Xpat Opinion: Best Child-Friendly Restaurants & Cafes In Budapest

  • 28 Jun 2012 9:00 AM
Xpat Opinion: Best Child-Friendly Restaurants & Cafes In Budapest
By Andi Lustak: The non-smoking ban in Hungary finally came into effect in January in all restaurants and bars and it has already made a huge difference with most establishments complying with the law. From April restaurants who don’t comply can get fined up to 1 million HUF. This is great and gave me the chance to move away from just focusing on finding the best non-smoking places and instead search for the eateries that are the most baby and child-friendly in town.

We try to eat out at least once a week and found that most restaurants will have highchairs these days, if they don’t it’s for a reason and probably parents with children are not high priority target for them. Having changing stations is a different matter sadly and you will find that not many restaurants will have them.

In this listing I have tried to find the places that have some sort of entertainment/ kids corner and or changing facilities for children. I am sure it’s not everything so if you have found a new place do share it. :)

Pest

5th District - Farger Cafe - pictured above
Address: 5th district, Zoltán u. 18. (on Szabadság tér).
Phone: 06 20 959 9128
Directions: Kossuth ter M2 metro or tram 2 stop
Info: used to be our favourite Sunday breakfast place on Szabadsag ter when we lived in the district. Child-friendly and dog-friendly. Free wifi. Used to be a smoking cafe so we mainly went here in the summer as it has a nice terrace. Highchair, kids table and chairs and some toys, no baby – changing facility.

Iguana Restaurant
Address: 5th district, Zoltan u. 16 (on Szabadsag ter)
Phone: 06 1 331 4352
Open: every day 11.30am till 1am
Directions: Kossuth ter M2 metro or tram 2 stop
Info: Nice spot in town for weekend brunches. Weekday daily menu for 1500 Huf, Kids corner.

Pizza EATaliano restaurants (former Pizza Marziano)

Locations:
Vécsey utca (by Szabadsag ter)
Budapest, V. Vécsey utca 5.
Open: 11:00 – 24:00
Phone: 06-1-354-5454
Directions: M2 metro or tram 2 to Kossuth ter

Dorottya utca (behind Hotel Intercontinental)
Budapest, V. Dorottya utca 6.
Open: 12:00 – 24:00
Phone: 06-1-328-0432
Directions: short walk from Vorosmarty ter M1 metro, or walk from tram2 Chain Bridge stop
Info: Good pizzas, all Pizza EATaliano restaurants have proper changing facilities and highchairs.
Pizza EATaliano restaurants organise kids partys. Kids can make their own pizzas in the kitchen.

6th District

Eco Cafe
Address: Bp. Andrassy ut 68
Open: Mon – Fri: 7am-8pm, Weekend: 8am-8pm
Directions: M1 Vorosmarty u stop, short walk from Oktogon 4/6 tram stop
Info: Delicious sandwiches/ organic cafe. Little corner with a few toys for the little ones

Pizza EATaliano restaurant (former Pizza Marziano)
Budapest, VI. Andrássy út 41.
Open: 11:00 – 24:00
Phone: 06-1-413-6589
Directions: Tram 4/6 Oktogon stop or M1 metro stop

Vakvarju restaurant Pest
Address: 6th district, Paulay Ede utca 7 (near Deak Ter)
Open:11am till midnight
Phone: 06-70/94-28-194
Directions: short walk from Deak ter Metro

Info: It’s a nice downtown eatery with lovely carpeted fenced off kid’s corner with loads of toys. Highchairs, kids menu, baby-changing station. Some Budapest Moms complained that they found the staff a bit rude but I think it really depends on the actual waiter. The waiters are all male and I guess their brains just work differently. Just a little story: I ordered some chips straight away to avoid having to wait too much for the proper meal, but I realised one of the kids menu had that with chicken so walked up to the waiter and got the order changed. Somewhere they didn’t communicate so my first chips arrived and when they realised they were ready to walk off with it despite my daughter literally hanging out of the highchair shouting ‘chips, chips’ – so I had to ask him to leave those on the table. I mean really? But anyway the food was good and that kids corner is really nice

Book Café and Wine Bar
Address: 1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 39. (Párizsi Nagy Áruház)
Phone: +36 1 461-5830
Open: Mon-Fri 10-22
Directions: M1 Oktogon or Opera stops
Info: Very child-friendly.

