Budapest’s best gluten-free eateries

What is it? This family restaurant on downtown Paulay Ede utca has been operating since 1975, and now prepares the classics of Hungarian cuisine entirely gluten- and lactose-free. Goulash, sheeps’ cheese gnocchi , chicken paprikash, Hortobágy meat pancakes, fried meat and revered dessert Somlói galuska – almost every important element of the traditional restaurant repertoire is on display here.

Why we love it Bohémtanya does not want to rethink Sunday lunch, but to give it back to those who usually have had to give it up elsewhere because of the breadcrumbs, coating or gnocchi. Since the entire menu is gluten-free, you can freely choose between chicken paprikash with homemade gnocchi, the giant Vienna schnitzel, the Bakony pork schnitzel or even the fried zander. The atmosphere is family-friendly and the portions generous, so it works just as well for a leisurely weekend lunch as for a hearty weekday dinner.

Time Out tip: If you’re a foreign diner, order a mix of the classics: goulash soup, chicken paprikash and the Somlói galuska together make the perfect introduction to Hungarian cuisine.

Address: Paulay Ede utca 6, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily noon-11pm. Kitchen closes at 10pm

Expect to pay: Goulash Ft 3,490 (€9.65), chicken paprikash with homemade dumplings Ft 5,990 (€16.50), giant Viennese schnitzel with mashed potatoes Ft 6,990 (€19.25), Somlói galuska Ft 3,890 (€10.75)

What is it? A completely gluten-free tapas restaurant on Falk Miksa utca, where the Spanish sharing style of eating goes on a world tour. In addition to patatas bravas, red-wine chorizo and garlic shrimp, the menu also features Latin-American, Middle-Eastern and Asian influences.

Why we love it Saboré’s gluten-free lifestyle choice was born from a personal story. After the owners’ daughter, Lili, was diagnosed with celiac disease, the entire restaurant was transformed. Today, no ingredients containing gluten are used in the dedicated kitchen, so you can choose freely from the entire menu. However, the concept is not limited to safe eating. In addition to Spanish classics, there are exciting twists such as harissa honey halloumi, crispy kimchi Caesar, pulled pork taco and arepa flatbreads. That’s why it works so well – tapas are still about sharing, only now no-one has to put aside their own, separate plate.

Time Out tip: Mix the classics with more cosmopolitan dishes – order at least one more unexpected tapas along with patatas bravas, ham croquettes and garlic shrimp. Arrive early on Friday or Saturday, browse the many galleries on Falk Miksa utca and, after dinner, stroll down to the nearby Danube embankment.

Address: Falk Miksa utca 21, 1055 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur 5.30pm-11pm, Fri-Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-11pm. Kitchen closes at 10.30pm

Expect to pay: Gazpacho shot Ft 990 (€2.75), patatas bravas Ft 2,290 (€6.30), ham croquettes Ft 2,990 (€8.25), garlic shrimp Ft 4,990 (€13.75), crema Catalana Ft 1,790 (€4.95)

What is it? A completely gluten- and lactose-free grill restaurant near the main Buda transport hub of Móricz Zsigmond körtér, where meat and fish are grilled over charcoal, and the menu also features Med and Middle-Eastern flavours. They start the day with a special brunch offer at weekends.

Why we love it Meat Again shows that gluten-free cuisine can not only be safe, but also downright exciting. Every dish is prepared without cross-contamination, but the menu doesn’t revolve around the usual substitutions. Muhammara, labneh, hummus, shakshuka, lamb kofta and tahini echo the Middle East, while charcoal-grilled meat, homemade pastries and rib-eye steaks reinforce the grill-restaurant character. The modern interior and wide wine selection make it a good choice for a group of people who don’t all follow a special diet.

Time Out tip: Brunch is only available at weekends, between 9.30am and 11.45am, so don’t leave it too late for your leisurely breakfast. In addition to shakshuka and shrimp toast, you can also order desserts. In the evening, it’s worth booking a table and building your dinner around charcoal-grilled dishes.

