist crowds around Buda’s bastions, take the winding streets down to Mandragora (00 36 1 202 2165; mandragorakevehaz.hu). It’s old-style Hungarian comfort food in a warm setting, but with an emphasis on quality organic ingredients. Try the pork fillet in peppery pearl barley risotto or go for the classic goulash that’s a cut above the standard offering.
Among the touristy restaurants along Liszt Ferenc Square, Menza (00 36 1 413 1482; menzaetterem.hu) won’t be the one with staff out front touting for business. Its name harks back to the communist-era canteens but its Seventies-style decor is classy and the wonderfully succulent beef stew just melts in the mouth.
Among the bewildering choice in the lively Jewish quarter is rustic yet funky Koleves (00 36 1 322 1011; koleves.com), with its artfully arranged jumble of vintage kitchen stuff under the high ceilings of a former kosher meat plant. Vegetarians are well catered for, with an innovative selection of dishes — spinach and feta rolls with harissa yoghurt, courgette and chickpea fritters with quinoa — along with rib-sticking plates of grilled chicken breast, roast lamb and slow-cooked goose. Weather permitting, you can also relax in the colourfully ramshackle garden.
While Budapest’s ruin bars have been hogging the headlines in recent years, the city’s craft beer scene has been quietly but steadily growing in popularity. In Hunyadi Square, look out for Ogre Bacsi (00 36 30 302 8466; facebook.com/ogrebacsisorozo). Inside the cosy vaulted cellar, owner Ogre (who cheerfully acknowledges his uncanny resemblance to Shrek) serves craft lagers and ales from the award-winning Szent András Brewery.
On the eastern edge of the Jewish Quarter, Csak a jo sor (00 36 30 251 4737; csakajosor.hu) serves exactly what its name translates as: only good beer. Pull up a rickety chair in this convivial little spit-and-sawdust bar and sample its huge selection of beers from around the world.
Where to shop
For a change from the tourist emporia selling paprika gift sets and embroidery, visit Magma (00 36 1 235 0277; magma.hu). The homeware, accessories and artworks, all by Hungarian designers, showcase witty, fresh designs without the “I saw you coming” price tags.
On busy Kossuth Lajos utca, look out for the tranquil 19th-century courtyard of Paloma (00 36 20 961 9160). Its graceful arched columns hide an eclectic mix of boutiques and studios selling clothes, bags and jewellery from local designers and artists.
What to do and see
Learn about the country’s chequered 20th-century history at The House of Terror (00 36 61 374 2600; houseofterror.hu). It recalls not only the murderous activities of the fascist Arrow Cross during the Second World War but also the communist years and the secret police. The re-created police cells in the basement are quite harrowing. Similarly, the Holocaust Memorial Centre (00 36 1 455 3333; hdke.hu), which shares its space with a beautiful Art Deco synagogue, tells in stark, haunting detail the fate of Hungary’s Jews and Roma.
Details: Budapest
Budapest is served by Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com), Wizz Air (0911 752 2257; wizzair.com), easyJet (0330 365 5000; easyjet.com) and British Airways (0344 493 0787; ba.com).
For tours of the city, contact Gabriella Balint on 00 36 30 977 0461.
Christmas in Budapest
Until New Year’s Day the Budapest Advent and Christmas Fair sets up dozens of stalls in the city centre’s Vörösmarty Square. And it won’t be just any old tat: a jury weeds out the mediocre and selects only the best producers of gifts, crafts and — most importantly — food. Check out the mouthwatering treats on offer in the food pavilion — everything from Hungarian cakes and hand-made chocolates to unfeasibly large sausages and the hugely calorific fried filled flatbread known as langos. This hearty treat comes topped with the likes of sour cream, cheese, sausages, garlic butter and more. Come between 4pm and 8pm to catch daily performances of live music, while at weekends there will be puppet theatre and dance performances for children as well as a heated playhouse where kids can learn all sorts of crafts.