Treehugger Dan’s Bookstore Cafe & Lounge
Address: 1068 Budapest, Lázár utca 16.
Phone: +36 1 322-0774
Open: Mon-Fri 9:30-18:30; Sun 10-16
Directions: M1 Opera stop, directly behind the Opera House
Info: Organic Fair-Trade coffee, giant selection of used books

7th District

Flamingo Restaurant
Address: 1074 Budapest, Dob u. 57
Phone: +3614130567
Directions: Wesselenyi u or Kiraly u. 4/6 Tram stops
Info: I recommend this restaurant mainly in the summer as it has a fantastic inner garden/ yard outdoor space and seating full of little stones = hours of entertaining fun for toddlers. We recently went their for a 3 yr old’s birthday party and the place was very comfortable for the little ones to run around

8th District

Szabó Ervin Library’s Café
Address: 1088 Budapest, Szabó Ervin tér 1.
Phone: +36 1 411-5104
Open: Mon-Fri 10-20; Sat 10-16
Directions: M3 Kálvin tér stop
Info: The best library in town has an amazing kids corner and it’s generally a nice morning out on a rainy day.

9th District

Cafe Intenzo
Address: 1091 Budapest, Kálvin tér 9.
Phone: +36 1 219 5243
Open: Every day 12.00-24.00
Directions: M3 Kálvin tér stop, Tram 47/49 Kálvin tér stop
Info: My new favourite eatery in our district as it shares the inner garden with the back of the Kalvin ter Reformist church, a beautifully kept green space with plenty of space to run around for the kids while you wait for your food. High chairs available

Birs Bistro
Address: 9th district, Raday utca 49.
Open: Mon-Sat 12pm till 10pm
Phone: 06 203564321 or 06 303499034
Directions: M3 Kalvin ter metro stop and walk in, it’s actually a shorter walk from Mester utca stop of the 4/6 tram
Info: This family restaurant has home style cooking with Balkan influences and a gourmet twist. They have a kids menu and two big boxes of toys in the upstairs gallery that has comfy sofa seating. Highchairs, no separate changing stations

13th District

Briós Café
Address: 1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 17.
Phone: +36 1 789-6110
Open: Daily 07:30-20
Directions: Tram 4/6, Jászai Mari tér stop

Info: Very, VERY baby-friendly – there is a whole section with tables, couches and play area dedicated just to kids in the upstairs gallery. No gate there though so you have to watch the stairs so kids don’t fall down.. There is a diaper-changing station (though not regularly used so you have to ask to get it opened as they use it as a storage room), high chairs and childrens menu. Prices are great! Breakfast is ok, and the pastries are drool-worthy.

Cafe Panini
Address: 1137 Budapest, Corner or Radnoti Miklos utca and the Rakpart
Directions: Tram 4/6 from Moszkva tér, Jászai Mari tér stop, walk towards Árpád bridge on upper rakpart
Info: Small little cafe with a tiny corner of toys for kids. Try to get the table at the back with the soft leather bench seating that is next to the toy box. Free wi-fi.

Odeon Café
Address: 1136 Budapest, Hollán Ernő u. 7.
Phone: +36 1 349-2776
Open: Mon-Sun 10-23
Directions: Tram 4/6 from Moszkva tér, Jászai Mari tér stop
Info: Nice teas, coffee, a few snacks and alcohol. I’ve seen dogs in there and plenty of young kids/babies. They have bean bags and quite a few toys to entertain the kids. Also has free wifi but no place to change a diaper except on the cafe couches.

Holdudvar (on Margaret Island) only in summer

Address: on the right as you enter Margitsziget from Margit bridge as you pass the fountain.
Open: between April and October

Info: my favourite eatery on Margaret Island, it has great food at reasonable prices and a great big terrace. Lots of ikea highchairs, baby-changing station, lots of sofas to lounge about inside too. Last year they had sun-chairs and bean-bags with free books and magazines at the entrance.

Source: Budapest Moms

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