Address: Vásárhelyi Pál utca 2, 1114 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Wed 2pm-10.30pm, Thur-Fri noon-10.30pm, Sat 9.30am-10.30pm, Sun 9.30am-9pm

Expect to pay: Shakshuka Ft 4,900 (€13.50), spinach risotto with scrambled egg yolk Ft 5,900 (€16.25), lamb kofta Ft 6,800 (€18.75), rib-eye steak Ft 12,900 (€35.55), vegan Rákóczi curd cheesecake Ft 3,100 (€8.55)

What is it? The entire menu of the Kata Restaurant near the Opera House on Hajós utca is gluten- and lactose-free, and the dishes are prepared without cross-contamination. The kitchen does not think in terms of the tired old mandatory options – international favourites, reimagined Hungarian classics and vegetarian dishes are all on the menu.

Why we love it This is that rare restaurant where even if you have a celiac condition, you don’t have to ask the server about every dish – just choose freely from the entire menu. Moreover, the menu goes far beyond the usual safety limitations of diet catering. From shakshuka and chicken paprikash to salmon steak and rib-eye steak, the selection is wide enough that even in a mixed group, your special diet won’t determine where you sit for dinner.

Time Out tip: The elegant yet informal interior, and proximity to the Opera, make it a good choice for a more festive dinner or pre-show meeting, even if not everyone in the group is gluten- or lactose-free.

Address: Hajós utca 27, 1065 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily noon-11pm

Expect prices to pay: Summer corn-and-courgette penne Ft 5,600 (€15.45), chicken paprikash with homemade butter dumplings Ft 6,400 (€17.65), salmon steak with roast beetroot risotto Ft 8,900 (€24.55), poppy-seed dumplings with champagne cream Ft 3,500 (€9.65)

What is it? A completely gluten-free Italian bistro from the Fragola mini-chain of dessert spots near the Buda des-res district of Pasaréti tér, where in addition to pizza, you can also enjoy lasagne, Mediterranean mains, colourful salads and classic Italian desserts.

Why we love it The name is a twist on the Italian expression dolce far niente, sweet nothing, interposed with the word farina, meaning flour, and an easy-going Italian attitude permeates the entire place. The kitchen is 100% gluten-free, so pizza here is not a side dish solved with a separate dough, but the centre of the concept. The selection ranges from the tomato-mozzarella Margherita to the spicy salami Vesuvio and truffle Tartufo pizza to the vegan version.

Those after something different can choose meat lasagne, Mediterranean lecsó stew served with focaccia, butter-roasted shrimp, or one of the hearty salads. For dessert, tiramisu, pistachio tiramisu, panna cotta and vegan orange chocolate cake are also available. The entire menu is not lactose- or sugar-free, but several dishes can be modified, and vegan and lactose-free options are marked separately.

Time Out tip: Book a table on the terrace in good weather and start with the classic Margherita, which can also be made lactose-free on request. Save room for the pistachio tiramisu at the end.

Address: Csévi utca 7, 1025 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur & Sun 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm

Expect to pay: Italian tomato soup with feta Ft 2,790 (€7.70), Margherita pizza Ft 4,890 (€13.50), meat lasagne Ft 5,890 (€16.25), Vesuvio pizza Ft 6,190 (€17), Tartufo pizza Ft 6,890 (€19), tiramisu Ft 2,590 (€7.15)

What is it? A completely gluten-free restaurant and bakery on the ground floor of the MOM Park mall, where you can eat from breakfast to dinner. The place is divided into two parts – the bakery-café serves fresh sandwiches, breads and pastries, the spacious restaurant breakfast, salad bowls, flatbreads, burgers and seasonally changing mains.

