The top 5 secret garden bars and restaurants in Budapest

1. Twentysix Budapest – The urban jungle

As the first of its kind in the city, Twentysix boasts cozy urban jungle vibes in the heart of Budapest. Being very particular about the right temperature, they keep it at 26 degrees at all times to please both the guests and the lush vegetation that surrounds the place – perfect for hot summer days and nights. As the venue opened in 2020, it’s still relatively unknown but is gaining popularity quickly. 

Under the glass roof, you will encounter four different scenes to soothe your body and soul. At the GARDEN° restaurant, you can taste healthy and delicious Mediterranean meals, while the SHOP° is specialized in zero-waste quality coffee, eco-friendly gourmet pastries and delicacies. And if after filling your belly, your soul craves for more, you can step into the STUDIO°’s yoga classes, or learn to make the meals yourself at kitchen workshops of the HOUSE°. All that under the same bright, sunlit venue.

2. Vintage Garden – The romantic French bistro

Moving on from the urban jungle, the next stop on our tour is another take on the secret garden theme. Decorated with fresh flowers and a seasonally renewed interior, Vintage Garden is without a doubt for the romantics – no wonder it often sets the scene for girls’ evenings, hen parties, and baby showers. Although Vintage Garden is located in the middle the buzzing Gozsdu Udvar, its ambient and peaceful atmosphere will make you forget the noise of the outside world right after entering.
As a French-style bistro, it comes with an excellent wine list, as well as a great variety of food, including appetizers, soups, pasta, burgers, steaks, and seafood. Their charming pastry shop and confectionery, The Sweet by Vintage Garden, is really just the cherry on top, offering homemade ice cream, magnificent cakes, and heavenly biscuits.

3. Pagony – Poolside dinner with a twist

Have you ever had dinner in an old Turkish pool? In Pagony, you can! This unique restaurant and bar gave a new life to the unused children’s pool area of Gellért bath, right by the foot of Gellért hill. Instead of water, the tiny pools are now filled with dining tables and seats. The bar operates at the former sauna area, while the bathrooms kept the old glory of the bath – only without the showers themselves. 
As a truly outdoor venue, Pagony is only open from May till September. Apart from offering food and drinks, it often has temporary exhibitions, screenings, and open-air events, as wells. If you’re looking for a peculiar garden-themed restaurant, make sure to add Pagony to your list!

4. Massolit Books & Café – Peace and quiet in the backyard terrace 

If instead of dining in a pool, diving into a good book is more of your thing, you’ll love Massolit Books & Café. With its name coming from Bulgakov’s novel, ‘The Master and Margarita’ (literature for the masses), the place created the perfect fusion of a book store and a café. As they mostly sell foreign-language books (both new and used ones), they invite a truly international crowd to the heart of the Jewish District of Budapest, often organizing readings and workshops, too. 

The café itself looks like a cozy and rugged bookstore with its mismatched furniture and comfy armchairs, but its real treasure is the quiet backyard terrace shaded by old fig trees – something you can very rarely find in the center of Budapest. They serve fair-trade coffee, specialty tea, bagels, cookies, brownies, quiches, and carrot cakes.

5. Majomhoz – The secret garden of Buda

Although the Pest side of the city is much more known for its party districts, you can find some cool places in Buda too – if you know where to look. Our recommendation for the summer is Majomhoz (or as its official name goes, ‘aMajomhoz’, which literally translates to ‘to the monkey’, don’t ask why!). Located by the urban park of Városmajor, Majomhoz is still relatively near the inner city, which is an important detail if you consider that, thanks to the hills, Buda is definitely less walkable than Pest. 
The place calls itself the ‘secret garden of Buda’ and offers all kinds of music events all week: live music on Tuesdays, parties on Thursdays, fiestas on Fridays, swing on Saturday, and guitar nights on Sundays. Wine is provided by the renowned DiVino, and the food is served by various food trucks. The size of the venue makes it look like more of a festival than a tiny garden, but the great atmosphere definitely makes up for it.