Of course, that’s only bad news for children who have their hearts set on eating chicken fingers and fish sticks. In Hungary children tend to grow up eating pretty much the same food as the rest of the family. Instead of animal-shaped pasta, they’ll break their teeth in on lecsó, pörkölt, and gulyás, which is probably why so few restaurants offer special menus for children. Many restaurants will, however, let you order half portions.

Most (but not all) have highchairs for babies, and some may have booster seats for older kids. The hardest part, really, about dining with children in Hungary is that many restaurants don’t have separate non-smoking sections, and if they do, it’s often just a few tables in the corner with nothing to separate them from the second-hand smoke. There are a few exceptions: Centrál Kávéház offers a children’s menu and a Sunday brunch with clowns and other entertainment. In the Buda hills, Náncsi Néni, Ezüstponty, and Remíz are Hungarian restaurants which have playgrounds in their outdoor dining areas.

This is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of The Food and Wine Lover’s Guide to Hungary: With Budapest Restaurants and Trips to the Wine Country, by Carolyn Bánfalvi. Text is copyright © Carolyn Bánfalvi and Park Kiadó, and is reproduced with permission. To find out more or to purchase the book, contact Park Kiadó or Carolyn Bánfalvi. Photos are copyright © Carolyn Bánfalvi, and are not from the book.