Why we love it Tibidabo is much more than a gluten-free bakery with a few restaurant dishes. The entire kitchen is gluten-free, so even celiac sufferers can choose freely, while the menu also includes a number of lactose-free, dairy-free, meat-free and vegan options. Start your morning with a retro sorghum bun or a salmon Next Benedict, and later you can have a smashed burger, homemade gnocchi, flatbread or teriyaki tuna steak. The bakery operates as a separate outlet, so you can also buy bread, bagels, and sweet and savoury pastries to take away.

Time Out tip: Come on a weekday morning if you want to combine breakfast with a more serious bakery filling. The breakfast menu is available until 11.30am, with a full range of baked goods available five days of the week.

Address: Ground floor, MOM Park, Alkotás utca 53, 1123 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am-9pm, Sun 9am-5pm

Expect to pay: Retro French toast Ft 3,790 (€10.45); Next-Benedict Ft 4,990 (€13.75), smashed burger with steak potatoes Ft 6,990 (€19.25), teriyaki tuna steak Ft 8,990 (€24.80), pistachio tiramisu Ft 3,490 (€9.60)

What is it? The first exclusively gluten- and lactose-free restaurant by the Római embankment in Óbuda, where the entire repertoire of classic party buffets – from hake and lángos to hamburgers and pancakes – is prepared by a dedicated kitchen.

Why we love it Menus along the Római embankment define summers in Budapest: hake, lángos, pancakes and cold beer. However, for celiac sufferers, even fried fish is not an obvious choice, as the breadcrumbs and shared frying oil can also pose a risk. Party Sörkert Free solves this problem – the entire kitchen is gluten-free, so you can safely order hake baked in a cornmeal crust, lángos, hamburgers, wraps, waffles and pancakes. The greatest virtue here is that they don’t try to tame beach food into a health-conscious reinterpretation – they offers the same slightly oily, very summery experience, without the sacrifice. And the covered, Danube-facing terrace invokes exactly the leisurely atmosphere that you go to Római shore for.

Time Out tip: After a bike ride or a longer walk along the riverside, order a Hungarian lángos or stick to the eternal classic of the genre, hake.

Address: Római part 39, 1031 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 10am-9pm

Expect to pay: Hungarian lángos Ft 2,990 (€8.25), classic burgers from Ft 4,900 (€13.50), hake Ft 3,400/0.4kg (€9.40) an average portion, pancakes from Ft 1,500 (€4.15)

What is it? A 100% gluten-free artisanal bakery in operation since with three locations in Budapest: Fény utca near the market, a bakery-brunch spot on Lázár utca, and a working bakery in the PP Center in Óbuda

Why we love it Free! is most convincing when it puts something back on the table that many people have already given up when switching to a gluten-free diet: crispy rolls, sourdough bread, layered croissants, cocoa swirls or scones. The family business works with its own developed recipes, without pre-made flour mixes, and the range ranges from classic baked goods to babkas and cakes to seasonal novelties. At the Lázár utca location, all this is accompanied by a completely gluten- and lactose-free brunch offering: hot sandwiches made from sourdough bread fermented for 36 hours, American pancakes, granola and hearty cold sandwiches are also on the menu. The industry also recognises them: their K1 sourdough bread has won the national gluten-free fresh bread competition, and their pistachio cruffin was awarded a special innovation award in 2025.

Time Out tip: At Fény utca, add a butter or vegan cocoa swirl to your basket in addition to the K2 sourdough bread. But don't leave the Lázár utca brunch till late afternoon, the kitchen closes at 3pm.

Addresses: Fény utca 16, 1024 Budapest; Lázár utca 4, 1065 Budapest; Building 79, PP Center, Szentendrei út 89-93, 1033 Budapest

Opening hours: Fény utca Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm. Closed Sun; Lázár utca Daily 9am-5pm, brunch until 3pm; PP Center Mon-Thur 8am-4pm, Fri 8am-noon. Closed Sat-Sun

Expect to pay: Hot avocado sourdough sandwiches Ft 2,790 (€7.70), crispy buns Ft 550 (€1.50), A29 baguettes Ft 1,690 (€4.65), K2 sourdough bread Ft 2,800 (€7.70), vegan cocoa swirls Ft 1,250 (€3.45), cottage-cheese scones Ft 1,390 (€3.85), pistachio cruffin Ft 2,190 (€6), American pancakes Ft 3,850 (€10.60)

What is it? A modern brunch café tucked away in a narrow downtown thoroughfare with a 100% gluten-free menu and a range of vegan dishes, from hearty toasts to salads to spectacular, sweet waffles.

