Indian Palate
We went here on our first day as we know most Indian restaurants offer many safe options. This is a few minutes walk from the Elizabeth Bridge, away from the river and we walked back to eat here after visiting the Shoes on the Danube Bank, further along the river.
I had a biryani ( I’ve never had one before in all my years of eating curries!) which was beautifully presented and deceptively large, It came with dips which were lovely. My daughter had a Jalfrezi. As seems to be usual in European Indian restaurants we were asked if we wanted our curries mild, medium or spicy. We both opted for medium and I would say they were more on the mild side but very tasty. We were also able to have poppadoms and dips.
Free – Gluten Free Bakery
There are several dedicated gluten free bakeries dotted around the city and this one is just around the corner from St Stephen’s Basilica. We have found bakeries to be a life saver if you want a quick lunch or snack and for buying up items to take on a trip. Luckily we had breakfast in our hotel this time but if we hadn’t then this would have been somewhere we would have come to stock up on pastries. We stocked up on the cheese croissants here. There is a good selection of pasties, sandwiches and cakes.
Ape Regina Italian
Almost everything can be made gluten free and there was a choice of three gluten free pasta shapes instead of just the usual one! Has all you can eat and a la carte optjons, we dont tend to feel safe with buffet style dining so we stuck to the individually made dishes on the a la carte menu. All pizzas can be made gluten free. Plenty of meat and fish options as well as risotto all of which could be made gluten free. It was very busy when we went so would recommend booking. The euros were on during our visit and they were showing the game which was unusual for a restaurant. Fast service and a nice selection of cocktails (my Pornstar Martini was very strong but not complaining!) Our choices were Chicken Alfredo and Penne Arrabiatta.
Coli Gluten Free Bistro
This is a shop absolutely full of all the gluten free products you could want. I wish I had brought another suitcase with me to fill up. We stocked up on biscuits, instant noodles and snacks and even some pancake roll cases that were gluten free (these got used in our homemade Chinese buffet last Christmas). At the back of the shop there is a small seating area where hot food can be eaten. When we visited we could choose from burgers, pizza and hot dogs. We chose burgers and they were lovely. Not the best bun I’ve ever had – a little on the dry side – but great value as we paid probably less than £10 for two. Seating area is really only for a handful of people so not guaranteed. Pastries, cakes and freshly made bread available.
Kata – 100% Gluten and Lactose Free Restaurant
We always try and find a dedicated place everywhere we go and there are several in Budapest. This one is fairly new and on a lovely little tree lined street. We booked our table but the place was pretty much empty when we arrived so we could sit anywhere we liked. We had the Salmon and risotto and the steak with potatoes. Also a couple of very large limoncello spritz cocktails. Beautifully presented food. The menu changes regularly and is now completely different from when we visited- a good reason for a return visit!
Her Bar (cafe) – Gluten Free and Vegan
So many options here for lunch/brunch and just a short walk from the main shopping area. Lovely seating location outside on the street where we could people watch. We went at lunchtime and my daughter had a tomato soup with gluten free ciabatta pieces which was excellent. I had a grilled Caprese Pesto Panini. Service a little on the slow side but we kind of prefer that and it was extremely busy. Also serves pastries, salads and desserts.
Bohemtanya – 100% Gluten Free Hungarian Cuisine
This was so good we went back again to each try each other’s previous choices which were Kijevi Style chicken with mash (the nicest mash I’ve every had – my daughter agreed and she is something for a mash connoisseur!), and the Chicken Goulash with home made dumplings. Very friendly service and friendly between other customers I guess due to us all having something in common. So relaxing to be able to have absolutely anything off the menu. I can’t speak highly enough if this place, its awesome to be able to sample the local cuisine and not be excluded. We did notice there were a couple of locals in here eating alone who were clearly regulars, to me a sign of quality. If I had one complaint it would be to say that their aircon was super cold, we had to sit with jackets on but could have just been us acclimatising! This was our favourite of the week so we chose it for a return visit on our final night in the city. Food was filling and saw us through the Coldplay concert we attended that evening. A selection of gluten free beers was also available.
Szezam
Another dedicated gluten free and dairy free cafe. Excellent selection of hot and cold sandwiches and snacks. We had cheese and tuna toasties. We were lucky enough to get a good seat on the mezaniane floor above the counter. Generous portions and great value. Good selection of cakes and brownies here too – we tried the pistachio cake which was excellent.
La Cipolla Gluten Free Pizza
This was a trek to the edges of the city. I had to trust my daughter and google maps for this one and had nearly given up hope when we stumbled across it (we should have got the tram, which we did in the way back). Very small cafe style place with a handful of high tables to sit. We were the only customers eating in but it was clear they were doing a roaring trade on deliveries. The server had spent several years living in England and chatted with us about where we were from and recommended places to visit. Pizza was absolutely beautiful but far too large for us to manage in one go. They were great about giving us a take out box and we were able to enjoy the remainder the next day after our trip to the Szechenyii thermal baths.
McDonalds and Burger King – honorary mention as these were life savers!
We went to two concerts during this trip and sometimes fast food is the only option after a long day and late night. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Burger King as well as the McDonalds offered gluten free options as I had only ever seen the McDonalds Schar buns in Italy and Spain. We ended up at the Burger King by accident due to the gluten free cafe we were originally looking for being closed for maintenance work. We both had the Quarter pounder with cheese and all the trimmings. Piping hot, larger and better value in my opinion that the McDonalds option.
compass and coaster 