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Nice vegan restaurant

4 Posted on 05 / 12 / 2013

I have been living in Budapest for 7 years now, however only got round to visiting the place mid March this year with a friend of mine in the afternoon hours. There were roughly 10 people inside. The place itself is in a cellar, so it might be hot during summer. Staff speaks English and the menu card is in English and German too. We waited roughly 20 mins for our food to arrive. If you order pizzas you might wait longer depending on how crowded the place is.
My friend had a popeye pizza which was nice, however I prefer the Italian type "thin" layer pizzas. We Hungarians love all types of pasta so I can apologize for this. :D
I had Fried Pancakes Filled with Vegetable Cream served with Mashed Potatoes and Onions. Nothing to comment here. :) The portions are huge.
As for dessert we tried a Hungarian speciality Somló Sponge Cake (just one for both of us) which was just perfect. I love if a place serves exlusively vegan food. 2 main dishes, 1 dessert with drinks we paid ~ 15 EUR which is damn cheap compared to standard European prices, and a bit more expensive than other Hungarian places where you can get vegan food.
Updated from previous review on Sunday May 12, 2013

Pros: exclusively vegan food, massive portions
Cons: no alcohol :)

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interesting, but...

3 Posted on 04 / 12 / 2013

I was the with a group of conference participants, we were smth like 30 people there with pre-booked tables, and we all got same meals (booked by our organizers). Maybe because it was a lot too handle for restaurant staff, the meal was very simple (smth with buckwheat or alike), and I didn't really get taste out of it. Then came desserts, they looked good, but tastes much less good. The staff though was friendly, and I believe if I was there alone and ordered a separate meal, it would have turned out better. But for now I can only say that the food is average and lack some flavours.

Pros: cozy place, lots of space
Cons: average food

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Excellent pizza!

5 Posted on 04 / 07 / 2013

My friend and I had a pizza each, and they were both delicious! Best vegan pizzas I ever had. They are topped with fake meats, veggies, differant vegan cheeses,... simply perfert! It's nice to actually have a chose of pizzas, instead of trying to get them to make a vegan one. My friend who is only vegetarian was also pleased to be able to have something else than a simple cheese pizza.

My desert (the cappuccino cake) was a bit bland, but his (the hazzlenut cake) was also very nice. I would diffenatly go back!

Pros: pizzas, pizzas, and more pizzas!
Cons: none!

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Yummy!

4 Posted on 04 / 06 / 2013

I was there 2 evenings. They were rather crowded with a lot of happy customers.
Good and elaborated food, nice portions....I never managed to get a dessert as I was too full from a first and main dish. A pity cause they looked delicious :)

Pros: vast selection, local dishes, friendly staff

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Visit on 24.03.2013 - perfect!

5 Posted on 03 / 23 / 2013

We were there on the first day of our stay in Budapest, right after arriving. It just made our mood and was a perfect beginning of a fascinating adventure in this wonderful city! Highly recommend! Pleasant music, nice people, however, you need to ASK for menu in English (on the tables you find only the one in Hungarian).

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A good place over all

4 Posted on 03 / 22 / 2013

I have been there twice so far, and I love the food. Everything is vegan and I bought some vegan cheese there. I couldn't finish the food and I have to take away:) the price is ok, but I have to wait a long to order or for the bill. I love a cake, but they don't have it the second time that I went there!! Over all, I love that place. I would go back again and again.

Pros: Great Food, Big amount food, Good price
Cons: They don't always have same desserts , Waiters are always busy

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friendly authentic vegetarian

5 Posted on 03 / 11 / 2013

great food, great atmosphere and very friendly staff. the fact that it was early march probably helped as it was not too warm as i had noted from other reviewers that it could get pretty warm in there.I could envisage that becoming a problem in the warmer months as it is set in a cellar but in the winter it's perfect for keeping out the chilly wind and rain that we found ourselves in.i had the vegetable pakora and it was to die for, extremely diverse and imaginative. the juices were amazingly fresh and tasty as an aparetif too. the deserts were in a glass cabinet that alas we didn't have room for as the main course portions are well and truly 'man sized', the deserts looked amazing though, with even a hint of rawness about them?
i would recommend this restaurant without hesitatation, price, friendliness and food are or in the excellent catagory. when in Budapest do not miss out.

Pros: food, juices, staff
Cons: well off the beaten track, may get warm in the summer

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Gigantic portions

4 Posted on 02 / 26 / 2013

They have huge portions, one meal is for two people, it's tasty.A reliable choice always.

Pros: Large meals, Good taste, Service

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Notre adresse preferee à Budapest !

5 Posted on 02 / 22 / 2013

Quelle bonne surprise ! Nous ne sommes pas végétariens et nos deux enfants n'aiment pas les légumes. Mais nous avons décidé de tenter le coup au vu du descriptif dans le lonely planet. Bien nous en a pris, et nous y sommes même retournés une 2ème fois à la demande des enfants !! Les soupes sont divines, les,pizzas délicieuses et le plat pour deux est une merveille. Les crêpes frites aux petits légumes sont une tuerie et l'écrasé de pommes de terre aux oignons qui les accompagne est un modèle du genre... Les portions sont *colossales* mais ne vous forcez pas a finir en force, car le personnel, (adorable, cool, souriant...) se fera un plaisir de vous emballer les restes pour que vous les emportiez ! Et vu les quantités, c'est vraiment deux repas pour le prix d'un... Une exquise tisane pour pousser le tout et voilà un repas bon marché, remarquablement cuisiné et parfumé, nourrissant et léger à la fois... Notre adresse préférée a Budapest, avec unanimité parents/enfants !

Pros: Excellent food, huge portions, Friendly staff, Excellent value

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A must!

5 Posted on 02 / 17 / 2013

5 bovines!
Make sure you come here if you come to Budapest!

Firstly, be careful, as honey is considered vegan in Eastern Europe, so specify you don't have it and respecify to be on the safe side at the end.

This is not the easiest place to find. However the trek to it is well worth it. Though don't travel at night as Budapest is not the safest place (or so we've heard from the internet).

Come as soon as you can, this place is cheap as chips but as grand as...well something grand!

The food was packed full of flavour. Though it is a little heavy, that is how I happen to like my food.

The pizzas were the best I've ever had.
The pasta exquisite.
The pancakes very filling.

And the Caesar salad is a great joint starter.

Try the home made ginger and rosewater lemonade, they're delicious.

And don't forget that they are very well prepared for taking food away. We bought extra pancakes the second time to take away with us and eat on the train, and they were scrumptious.

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love this place!

5 Posted on 02 / 17 / 2013

stayed in Budapest for 5 nights and went to this restaurant 7 times...
Updated from previous review on Sunday February 17, 2013

Pros: friendly staff, nice atmosphere, tasty food
Cons: could rarely finish my plate , honey on the menu...!!

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Amazing Vegan Restaurant

5 Posted on 02 / 10 / 2013

I had the best pizza and baked vegan cheese so far at this place. Even my non-vegan company was amazed how "real" the food tasted.

The portion size is huge and leaves nothing to be desired.

The menu is available in Hungarian, English and German.
The personnel is very friendly.

Being from Vienna, I'd go to Budapest any time just to visit this place again.

Pros: Huge portion size, Excellent food, Very affordable
Cons: A bit difficult to find

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Best restaurant ever

5 Posted on 01 / 02 / 2013

I think my title sums it up, it's a must in Budapest if you're in for organic and vegeterian food!!!

