So, I asked my assistant, who's from Budapest for a couple of suggestions...
A few tips for your friends. Could not pick less than these but they can still choose one or two, any of them are pretty cool and pretty unique:
1. To see:
• Do miss out goin up to the Gellért hill (to the statue of liberty) before dark to see the city enlighted
• Check out the WAMP designers/food market on Sunday at Váci utca 1, inside the building
• Visit the Sinagogue and the surrounding area in Dohány street
• If they have like 3 hours to chill out, visiting a day spa is a must at Budapest either Széchenyi (
http://www.szechenyibath.hu/) or Rudas (<a class="postlink" href="http://en.rudasfurdo.hu/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.rudasfurdo.hu/</a>) would do
2. Restaurants
Nowadays we do have some really good and a bit more expensive (but not more than around 100 € for two with wines) ones among these I would recommend these two:
• Bock Bisztró - <a class="postlink" href="http://bockbisztropest.hu/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://bockbisztropest.hu/en/</a>
• Mák - <a class="postlink" href="http://www.makbistro.hu/en/main" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.makbistro.hu/en/main</a>
If they want something more casual (and cheap) let’s check these two:
• Castro Bistro - <a class="postlink" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Castro-Bistro/122722877774278" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Castro-B ... 2877774278</a>
• Macesz Huszár (hungarian style jewish food in the jewish quarter) - <a class="postlink" href="http://www.maceszhuszar.hu/eng.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.maceszhuszar.hu/eng.html</a>
Genral advice: All restaurants around the Basilica, Liszt Ferenc square and in the jewish quarter are usually pretty nice but avoid the tourist rip-off places in Váci street and any places that has „Paprika” in their name
3. Bars: take an evevning walk on Kazinczy street (yet again in the jewish quarter)– this is the most recent centre for bars and nightlife. They will find here a whole bunch of nice and special places but I still recommend Szimpla kert which is the mother of all „ruin bars” (which is the big thing in budapest for the past decade). Szimpla Kert: Budapest, Kazinczy utca (street) 14 - <a class="postlink" href="https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/szimplakert?fref=ts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/szimplakert?fref=ts</a>
General advice on cabs: Most of the cabs with official signs are reliable, avoid the ones without any sign, only „taxi” or so. I would recommend CITY Taxi (tel: +36 1 2 111 111) and 6x6 Taxi most – they all speak english and you can use credit cards. But you can also trust Fő taxi (they have the concession for the airport), Max Taxi, Mobil Taxi, Rádió Taxi, Taxi 2000, Taxi 4, Taxi Plus, Tele5 Taxi - so yet again the majority are reliable and anyways the hotel or restaurant staff will always call the good ones, so only in case they need a cab somewhere else.