Why we love it Brunch is typically based on bread and pastries, so if you are a celiac sufferer, the selection can be limited. At herBar, this is not an issue: all dishes are gluten-free and there are specially marked vegan options for those following a plant-based diet. The current menu includes vegan eggs Benedict with grilled tofu, avocado and salmon toast, hearty salads, freshly squeezed juices and a variety of vegan waffles. The sage green and beige-toned, dog-friendly café is a good choice for breakfast, a light lunch, or a cake and coffee pairing with its seasonally updated menu.

Time Out tip: The brunch offer is open until 1pm – if you prefer the sweeter side, the pistachio waffle with fresh fruit and vegan white chocolate sauce is a must.

Address: Haris köz 3, 1052 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 9am-6pm

Expect to pay: Brunch menu Ft 5,490 (€15.15), vegan eggs Benedict Ft 4,290 (€11.80), avocado toast Ft 3,490 (€9.60), salmon toast Ft 3,690 (€10.20), grilled goats’ cheese salad Ft 4,490 (€12.40), pistachio vegan waffle Ft 4,490 (€12.40), Gerbeaud slice Ft 2,190 (€6)

What is it? A completely gluten-free bistro, bakery and specialty store located at the entrance to the Nyugati centre, where the menu ranges from early-morning cocoa swirls to pizza and hamburgers to giant pancakes.

Why we love it There are gluten-free places that you save for a special dinner, but Cöli Bisztró is more for weekdays. It welcomes workers and commuters in the Nyugati area with fresh pastries as early as 7am, and later on, 32cm pizzas, hamburgers, hot dogs, sweet and savoury giant pancakes, hot sandwiches and changing daily dishes come to the fore. The entire menu is prepared in a gluten-free kitchen, so you can choose from more than just a few specially designated dishes. It is especially practical that, in addition to the dishes that can be eaten in situ, you can also take home bread, fresh and frozen baked goods, and packaged gluten-free products. The same company also operates the Food Allergy Specialist Shop in Budaörs, where they mainly sell a wide selection of ingredients and ready-made products.

Time Out tip: The giant pancake is not just a fancy name – it’s worth sharing after a pizza or hamburger. If you are a celiac sufferer with a wheat allergy, always check the allergen list, because many gluten-free pastries and pizza doughs contain gluten-free wheat starch.

Address: Nyugati centre, Jókai utca 40, 1066 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

Expect to pay: Cheese hot dog Ft 1,740 (€4.80), beefburger Ft 2,950 (€8.15), Margherita pizza Ft 3,990 (€11), Meat Lover pizza Ft 4,560 (€12.60), cocoa swirl pastry Ft 1,060 (€3), brownies Ft 1,440 (€4), hazelnut cream giant pancake Ft 1,990 (€5.50)

What is it? A completely gluten-free bistro, bakery and shop operating at three Budapest addresses, where there is something delicious for almost every time of the day, from breakfast pastries to lángos and pizza to hamburgers.

Why we love it The hardest part of gluten-free eating is often not the festive dinner, but a busy weekday – where to buy breakfast, what to have for lunch and where to get pastries that are not synonymous with dry compromise? Szafi is really strong in this respect. The outlets operate as a bakery, a casual bistro and a gluten-free grocery store at the same time, so you can eat lángos, pizza or hamburgers at the same place where you buy bread and pastries for the next day. The gluten-free kitchens work with controlled ingredients, and a significant part of the selection is also available in dairy-, egg- or soy-free, or vegan versions. A good point is that the offer is not limited to salads and seemingly diet-friendly dishes – classic street food is also included, as well as more fibre-rich, more consciously prepared dishes.