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great veg spot in budapest

4 Posted on 12 / 06 / 2012

This is a terrific restaurant located in the basement of a building with a fabulous U-shaped brick ceiling and warm colors. It was quite full for a Tuesday evening at 20:30 which is always a good sign. I began with the soup du jour which was a tofu noodle.. great taste and ingredients however the soup itself came out just lukewarm! I don't expect it to be freshly prepared each time but at least warm it up out of the pot! Still, I enjoyed it.. quickly before it got any cooler. For my main I had the fried pancakes with vegetable cream on a bed of mashed potatoes. The fried pancakes were excellent! Very good. The mashed potatoes were a little chunky for my taste but the smoother bits had a nice flavor and texture. The serving size was generous however I'd have preferred one more pancake (there were three) and less potatoes. The server was friendly and polite however my food took quite some time to come out... strangely the people who sat down next to me well after I arrived received their food (the platter for two) and had nearly finished it by the time mine came. Even the soup took some time to come out... and not because they were checking the temperature. ;) It was as though they'd forgotten about me. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed my meal here and will be back the next time I'm in Budapest.. a fabulous city indeed.

Pros: large portions, delicious, cool decor
Cons: lukewarm soup, slow service

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Always Sunny here!

5 Posted on 10 / 25 / 2012

This restaurant is a panacea in a sea of the heavy, meat dishes of Hungary. The daily specials are delicious and the waitstaff is very friendly! German, English and Hungarian menus are accommodating. The salad bar is lacking, but other dishes make up for it!

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Authentic veganized Hungarian dishes!

3 Posted on 10 / 19 / 2012

Their fresh juices are amazing, try vitamine or beetroot! The pizza is also very nice and the desserts delicious. I enjoyed very much the goulash as well. My only complain is that some dishes (the platter for 2 people) are extremely heavy and greese, but I heard that generally Hungarian kitchen is rather like that. And I was not very pleased to see honey in the tea menu, as honey is not vegan! So if we want to be fair and precise, they should not be listed in the vegan section but in the vegetarian one, or better they remove honey from their menu.

Pros: cheap, tasty, cosy atmosphere
Cons: honey in menu, some dishes high in fat

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Happy vegan in Budapest

5 Posted on 10 / 11 / 2012

It's hard to write anything new about this restaurant while there are so many reviews. I will just write about most important things: everything is absolutely vegan. I don't feel so safe very often, but here I can relax and stop asking about components. There is also Daily Menu, what is a perfect option if you have less money (around 1300-1500 HUF for dish from DM) or you don't have a time to decide what eat for dinner. They are also selling most important vegan food, like tofu, seitan, soya drink (600 HUF for 1l), vegan cheese (580-710 HUF) etc. And books. They are speaking english and they have menu in english. You could pay by card. It's nice, it's clean, it's tasty and portions are really big! Unfortunately my meat-eating friends didn't like their seitan dishes, but I don't like seitan at all so I'm not surprised ;-) My calzone (2000 HUF) was amazingly good! I'm very happy that I visit this place in Budapest.
Updated from previous review on Tuesday October 09, 2012

Pros: all vegan, ok prices, vegan store

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Best vegan restaurant*****

5 Posted on 10 / 10 / 2012

I am every week in Budapest because of my work..this is the best place for sure to eat vegan:)...i love it..a five cows to them..thank you for hospitality..i will return for sure..greetings from Slovenia..BR,Seba

Pros: Excelent food, Nice ambient, International menus and language

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it was nice to visit

4 Posted on 09 / 27 / 2012

Very pleasant place, kind of one would love to sit for longer.
Has daily menu, excelent juices and desserts. Prices moderate.

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Heaven for vegans

4 Posted on 09 / 23 / 2012

On Tuesday, we tried one of the few vegan/vegetarian restaurants available in Budapest. Its name is Napfényes étterem .We decided to give it a shot! On the whole, the food was okay but lacked a bit of taste and savors. The spicy soy yogurt with the foccacia and the fried Seitan were the best choices with the Sómloi dessert. However, we were a bit disappointed by the rest. Furthermore, I made a discovery! The name of the treasure is Carob! Basically, this plant is used as a substitute for chocolate and is much more healthier.

Pros: Great food
Cons: sometimes lack of flavors

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Dissapointing

2 Posted on 09 / 02 / 2012

Went there with my husband. Cozy place. Friendly staff, with not so good English. When we started to order, I explained that I'm allergic on nightshades (potato, tomato, paprika, eggplant) and named all of them. She wrote down. So she recommended dishes without. My husband ordered falafel plate,with a difference - they took off the potato. I was trying to order something without nightshades, so I asked her what kind of vegan cheese they had and what are the ingredients. I practically know all kinds that they sell in Europe, and some have potato starch in it (like cheezly they use). First she couldn't answer the question than she said, that is cheese from corn. I thought something new. So I thought it was ok. I ordered pasta with vegan cheese, spinach and nutmeg. The dish I got was too salty, too greasy, cheese which was on top was cheezly (I realize later, because they also sell it) and it had too much nutmeg, which made dish bitter. I change the plate with my husband, finished his plate. Falafel was ok. He couldn't finish mine, said the same about it: too salty, too greasy, a little bit bitter....

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great big plates of good food!not that inexpensive

5 Posted on 08 / 30 / 2012

liked this place,
staff was very friendly. had menues in hungarian, german and english!
Big plates... :-)
and they have daily offers, that are not expensive!
nice vegan and raw cakes!
nice dinning atmosphere!
I am going there today again! Can't wait !
Besten Appetit!

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Awesome

5 Posted on 08 / 20 / 2012

I lived in Budapest for the 6 past months, and went to the Narpfenyes a dozen times. Friendly staff, good location,good design, and the essential: absolutly delicious hungarian-style dishes (mostly fried pancakes with the tomato sauce) or vegan pizzas (the best vegan pizza i have ever tried), a fresh ginger lemonade and delicious desserts. Huge choices and not really expensive (3000/4000HUF or 10/12€ for a lunch). Even customers are sympathics. A must.

Pros: The menu, The staff
Cons: A little bit too far from the center

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five cows:D

5 Posted on 08 / 14 / 2012

I am very satisfied with this restaurant...I saw there only pros:)

Pros: wide choice of foods, friendly staff, lovely place

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good restaraunt with pizza

4 Posted on 08 / 12 / 2012

vegan restaurant with a wide choice of dishes including spelt dough pizza ( american style: a lot of filling ) and delicious desserts ( try the carroub cake ! ). a bit expensive for local range but it worth it

Pros: good food, wide choice, nice staff
Cons: a bit expensive

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A Wonderful Vegan Restaurant in Budapest

5 Posted on 08 / 11 / 2012

I spent only one day in the marvelous city of Budapest and I definitely want to come back. There are several reasons for this desire of mine, one of them is this wonderful vegan restaurant.

It was very difficult to make a choice for food because there was such a variety! I initially wanted to go for some of the local food but in the end I decided to order a Mediterranean pizza and a Greek salad, both with vegan cheese - 2 of my favorites from my vegetarian past (i.e., before I became a vegan). Both were excellent.

There were also lots of great looking pastry and other baked goods, but the portions I already had were so big that I just could not make it to eat some of those. I thought about taking some of this sweet stuff with me, but it was such a hot day outside (40 degrees Celsius!) and I had to travel further, so I did not dare to do this...

Everything was perfect, and as it is mentioned in another review, "even the guests are nice". The staff members were friendly and helpful and did not want to take all the tip I gave them (I don't think it was that much, though). No need to repeat all the other good things people wrote about this place, but my vote is - of course- 5 cows!

Pros: excellent food, variety of food, friendly staff

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Favorite place in Budapest, but a little hot

5 Posted on 08 / 06 / 2012

We ate here twice in our visit to Budapest. I can't really praise this restaurant too much, great food, good prices, wonderful waitresses and staff. Even the other customers were nice.

The first night we were really hungry, we took the Rainbow Platter for 3800 forints or 17 dollars. They told it was food for 2, i think it was really food for 5. After stuffing ourselves, we still had plenty for the next day at the hotel. This dish includes many of the specialities of the place, including the grilled seitan, which was fantastic. A lot of paprika, cabbage and other traditional Hungarian ingredients. We felt that we were not just at yet another vegan resturant, but rather an authentic Hungarian one.

The last night in Budapest, after spending a few hours at the Szechenyi Baths (a must see) we were exhausted but not that hungry. We ordered the millet burger and another side dish which was more than enough for the two of us, at 1500 forints.

We would certainly go back and highly recommend this place.

The only problem with the restaurant, is that it is way too hot. Both times we were there, it had already cooled down outside, but was still at 30 inside the restaurant. It's really unfortunate, because the place is a few steps down from the street, with windows to a courtyard, so with a small investment in exhaust fans to vent the hot air out of the place, it could be quite comfortable. I hope the owners will read this reviews (and others) and rectify the situation.

Our last

Pros: Excellent food, Authentic Hungarian cuisine, Reasonable prices
Cons: Too hot

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Great place, will visit again!

5 Posted on 08 / 02 / 2012

Great restaurant for traditinal Hungarian dishes - all in vegan versions. Hungarian food is quite unique and this place gives us vegans an opportunity to try it. The food was good and the portions were so large we had to take some home.
There's an English menu and the service is good.
Will go there again next time I'm in Budapest :)

Pros: good food, large portions, cheap

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Pleasant surprise, best vegan experience so far!

5 Posted on 07 / 27 / 2012

My wife and I stayed in a hotel near Napfenyes Etterem. We were surprised by how fresh everything tasted and looked. I haven't visited that much vegan restaurants yet, but this is my favorite one so far. The personel is very friendly. The price of the food is definitely worth it.

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The best food I have ever eaten!

5 Posted on 07 / 21 / 2012

I went here at the end of a trip to Budapest with a lot of unfortunate events and a not so good time. Me and my friend had an extra day after missing our flight to our next destination and decided to go here. I am not a religious person but I bealive God works as a cook in this kitchen. It was so good I almost cried. Traditional hungarian food, all vegan and cheap.We had a three course meal that was very affordable and a great experience. Staff was great and the place is chill and very comfortable.

Pros: Best food ever!
Cons: No real Coffee

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Good

4 Posted on 07 / 20 / 2012

We went 3 times
Very nice staff
It's easy to find, you just need a map and a brain^^
The Food is good, except the dessert, as good as those you can find in every supermarket...
The Dishes are good, little bit too oily for some of them.Very large portions,but it still a very good adress.

Pros: diversity
Cons: fat

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SWEATBOX IN BUDAPEST

2 Posted on 07 / 07 / 2012

This very out of the way cellar underground place is neither organic nor bio.
They use ICEBERG lettuce to prepare their salads and the desserts contain refined sugars. Mostly all their dishes are greasy and fried foods.
Summer in Budapest is very hot and uncomfortable. We generally eat out to be comfortable and feel pampered. This place is the antithesis of comfort !
Their air conditioner does not function and it is truly a sweatbox. You are sitting underground in a cellar with a hot kitchen and the temperature inside feels like 150 fahrenheit ! The service is deplorable and the food is unhealthy and lackluster. Stay away from this place unless you like to sweat like a swine

Cons: Nothing organic, Fried foods, A/C does NOT function

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Perfect!

5 Posted on 06 / 08 / 2012

When I was in Budapest for the first time a couple of years ago I stumbled upon Napfényes Étterem. Since then I've been there lots of times (whenever I'm back in Budapest which is about every half year) and I've never been dissappointed.
The food is incredible. It's delicious, inventive, lovely to look at and have I mentioned that it's delicious?
Furthermore the staff is unbelievably friendly (even during the busy lunch and dinner hours) and they actually recognised me after half a year.
You can look into the kitchen through a small window on your way in and out and say hello to the wonderful (and friendly!) cooks (and you'll most probably want to thank them for a great experience!).
It's the perfect place and you really shouldn't miss it when you are in Budapest.

Pros: delicious food, wonderful staff, loving atmosphere

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Large portions-delicious food

5 Posted on 06 / 05 / 2012

After having read all the rave reviews of this restaurant we definitely wanted to try it on our trip to Budapoest inat the end of May 2012. Located in a rustic cellar basement, it is easy to find. You have to walk down about half a flight of stairs so this might be a problem for someone handicapped (there is no elevator). The waitresses were very nice and agreed to change our order after we saw a vegetarian spit that someone ordered and looked good. The portions are very large so for 2 you might want to order 2 small soups and then share a main course. Since we shared the main course, the price was very reasonable (about 12 euros for 2 people). This was the best restaurant we ate at in Budapest!

Pros: large portions, low prices
Cons: stairs

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Great Food and Very Accomodating

5 Posted on 05 / 29 / 2012

I recently led a group to Budapest. We had tickets to a concert of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra at the Opera House, and the concert wouldn't be ending until close to 10:00 p.m. on Monday night. I contacted the restaurant before leaving the U.S., and they responded immediately with a suggested group menu (offering me several choices) and volunteering to stay open for us an extra hour beyond their usual 10:30 closing time(!). How many restaurants would do that?

What a gem of a restaurant! The vegan/vegie food was DELICIOUS, the service very accomodating. We arrived at around 10:20 or so, and they did not rush us at all. Everyone in the group - which included many non-vegies - raved about the food.

Oh, yes, the price was very reasonable.

If I ever return to Budapest, I will definitely eat here again!

Pros: Great food, excellent value, very accomodating

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In a class by itself - an epicurean delight!

5 Posted on 05 / 18 / 2012

I've eaten in vegetarian restaurants all over the world, from California to Turkey. Napfenyes is easily one of the best I've tried anywhere. Very memorable experience.

The food is thoughtfully designed, not just some generic stir fry or falafel or heavily-processed and sodium-laden mockmeats. I visited each of the three nights I was in Budapest and have been thinking about the food ever since. The first night I had braised cauliflower "goulash" (Hungarian-style) with spaetzle that was on special - delicious. The spice-level was pretty tame, but I can understand why. I saw the "Fried Pancakes Filled with Vegetable Cream served with Mashed Potatoes and Onions" on the menu and decided that was my culinary goal for the trip, and I had it the third night I was there. Unbelievable - crispy on the outside, loaded with sort of pot-pie style vegetables on the inside, and obviously you can't go wrong with potato anything. Yeap, also delicious. As someone who walks everywhere and thus expends a lot of energy I really appreciated the large portions, too. Totally satisfying - and I don't utter those words about vegetarian restaurants very often.

I didn't get a chance to try their pizzas, but I saw them and they look great. Definitely worth a go.

The deserts are equally tasty. I had some kind of vegan custard one night, and the fake curd balls another night. Custard anything and I'm on board, and it was definitely good.

Service-wise, they are welcoming and attentive without being bothersome. In other words, service in the best modern European tradition. All of the folks I interfaced with speak English, so that's an obvious advantage. The prices are very reasonable considering the amount of food you get. I mean, if you can leave totally full of high-quality food and dessert for 10 to 12 USD, that's pretty remarkable.

Can't praise this place enough. Seriously, I wish I could have stayed in Budapest longer just to keep going to this restaurant.
Updated from previous review on Thursday May 17, 2012
Updated from previous review on Friday May 18, 2012

Pros: FOOD!, Service, Ambiance

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the best in budapest

5 Posted on 05 / 12 / 2012

not only is this one of my favorite vegan spots in budapest, but all of europe. the service has been helpful, consistent, and sweet. one of the staff even remembered me from my last visit, two years ago! i look forward to trips to budapest, not just because it's a fantastic city, but for napfenyes etterem.

Pros: food, staff, being in budapest

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Vegan food in a cosy atmosphere

3 Posted on 05 / 01 / 2012

We ate here twice during our stay in Budapest. The first time we went, we ordered two soups and the mixed platter for two. The soups were quite good, especially the bean goulash and also very reasonably priced at only 550 HUF (less than €2) for a small cup. The mixed platter (3800 HUF) featured grilled seitan steaks, falafel, deep-fried vegetable pancakes, fried non-dairy cheese along with (fried) mashed potatoes, braised red cabbage, rice and peas and a creamy garlic sauce. On the plus side, the portions were very generous and the platter could easily have fed 3 people. However, I couldn't help but feeling that it was very fatty/oily (and possibly also a lot of it had come from the freezer, but I can't be sure of this).