Time Out tip: If you're here for the first time, order a classic beef marbling burger, then choose a pastry for the next morning. After work, the Etele tér store is the most practical: it's open an hour longer on weekdays, until 7pm.

Addresses:

• Alkotás utca 21, 1123 Budapest

• Etele tér, Somogyi út 29, 1115 Budapest

• Nagy Lajos király útja 113, 1149 Budapest

Opening hours:

• Alkotás utca: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm. Closed Sun

• Etele tér: Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm. Closed Sun

• Nagy Lajos király útja: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm. Closed Sun

Expect to pay: Courgette scones Ft 890 (€2.45), classic beef marbling burger Ft 4,990 (€13.75), Margherita pizza Ft 5,190 (€14.30), plain lángos Ft 1,690 (€4.65), apricot jam pancakes Ft 1,099 (€3), hazelnut cream waffles Ft 2,190 (€6)

What is it? A vegan restaurant and pastry shop founded in 2008 on downtown Ferenciek tere, which offers a wide range of dishes from Hungarian comfort food to international cuisine, and also several dishes made with gluten-free ingredients.

Why we love it Napfényes had an entirely plant-based menu back when vegan restaurants were still considered a niche genre in Budapest. Today, it routinely translates Hungarian comfort food and international crowd favourites into plant-based dishes: bean goulash, Brassói and fried ‘cheese’ are accompanied by pad Thai, seasonal salad bowls, pasta dishes and pizzas. Not a single salad is a gluten-free escape: bean goulash, red-lentil bread meze and spaghetti carbonara with rice noodles are also available, as are several gluten-free desserts. However, the entire menu is not gluten-free – pizzas and seitan dishes, for example, contain gluten – and dishes designated as such are made with gluten-free ingredients, but are prepared in a shared kitchen.

Time Out tip: Definitely save room for the strawberry tiramisu – it’s vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free at the same time. If you have a celiac condition, check with the staff before ordering due to the risk of cross-contamination.

Address: Corner Veres Pálné utca/Curia utca, Ferenciek tere 2, 1053 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 11.30am-9pm. Kitchen closes at 8.30pm

Expect to pay: Bean goulash in a cup Ft 1,400 (€3.90), in a pot Ft 2,600 (€7.20), meze platter with gluten-free red-lentil bread Ft 2,800 (€7.70), spaghetti carbonara Ft 4,400 (€12.15), Sunny summer bowl Ft 4,950 (€13.65), gluten- and sugar-free strawberry tiramisu Ft 2,700 (€7.45), gluten- and sugar-free millet ‘cottage-cheese’ dumplings Ft 2,400 (€6.60)

What is it? A vegan bistro near Parliament, which opened in 2017 as Hungary's first vegan pasta restaurant. The menu is still based on Italian pastas and daily sauces with a gluten-free pasta option.

Why we love it Madal Food's genre is tailored for lunch: fast, but not an assembly-line approach. You can choose traditional or gluten-free pasta alongside daily changing plant-based sauces, but you can also choose quesadillas, wraps, salads and the Madal burger, which can also be ordered with a homemade gluten-free bun. With the Madal Café right next door, it's easy to extend your lunch with a specialty coffee. It's important to note, however, that the place doesn't indicate that it operates a separate gluten-free kitchen, so if you are a celiac sufferer, be sure to check with the staff before ordering.

Time Out tip: Don't leave lunch too late – the more popular sauces for the daily pastas may sell out before closing. Arrive around noon, ask for your chosen dish with gluten-free pasta, and then head over to the café.

Address: Alkotmány utca 4, 1054 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11.30am-3.30pm. Closed Sat-Sun

Expect to pay: Pasta of the day Ft 2,990 (€8.25), soup of the day Ft 1,590 (€4.40)