The drinks were interesting: I drank a homemade ginger drink and my husband had a freshly-pressed apple juice, which was very tasty. We also took two slices of cake away for breakfast the next morning and they were quite good, if perhaps a little unimaginative.

The second time, we were determined to order something that sounded a little less fatty so I went with the "paprika eggplant stew with cous cous" and my husband had the spag bol, which were both very reasonably priced and generously portioned. I wasn't that impressed by the quality of the food but I suppose at 1300 HUF and 1800 HUF for our dishes, we really couldn't complain. One thing I would say about the place is that the atmosphere is very relaxed and there seem to be quite a few regulars who frequent the place. Also, you can purchase dairy-free milks here along with some other vegan products like biscuits etc. The self-service salad bar also looked quite fresh and was priced at only 600 HUF for a small bowl.

Overall, the place is worth a visit - even if just for the comfort of knowing that what you order is vegan - but don't expect gourmet food.

Pros: Good value, Huge portions, Nice drinks
Cons: Not very healthy

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The #1 reason to visit Budapest

5 Posted on 04 / 29 / 2012

What else do you need to know? May be difficult to find if you don't have a GPS with you. Parking sucks. But that's about it.

The food is killer, the prices are cheap, the menu is just huge. Watch out there may be honey in some dishes.

It's run by some whatever cult of sungazers i guess... But at least they can cook. And raw foodists can f*** ***.

The dishes are hungarian vegan specialties. So you wont be getting the cookie cutter generic vegan food. They have their own vegan cake factory, some cakes sweetened by xylitol and agave. They are their top products... knock your block off.

Pros: endless menu, domestic specialties, very reasonable prices
Cons: location could be better

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:)

5 Posted on 04 / 15 / 2012

Very nice place, excellent food, extra-friendly staff. Be aware that the servings are XXL, at least for my standards. We had to give up and bring home something. So... if you are reading the menu and you find yourself thinking about trying this, this and that... well, think twice :)
They don't serve beers... for philosophical reasons, if I got it right.

Pros: excellent food, very friendly staff, XXL portions
Cons: XXL portions can be a problem as well :D

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The best

5 Posted on 04 / 05 / 2012

I think it was one of the best vegan restaurants I ever eat.
Delicious!
The main dishes, the juices and the dessert, the atmosphere...
I went with no-veg friends and they also liked the place.
I want to come back!

Pros: food, price, atmosphere

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great food, fair price

5 Posted on 02 / 23 / 2012

We ate at this lovely restaurant for two nights in a row. Friendly staff and customers, very reasonable prices, great menu, delicious food.
We tried the vegetable-lover pizza (amazing), the grain burgers with french salad (delicious) and the fried pancakes (yumm!!). They also make great fries and our friends seemed to be very happy with their Sunlight Platter For Two. I also recommend their ginger lemonade.
Other people have mentioned that it is a bit out of the way but I disagree, it's only 10 minutes away from a metro station and a 10min walk from Szimpla kert (one of the most popular bars in town). Plus it is totally worth the walk.

Pros: low prices, friendly staff, deliciousness

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Lovely place

4 Posted on 02 / 15 / 2012

You´ll find a big offer of different dishes and very friendly people working there. Their English is not the best but it´s ok to order something. They understand German pretty good.

You find different cakes and can buy some vegan stuff like milk and cookies there to take with you. Lovely atmosphere.

Prices are absolutely alreight. Only badthing is the location which is not central at all.

Pros: Big offer, Prices
Cons: not central location

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Must go there!

5 Posted on 02 / 14 / 2012

If you had to go to just one restaurant in Hungary, go to this one! Even if you have non vegans in your party, their wide variety of options and strong tastes will suit anyone.
Try the bean goulash! It is delicious (though a bit heavy) and a great meat-free way to try the Hungarian national food. But pretty much anything you chose to order - you will not be disappointed.

Pros: Taste, English speaking staff, Bean Goulash and Fried Pancake!
Cons: 10 min walk from subway stop

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Awesome place!

5 Posted on 01 / 28 / 2012

I just got back from Budapest with my girlfriend and we ate here for three nights. The food was awesome, the portions were huge and they made sure I didn't go hungry in Hungary. I'm sorry about that last line but it was totally true. Totally recommend eating here if you're vegan or veggie. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and great caffeine free coffee. Also, if you're struggling for food to eat in the day, get something to takeaway from their fridges. I'd definitely go back again!

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Awesome

5 Posted on 01 / 18 / 2012

Great place with mostly local cuisine and portions you won't be able to eat because they're simply too big! Besides that the staff is really friendly and helpful too. We went to eat here two evenings in a row before we unfortunately departed again...

Pros: Big portions, Friendly staff, Local cuisine

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Vegan Pizza and sweets

5 Posted on 12 / 06 / 2011

Absolutely awesome place. We tried Vegan Pizza and cutlets, portions are huge, waiters speak English, my meat-eating friend was amazed by the atmosphere and great taste. The only downside is not-that-central location.

Pros: Everything
Cons: Location

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Simply fab!

5 Posted on 11 / 02 / 2011

If you can eat only once in Budapest, this is the must-go restaurant for vegans. But be warned! the serving is very generous, so if you are going with a friend, one plate is enough for two. As I went on my own, I overate, but if I have another chance to travel to Budapest, I definitely will go back to this wonderful restaurant again. Excellent food and very nice service by English-speaking, friendly staff.

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Highly recommended!

5 Posted on 10 / 26 / 2011

This is an amazing place - I can't believe we found such a gem. It's like a little cosmic bubble of vibrancy in Budapest. The food is absolutely delicious.

We were in town for five days and ate here twice.

Everything is vegan... and there really is something for all tastes. Portions are generous. Compared to England (where I live) the prices are unbelievable value. We spent less than half the money that we would for equivalent food and service in the UK.

There's self service salad bar with lots of choice, speciality hugarian dishes, pizza (made with spelt base), pasta dishes, soups, rice and potato options lots of side options and a whole array of other things. There are about three pages of different teas (including Yogi tea) to choose from, as well as drinks such as freshly juiced vegetable and fruit juices. They seem to like to use spelt instead of wheat, which has a much more conscious feel to it. We enjoyed a dessert to die for. A spelt sponge walnut cake, with carob sauce, soy whipped cream. There was a cabinet full of vegan cakes and pastries too. Everything we tasted was amazing.

The multi-lingual staff were really friendly and helpful. The atmosphere was great.

I cook vegan food for retreat groups, so I can be quite particular about what I eat, yet I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this place. It's my favourite find!

We'll be back!

Pros: Amazing food, excellent value, friendly staff

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A must-visit for any vegan in Budapest!

5 Posted on 10 / 15 / 2011

I could keep on praising this restaurant forever, but I'll keep it short: amazing atmosphere, delectable food, very affordable (at least for me, and I'm not anywhere near rich), food on the menu is great, the various cakes are awesome. I brought some colleagues over to this place, and even my most meat-loving colleague did actually order some vegan food, ate it, and loved it! Staff is real friendly too, and speak good English. This is veggie heaven! Go there!

Pros: The atmosphere, The food, The staff
Cons: Nothing, just keep up the good work!

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Loved It!!

5 Posted on 09 / 23 / 2011

We had the platter between two and it was fantastic! It is mainly fake meats with some vegetables and a devine 'cream' sauce. Our dessert was amazing - we had a slice that had a wholesome base. Service was great and it is a lovely restaurant.

Pros: Service, Price, Portions

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OMG!!

5 Posted on 09 / 18 / 2011

This is probably the best restaurant of all times!! Superfriendly, English-speaking staff, reallyreally tasty food, HUGE portions (we were planning on having dessert but we got too full after the main course) and everything is VEGAN :D
The price is probably average compared to other restaurants in Budapest, but compared to "my Swedish measures" it's still really cheap!

If you're in Budapest you MUST visit Napfenyes Etterem!

Pros: Excellent food, Excellent staff and service, Excellent restaurant

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Daily Offer

5 Posted on 08 / 28 / 2011

I was there yesterday, Saturday Aug 27th and had a lovely dish made with brown rice, breaded fried vegetables and a white sauce. It was just gorgeous. Also, their ginger lemonade is worth trying. They have really tasty pastries. The atmosphere is so calm and relaxed that you'll feel compelled to keep your voice low. I enjoyed that heavenly food to the sound of Bossa Nova. I do recommend this restaurant!

Pros: Great menu, Atmosphere, Vegan
Cons: No air conditioning

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Very Filling!!!!

4 Posted on 08 / 26 / 2011

Photos: http://veganmiam.com/2011/08/26/budapest-napfenyes-etterem/

Two weeks ago during my Budapest trip, we went to a vegan, traditional Hungarian-style restaurant, "Napfényes Étterem", which was situated in a basement (actually a gorgeous, breathtaking one with calming ambiance). After hearing lots of good reviews on Happy Cow, I was determined to try them since I never had Hungarian food. We approached the friendly brunette, who quickly took our orders, which we had no problems with. I was fortunate to be the first customer because in the later hours after noon, the restaurant appeared nearly booked!

Keep in mind, the dishes are huge. A main dish may feed two if you are not used to "Hungarian-portions." We started off with two average organic Cappuccinos with Dairy-Free Whip Cream (Hungarian: Bio capuccino növényi tejszínhabbal) and shared a main dish: Fried Pancakes Filled with Vegetable Cream served with Mashed Potatoes and Onions {Hungarian Zöldségkrémes rántott palacsinta hagymás burgonyával} (spelt wheat pancakes filled with spicy vegetable cream served with fried, mashed potatoes and savory tomato sauce). It was beyond filling for me, but I enjoyed the crustiness of the vegetable-filled pancakes plus the chilled tomato sauce made the flavours wonderful.

So what's for dessert? I was truly stuffed and did not have room for that, but I never had curd dumplings, neither vegan nor vegetarian. So I tried Fake Curd Dumplings with Soy Yoghurt {Hungarian Hamis} (balls of millet covered in sweet breadcrumbs served with soy yoghurt and brown sugar). I smelled the sourness in the vegan white yoghurt, but the fake curd dumplings had interesting textures-sort of rice-like pudding in it. Honestly, I couldn't even finish that dessert with my boyfriend because we were stuffed. It was a huge dessert dish to finish off with. Only approx. $20 for all of them, which wasn't too bad for a vegan fancy restaurant!

Huge Tip For First-Time Visitors? Bring a friend or two. You definitely need help with finishing the delicious meals. Arrive at noon when it's not busy, plus you get more attention.

Pros: Beautiful ambiance, Hearty Food, Lovely pancakes
Cons: A bit pricey, Not that great coffee

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Possibly the best vegetarian restaurant in Europe

5 Posted on 08 / 15 / 2011

We came here to eat twice and had a fantastic meal both times. The restaurant is located quite centrally just off Andrassy ut and can be reached via the M1 metro en route to Hero's Square. It is slightly off the main street, but not difficult to find.

They have a well-stocked salad-bar and a daily changing selection that is slightly cheaper than the a la carte, which makes going back exciting again and again. In addition to this and a variety of Hungarian-style main courses on their main menu, they have a large selection of pizzas, as well as teas. Menus are available in English and German too.The portions are large and filling, and the food is unpretentious, yet well presented. There is a large emphasis on faux meat and cheese, but this is well balanced and not at the expense of the vegetables. While all the dishes we have tried so far have been delicious, I would recommend the fried pancakes the most, as they are completely unique and busting with traditional flavours.

As opposed to many other vegetarian restaurants in Europe, this place is a proper restaurant, rather than a cafe. It has a cozy and romantic atmosphere inside, although it was quite busy the time we visited on a Saturday evening.

Prices are above average for Budapest, but the food is absolutely worth it.
Will be coming back again soon!

Pros: amazing food, varied menu, filling meals

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Good place

5 Posted on 08 / 12 / 2011

Very nice place,food good and No expensive.
Seitan is very good (it's so difficult to find seitan in restaurant!!!!!!!!!).
Very friendly staff

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Astonishingly good, perfect!

5 Posted on 07 / 29 / 2011

This restaurant sets awfully high standards to food and it is probably impossible for other vegan restaurants to match the outstanding quality of food, the warm decor and the enormous amount of choice in pizzas, pastas, hungarian dishes, salads, soups, bread, pies, i can go on for a bit -. I went here twice in a 5 day stay and both times it was comfortably full, the service was immaculate, always time for a small chat and a smile. This place is a restaurant for anyone who wants to have a great dinner in a very nice setting with lovely staff taking care of everything swiftly and gently.

Pros: everything!
Cons: none!

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Review

4 Posted on 07 / 16 / 2011

Their vegetarian pizzas are excellent, so is their tahini source. Nice ambiance and friendly staff.

Cons: Location

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The best vegan restaurant in Hungary!

5 Posted on 07 / 13 / 2011

I've been in Hungary several times and only now discovered this restaurant. It's one of the best vegan restaurants I've ever been to. There is a lot of choice, the portions are big and they have a pastry/cake section with amazing cakes! I had a pizza with vegetables topped with lots of vegan cheese. I was probably the best pizza I've ever had. The cakes are delicious.
The service is very friendly and the atmosphere really nice. I will definitely go back!

Pros: excellent food, good value, big portions

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Fabulous Hungarian Vegan Specialities - Don't Miss

5 Posted on 05 / 10 / 2011

If you are vegan and enjoy, or want to try, hearty, flavourful hungarian food made with so much love then you must go and eat here. first trip to budapest was a wonderful experience as a vegan with so many options but by far, this was my fave. the portions are huge, like family style, so best if you can share. i ate some hungarian cabbage roll with filling over mashed potatoes. i am still looking for a way to make those potatoes at home. amazing. and the deserts, well the creamy cakey that everyone else has raved about...is true. xtra yumyum. so if you are in budapest and especially if you are vegan..don't feel left out on all the amazing hungarian food around you....GO and EAT here!!!!

Pros: Ultra-vegan, Excellent comfort food, english menu
Cons: none

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Great Vegan Place

5 Posted on 05 / 09 / 2011

Lovely place, great food, lovely people. We had a very nice experience! Recommending the Goulash and the French Onion soups especially.

Pros: Good food, Lovely People, Nice ambiance

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Budapests nr 1 vegan restaurant

5 Posted on 04 / 09 / 2011

This is the vegan restaurant where you could bring someone for a romantic date, or treat yourself and your friends or family with a nice dinner. The setting is that of a fine restaurant, the service is superb and the food is really good.
Fantastic soups, pizzas and other nice dishes. Everything is vegan. Yeah!
The price is low too, so what are you waiting for - go there!
The portions are really big, but if you can't manage to eat it all they will ask you if you want a doggybag, and yes you do want to. :)

Pros: beautiful atmosphere, fantastic service, tasty food

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Fantastic Place

5 Posted on 11 / 14 / 2010

I LOVED this restaurant. The food was excellent, and it was so fun to be able to eat Hungarian food. Normally, as a vegan, I don't get a chance to eat local food. But this restaurant let me do that. The staff was also very nice and spoke English. When we went to tip our waitress, she was kind enough to tell us we were tipping her too much (we weren't used to the currency yet). I was very impressed by that. The portions were large and very filling.

The restaruaint is a little hard to find (because it's not a busy street) but well worth it. This was my favorite restaurant on the trip. The menu is in English too. This is a must for any vegan (or evn meat eaters).

Pros: excellent and interesting food, friendly staff, English menu

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GREAT!

5 Posted on 10 / 04 / 2010

Absolutely one of the best vegan restaurants I'v been to! The menu is good, salad buffet available and the service (in English) was very good! Prices good even from a hitchhiker's point of view. All dishes were big and beautifully done. The setting is a little boring, but cosy and more with an evening fine dine feeling.

Pros: Vegan, also traditional, Big, tasty, beautiful portions, Excellent service

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Best

5 Posted on 08 / 18 / 2010

Must agree with the 5 cow reviewers, it´s simply the best vegan restaurant.

Pros: non-smoker, variable menus every day, best vegan pizza
Cons: some staff is strange

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Excellent - a must visit!

5 Posted on 07 / 06 / 2010

What a wonderful vegan restaurant. Serves Hungarian and Italian food. A choice of 8 vegan pizzas for mains. I chose the "vegetable lover pizza" (made of spelt flour base with lots of veggie toppings plus dairy free cheese) for 1850 florints (about £6) together with a side salad (from the help yourself sald bar). The vegan pizza was one of the best I've ever had. My partner had a goulash soup as starter followed by gnocchi. I wish we'd read the reviews before we ordered, as the p[ortions were large and we both had difficulty finishing our meals.
The restaurant has a nice ambience - its in a basement and has an arched roof. The tables are spacious.
The main Menu is in Hungarian, German and English. Only criticism (and this being a bit petty) is that the main course was served before we'd finished the starter, so didn't have time for starter to settle before moving on to next course. Apart from this I thought this place was great.

I was so full after the pizza and salad I couldn't manage one of their many vegan cakes/desserts, so ended up ordering an apple cake to take away. I wish we'd had time on our trip to Budapest to go back to this restaurant. It was wonderful, and would thoroughly recommend it to other veg*ns travelling to Budapest.

Pros: all vegan , pizzas, vegan cakes

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You must Visit!

5 Posted on 06 / 25 / 2010

Although this place was a little hidden away it is totally worth seeking it. The Staff are friendly & the portions of food are HUGE & inexpencive. We worked our that we both had a starter & a Massive maincourse, with drinks, for about £18. A really Enjoyable experience.

Pros: Cheap, Large Portions, Friendly Staff
Cons: Hidden Away

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Was so good I had to keep going back!!

5 Posted on 06 / 12 / 2010

Visited on 26th, 28th & 30th May 2010. This is one of the finest Vegan restaurants I've ever been to! The menu contains 2 soups, 5 mains including traditional Hungarian meals minus the meat, 7 sides, 8 very inventive pizzas, a self service salad bar, a huge selection of cakes that are also available to take away, various teas, organic coffies, homemade juices & lemonades and a seperate specials menu with 4 meals that change daily. They don't serve alcohol. The portions are huge and it's very affordable. The restaurant is below street level and has a great atmosphere, the staff are very helpful and friendly. If in Budapest this place is essential!!!!

Pros: Amazing Food, Massive Portions, Great Atmosphere

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tasty

5 Posted on 05 / 09 / 2010

I came here with some friends who said it was a wonderful place. They were correct, the staff are very friendly and the food is fantastic. I had the spelt pancakes with mash. It was huge and i didnt get a starter because it was huge. But very tasty :) My friends said the golaush was also wonderful and we all had lemonade with rosewater. Average price a wonderful meal.

Pros: good selection, organic produce used, friendly service
Cons: the price is higher than average, but to, expected

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THE BEST in Budapest

5 Posted on 04 / 09 / 2010

This is the best vegan cuisine in Budapest. The chefs are first class, they really know their job and use fresh, organic ingredients. There's a daily special every day and a regual menu, both contain Hungarian dishes vegan style. The pizzas are just exellent, especially the Hungarian Pizza (Magyaros), and when lasagne is on daily offer the restaurant is full from morning till evening.

Pros: great food, good Hungarian food, best pizzas
Cons: the service is a little slow

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nothing special

2 Posted on 02 / 17 / 2010

don't remember what i had but it was very filling and not that good. if i remember correctly small menu. friendly waitstaff. that's the best i can give sorry.

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AMAZING vegan food in Budapest

5 Posted on 01 / 04 / 2010

Visited Budapest and went to this restaurant TWICE - worth the trip into the back streets for the best vegan my partner and I have had in Europe and the best vegan pizza ever. Also have vegan takes on traditional Hungarian cuisine which was a total bonus.

Highly recommended!!

Pros: Excellent Food, Great Value, Big Portions

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Fantastic

5 Posted on 12 / 03 / 2009

Can't heap enough praise on this place. Not only is the food sensational, but it's reasonably priced for a big city. My wife and I were here in November for two days and ate here three times. Try the pancakes - incredible. You don't get hassled by the staff, the seating and restaurant is nice and the food fresh. Haven't got a bad word to say. It can be tricky to find, though, especially in the dark.

Pros: great food, big helpings, never packed

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Wonderful

5 Posted on 10 / 08 / 2009

Had dinner there on two consecutive nights. It was a bit of a hike from our hotel but was worth it. The area was not a typical restaurant row. Mostly residnetial or offices - all old. the restaurant exterior is not very appealing, but once you step down into the restaurant, it is nice. One concern I had was that it only has one entrance/exit and the kitchen is just as you come down the stairs! I doubt it will pass any fire marshall inspection.
Food was great! I had vegan stuffed cabbage. I liked it so much, I had it again on the second visit. Definitely, a place to visit in Buda Pest. It is on the Pest side.

Pros: Great food, Comfortable decor, Not all that expensive
Cons: Fire danger, Not so attentive wait staff, Bit out of the way

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Marvellous - but beware enormous portions!

5 Posted on 10 / 02 / 2009

Finding this restaurant was no problem having checked it out on Google maps before leaving for Budapest. It was a little bit of a walk from the 4/6 tram route, but worth it.

We visited twice - the first time we had Goulash soup for a starter, then vegetable pancakes with creamy mash for him and potato wedges with seitan for me. The portions were IMMENSE and I just couldn't finish mine - this wasn't a problem, it was boxed and bagged for me to take away with me.

The second time, I had the vegetable soup and we shared a main course - they were very happy to split the dish between us and in fact it arrived on two separate plates. They were happy to provide half portions of their dishes too. We had the fried Cheezly - not a great fan of Cheezly myself but this was very nice. We had room for pudding after sharing the main course, I had Somloi Galuska and Mr Weev had Gundel pancakes which were the special that day.

I bought some recipe books on our second visit, a good incentive to improve my Hungarian!

The standard menu has English and German translations - the daily specials are in Hungarian only but the two staff members we dealt with had very good English and the language wasn't an issue.

We loved the food and were pleased to be able to visit twice during our stay. Would highly recommend to any veggies and vegans going to Budapest.

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Vegan pizza

4 Posted on 10 / 02 / 2009

The real draw here is the vegan pizza. It's not cheap by Hungarian standards, but $10 for a whole vegan pizza is pretty good I think.

A word of warning: I am not, nor have I ever been, a big pizza fan. I don't even remember what non-vegan cheese tastes like and tend not to like vegan cheese, finding it too greasy for me.

Having said that, I found the pizza just okay. Honestly, I would have liked it better (predictably, since I don't usually like vegan cheese) without the cheese. I ordered half Hungarian style and half veggie lover's. I preferred the flavors of the Hungarian pizza. But I think if you've been missing pizza and want something heavy, this will be perfect for you!

Pros: Vegan pizza
Cons: A little heavy for my taste

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Cheezly!!!

5 Posted on 09 / 18 / 2009

Even though it's been 2 years since we were there, we agree with all the excellent reviews below. We went twice (no problem finding it, but it's between two different metro stations, so a bit of a walk). We enjoyed the Cheezly pizzas enormously. I also tried a seitan and potato dish. The potatoes were just perfect - crisp on the outside. We also purchased the puffs and pates to go from their store area. But the real mention is the Cheezly. We bought that to go as well and ate it straight up on our bread the next morning at the hotel. Awesome.

Pros: Cheezly pizza, perfect potatoes, store area

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Possibly the best restaurant...ever

5 Posted on 08 / 26 / 2009

Napfenyes was admittedly hard to find on our first night in Budapest, but it was late and we had no idea where anything was. Once we found the glowing green sign and stepped down into the cellar, we were starving and anxious to get some good vegan food. We were not disappointed! The menu has lots to choose from, portions are substantial, and everything we tried was delicious. It was especially fun to try authentic Hungarian dishes prepared veg-style. Service is friendly but not overbearing in any way (true of all the places we visited in Budapest). There is a nice salad bar if you're craving fresh veggies and a few shelves of natural food products in the hallway if you need something to snack on later (try the paprika corn puffs!). When you've eaten all you can, walk up to the counter and ask for takeaway boxes for your inevitable leftovers, pick something out of the dessert case for later, and pay your bill at the register. Prices are high for Hungarian standards, but pretty average for someone from the US. Please visit and order a pizza if nothing else - Napfenyes won't let you down!

Pros: everything is delicious!, Hungarian food prepared vegan, Cheezly!
Cons: not in the US :'-(, nothing else compares!

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Nice food

4 Posted on 08 / 14 / 2009

You can get a great choice of à la carte food, from pizza and pasta to typical hungarian dishes made vegan. Portions are pretty big, but you can take the rest with you when you leave. To Hungarian standards not cheap. It's located a bit away from the closest metro stops in not the nicest neighbourhood. But probably worth the walk.

Pros: Big portions
Cons: Location

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Great Vegan Oasis

5 Posted on 08 / 08 / 2009

The restaurant is located close by the impressive neo-gothic church of St. Elizabeth in the Eastern part of the city on Rózsa utca (Rose street) 39. The actual restaurant and its little shop are subterraneous and reminiscent of a natural cellar. Paintings of vegetables on the walls, candles and green plants decorate the room. Booth benches, chairs and tables are black and partly covered with white cloths. The lighting is soft and warm. It all appears rustic but with a touch of elegance and style. The menu card is sectioned into soups, main dishes, side dishes, pizzas, desserts and beverages and it's written in Hungarian, German and English. Furthermore, there are daily menus, a small salad bar and a display of assorted cakes (in addition to the desserts on the menu card). The food is all vegan, very tasty (especially the cheese dishes) and some of it is even organic. Portion sizes are quite big and they're presented in a simple and attractive way. The service is friendly, alert, helpful and partly even speaks German and English. The restaurants prices are appropriate and by Western standards actually quite inexpensive. For roughly 16 Euros or $23 per person one can get an appetizer, a main course, a dessert and a beverage to satisfy even the most hungry appetite. All in all, if you're looking for a comfortable and friendly place and some traditional Hungarian food or tasty pizzas this little vegan oasis is definitely worth a visit.

Pros: great food, nice atmosphere, friendly staff
Cons: only cash payments, limited raw food

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great food

4 Posted on 06 / 23 / 2009

i found it pretty easily on my first afternoon in budapest, it was early but i was hungry and had read of "the best vegan pizza in europe", so i tried the hungarian pizza, it was good but not the best in europe. i find the pizza at country life in prague a lot better! regardless, it was good, the desserts were fantastic. i came back two more times, i have hungarian roots and there were many things on the menu i wanted to try. i was not once disappointed here and the staff were friendly and helpful. they had some homemade seitan ghoulash in jars for sale and some other homemade things, i had kolbasa one day (a type of hungarian spicey "sausage"-vegan of course) and asked about it and the sold me a big bag of them to take home with me! poopy seed cake was a highlight from the desserts!

Pros: staff, food, atmosphere

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Nice to find a veggie place in Budapest

3 Posted on 06 / 03 / 2009

Since there are so few veggie restaurants in Budapest, it is always nice to find one. The staff was friendly, and the food was fresh and pretty good, although not great and very salty. The best vegetarian food I had in Budapest was frankly in the some of the non-vegetarian places, where I ordered a vegetarian plate--some of these places used fresh and excellently cooked vegetables. But for a veggie restaurant, Napfenyes Izek is pretty good.

Pros: friendly, varied menu, fresh
Cons: salty

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AMAZING VEGAN PIZZA WITH CHEEZLY Vegan Cheese!

5 Posted on 05 / 13 / 2009

This place is so charming! Nothing like the last reviewer described. A breeze to find on a lovely street just a few blocks behind our hotel. There are two signs above the entrance and you take a few steps down, its like in a really cool wine cellar, but only like 4 feet below the grade of the street. They have an amazing pizza menu, from Hawaiian to Mexican, to Veggie pizzas. We got two (which is more than enough for two people, probably 3 people would be great, but we took a half a pizza back to the hotel room and quickly gobbled it down after a nice sauna and swim) Do not miss out on this place! Great vegan desserts, too!

Pros: cheezly pizza, desserts, vegan!

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Ok food and overcharged us!

3 Posted on 02 / 24 / 2009

We had a bit of difficulty finding this place. It's located on a quiet dark street and you have to walk down steep stairs to get in. By the time we found it, it was around 9.30pm and when we got inside all of the staff were eating and there were no other customers. After explaining that we had got a bit lost, they accomodated us and said we could still eat even though they were closing. I thought this was very nice of them. The menu was fantastic, with so many options. My husband had a hungarian dish that was recommended by the waitress but it was actually quite disgusting (had pickled cabbage stuffed in a doughy like thing) but out of courtesy he tried very hard to eat most of it. I had the spaghetti which was ok, not fantastic. The place is decorated really well and I can imagine it having a lively atmosphere when it is full. The lemonade with rose water is quite nice. They massively overcharged us when we came to pay and didn't understand when we tried to question the bill.

Pros: Plenty of choice
Cons: Hard to find, Food not great

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Excellent food

5 Posted on 01 / 27 / 2009

The main plus is the amount of choice on offer at Napfenyes Izak for dairy-free veggies (like myself). The use of vegan cheese is excellent, I'm not normally a fan but it was a nice side (deep fried) and nice in the goulash. The soups were really nice, the creamy one and the goulash especially. The choice of mains spoiled me, i really enjoyed the spinach filled pancakes and the mushroom and garlic baked potato wedges. The onion mash and red cabbage were beautiful too. I liked it so much I went back the following day for lunch. The main plus is the desserts. Normally that's where veggies miss out - but not here, i really loved the tirmasu. Big portions, that will never score a low mark in my book. Easy to find; mid way between the yellow and red metro lines (soon to be added by the green 4 metro line). The chef was nice and quite chatty.

Pros: Nice food, Great desserts, big portions
Cons: not a great range of drinks

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interesting menu

4 Posted on 01 / 02 / 2009

Entrance is downstairs from street. Brick arched walls inside. I had a homemade lemonade with rose water and a squash soup made with rice milk, tofu bits and dill. A bit sweet, but nice. The menu was in English, German and Hungarian. I wish I was hungrier when I dined there, so I could have tried more dishes, like the pizza with soy cheese.

Cons: not the best area of town

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great restaurant

5 Posted on 10 / 18 / 2008

The food here is delicious but what impressed me most about Napfenyes Izek was the friendliness of the staff. They really went out of their way to explain to me what was on the menu, asking each other for English translations of certain food items. At the time that I went (Oct 2008) their menu was being revised and was in Hungarian only so this was a blessing!

The food is great as well and the restaurant itself has a pretty laid-back atmosphere. This was easily my favorite restaurant during my week-long stay in Budapest. It's only 3-4 stops north of the Opera house on the yellow line, so it's not far away at all.

Pros: english-speaking staff, delicious food, relaxed atmosphere

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Absolutely wonderful!

5 Posted on 10 / 07 / 2008

This adorable little place was everything you would want it to be: friendly, affordable and delicious. Everything is vegan and it's decorated in a warm, comfortable style. It's a little out of the way but well worth the extra 5-10 minute walk it takes to get there from the usual tourist spots. I had the Hungarian seitan and potatoes, which came with a side salad. It was delicious! My husband had a 'sausage' pizza which he described as the best vegan pizza he'd ever had. Highly recommended!

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Good comfort food at good prices

4 Posted on 08 / 14 / 2008

I went here in September 2007 a number of times. Ask what the special is, it's usually a really good deal. This is yet another basement restaurant with a very casual feel. The waitress can speak enough english to get by. The lasagna was great, can't remember if that's on the menu or a special though. The pizza is also really good. Also, be sure to get some vegan pastries or desserts for breakfast or your upcoming train trip. The location is a bit off the beaten path but its worth the trip.

Pros: Good prices, faux meats, vegan desserts and pasties
Cons: heavier fare, salty/oily, location

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Amazing food

5 Posted on 07 / 15 / 2008

I had the kettle goulash and potato wedges with seitan. I was really impressed with how delicious and well seasoned everything was - I had grown used to tasteless crap in the Balkans. I would definitely go back here.

Pros: delicious food, diverse menu, vegan!
Cons: no air conditioning

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Wonderful pizza!

5 Posted on 05 / 11 / 2008

We visited the place twice. The first time, we had two regular main courses with a greek salad. The food was good, but nothing too special (except for the vegan feta cheese which was really good). We returned and tried the pizza (the one "by Little Snow White") and it was absolutely fantastic! Three kinds of melted vegan cheese with olives and onions. The pizza bottom wasn't a regular, thin, bottom but rather somewhere between thin and pan pizza (which worked really well). Service was good and spoke good english. You go past the kitchen on your way in/out so we stopped by and chatted a bit with the friendly chef. We'll be sure to come back and have more pizza the next time we're in Budapest.

Pros: Pizza, Service, Friendly kitchen staff

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Not so great...

2 Posted on 04 / 03 / 2008

After reading reviews and looking at their website, I was looking forward to this experience, however I was dissapointed.

The area which the restaurant is in is actually a pretty bad area, sure it's in te middle of the city and all, but it's one of the most notorious places too.

When I enterd I was still excited but almost immediately dissapointed to hear the chefs talkin and laughing really loudly using language that most Americans would find appaling.

Almost immediately after I found staff that were helpful on the other hand, and I ended up buying lunch, I'm not sure how other things were on the menu, but the two dishes I had were very dissapointing, it tasted and seemed like they realy didn't put much effort into it at all.

The cleanliness and freshness wwere questionable too, so be warned.

On the up side, I bought some Cheezly (which is not available anywhere else in Hungary) so overall I didn't come out empty handed, but I would have to cook something when I got home just to compensate to my taste buds... :O)

Over all, I don't recommend it at all, there are other places in Budapest that I'd rather go to.

Pros: Vegan Cheeze, Cheap sausages and meat alternatives
Cons: Clanliness, Taste, No effort

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Best vegan pizza in Europe

5 Posted on 12 / 30 / 2007

The cheezley-laden pizza's are stupendously tasty and filling with for example vegan sausage, seitan and smoked tofu toppings and come highly recommended.

The chestnut and vegan cream dessert is unusual and you shouldn't leave without trying it.

Pros: Unconventional, vegan, generous portions
Cons: Religious bias

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Salty

2 Posted on 12 / 11 / 2007

I went to this restaurant last night with my partner. It wasn't too difficult for us to find, but that could be because we are forever walking cities and map-reading. The chef and the waitress were top class. Very friendly and very helpful. They explained all dishes. They would get top marks as would the lovely cosy interior of the restaurant. However, we were here to eat....and good eaters the two of us are. After 8 or 9 hours of non-stop walking around the lovely city of Budapest, we were in need of some tasty grub to recharge the batteries. Unfortunately, the food was, for both of us, below average. The seitan was extremely salty, I couldn't finish it....and I love salt....so for me...!!! My partners food was the best tasting, a Hungarian dish. It was what the chef recommended himself and said was the best. However, as we said later, 'If that's the best dish.......'. The juices seemed like half water. They were one of the 'cheapest' tasting juices that I've tried and the deserts were 'stodgy'. I hate to put down this restaurant as the owners/chef/waitress were the nicest people around, and maybe I just got a bad day as everyone else seems to love it, but as a couple who were out to have a romantic meal together it was very disappointing to us. Not even wine to wash down our meal with........

Pros: Beautiful decor, Amazing staff, Good variety
Cons: Salty seitan, NO WINE, Only forints...cash

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Worth finding!

5 Posted on 11 / 08 / 2007

It is a bit challenging to locate, but well worth it. Definitely bring a good map and spirit of adventure and you'll get there. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon at 4pm and anticipated finding it shut. But it was open, and we enjoyed authentic dishes like vegan hungarian goulash. This is your chance to try local dishes w/o dead animals in it. The organic ginger juice was refreshing. The staff are wonderful. Little English spoken, but use the English menu and point.

Pros: great menu (in English!), local dishes, prepared vegan, nice staff
Cons: tricky to find (but worth it)

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Fantastic food!

5 Posted on 11 / 03 / 2007

Located in the embassy district, it is definitely worth the trip. Both dishes we had were excellent. It's a good opportunity to try traditional Hungarian food, veg style. Be careful with the spices... they make some really hot food. We didn't get to try any deserts as we were too full from the meal.

Pros: friendly staff, excellent food, excellent prices

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excellent restaurant

5 Posted on 10 / 22 / 2007

We visited this restaurant twice during our holiday in Budapest because we it was so nice.
All dishes were vegan, so there was great choice. They also have wonderful vegan cakes! Good value for money. We had 2 course for approx 10 euro's pp.

Pros: good value, excellent food, good choice
Cons: hard to find

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Very much open for business.

5 Posted on 08 / 07 / 2007

I ate there today for lunch. They are a little difficult to find but they are still there and their food is excellent and inexpensive. Please change or delete any suggestion that they may be closed as it could be harmful to their business.

Pros: Delicious, Chill atmosphere, Inexpensive

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Yummy Cakes!

3 Posted on 07 / 23 / 2007

The staff was very friendly.
From the east trainstation(korobi or something??) it's about 15/20 minutes by foot.
Just before we had to leave for the airport we decided we had some time left and went to lunch at this place. The avocado salad wasn't really great because of the rasped carrots they put in there.
We decided to spend our last hungarian money on vegan cakes, so we took about 4 different pieces with us which we ate at the airport. About the best vegan cakes i've ever had! A definite recommendation though, is the one with prunes(?) and chocolate! Its sooo yummy!

Pros: The prune-chocolatecake!, Friendly staff

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soy cheese pizza

5 Posted on 03 / 23 / 2007

This place was so good that I came twice in my very short time in Budapest. All of the food is vegan and gives one the opportunity to try some Hungarian style food that is all vegan or you can try something else like sushi, pizza, pasta, etc. The pizzas are amazing and use vegan soy cheese whereas the rest of the menu is slightly....less than par, but still good. There is also a small "store" part of the restaurant where you can buy fake meats, breads, etc. The desserts are very good too!

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Best in Central Europe

5 Posted on 12 / 28 / 2006

It's places like these that make Budapest the best city in Central Europe for vegetarians and vegans. Every visit to this little place has been exceptional. All-vegan, many Hungarian traditional dishes, pastas, pizza (with quite good vegan cheese!) and a number of fake meat products you can buy on the way out. Great desserts too! The menus are in Hungarian, German and English, even if the waitstaff doesn't always speak those languages. Well worth the metro ride or long walk. If I had money I'd invest in this place!
The closest metro stops are Keleti Palyaudvar on the M2 (red) or Vorosmarty utca/Kodaly korond on the M3 (yellow)

Pros: all-vegan, seitan goulash, vegan cheese pizza
Cons: no alcohol :)