The best lángos in Budapest

What is it? This former classic lángos stand at Arany János utca metro station has managed to adapt to its closure by setting up at a terrace restaurant space opposite and creating a mini-chain of two outlets, the other just off Szabadság tér on Vécsey utca. Retro has also stretched the genre dramatically to cater to the requirements of its mainly foreign clientele.

Why we love it It’s not only the range of lángos on offer – sheeps’ cheese with sausage and spring onion, tzatziki chicken – but the quality of the lángos itself, not heavy or greasy, comfort food without the heavy feeling afterwards.

Time Out tip: For stuffed lángos (BBQ pulled pork, cabbage, chicken), head round to the Vécsey utca branch.

Addresses: Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 25, 1065 Budapest; Vécsey utca 3, 1054 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 11am-10pm

Expect to pay: Sour cream and cheese with red onion Ft 3,290 (€8.40). BBQ pulled pork Ft 5,190 (€13.25)

What is it? Opposite Budapest Zoo, alongside the Széchenyi Baths, Ligeti Lángos occupies a historic red-brick building dating back to 1911 which used to serve a tram that operated here between the wars. Just as then, visitors are here for recreation, but now they can tuck into classic and contemporary lángos, surrounded by greenery.

Why we love it The selection starting with the straightforward and affordable iteration of cheese, sour cream and garlic, ‘Park Lángos’ delves off-piste into varieties such as vegetarian, Parma ham and rucola. The setting couldn’t be better, particularly if you’ve just enjoyed a soak at the baths or taken the kids to the zoo.

Time Out tip: Ligeti Lángos does pancakes too – if you can find the room, that is – and home-made cordials in ten fruit flavours to accompany.

Address: Állatkerti kórút 3, 1146 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 11am-7pm

Expect to pay: Falusi (‘Village’) lángos of sour cream sheep’s curd, fried bacon, red onion Ft 3,690 (€9.45). Magyaros (‘Hungarian’) of sausage, aged smoked ham, cooked ham, bacon, cheese and sour cream Ft 4,090 (€10)

What is it? Occupying a corner space of Fény utca market, Lángos Land provides a large terrace overlooking a junction of busy Buda streets for shoppers to rest their feet over a standard or stuffed lángos.

Why we love it Affordable and filling, the lángos here appeal to a local crowd who tend towards the traditional, giving first-time visitors a taste of what lángos used to be before it was discovered by mass tourism.

Time Out tip: While remaining true to the original genre, Lángos Land still serves the stuffed variety, in as many varieties as the standard one. Order the one with smoked cheese and bacon and you shouldn’t need to eat for the rest of the week.

Address: Fény utca market, Lövőház utca 12, 1024 Budapest

Opening hours: Tue-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 7.30am-2pm. Closed Sun, Mon

Expect to pay: Standard with garlic Ft 1,250 (€3.20). With smoked cheese and sour cream Ft 2,350 (€6)

What is it? One of many food outlets lining the upper floor of the main city market, this lángos stand appeals to curious tourists by sizzling up classic varieties and topping others with ingredients way outside the Magyar lexicon. Marmalade lángos, anyone?

Why we love it If you want a real lángos experience, even at a tourist attraction such as this one, then head to a market. Snag a spot overlooking the bustle, order your lángos and watch the city’s biggest and busiest market go about its business.

Time Out tip: Carnivores should enjoy the reich an Fleisch (‘rich with meat’) variety, this old-school stand still steadfast in its belief that the majority of market visitors are German-speaking as would have been the case 40 years ago.

Address: Vámház körút 1-3, 1093 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 6am-6pm, Sat 6am-4pm, Sun 10am-4pm

Expect to pay: Mushroom, ham and cheese Ft 3,490 (€9). Cabbage lángos Ft Ft 3,490 (€9)

What is it? In the city’s main street-food nexus of Karaván, this outlet by the entrance on Kazinczy utca is many visitors’ first taste of lángos, and often when they’re three sheets to the wind – this is also the party zone, with famed ruin bar Szimpla Kert a few doors away.

Why we love it Knowing they’re catering to a significant number of customers with no previous experience of lángos, here they make it nice and easy: a basic lángos or a classic, upon which you can build your own Scooby snack.

Time Out tip: Go easy on the hot peppers – they really are hot in these parts.

Address: Karaván, Kazinczy utca 18, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 11.30am-midnight

Expect to pay: Classic lángos Ft 3,600 (€9.20). The Green (vegetarian) 3,600 (€9.20)

What is it? ‘My Lángos’ can be found at two outlets, one in the very centre of Budapest, the other in the nightlife zone nearby. The selection in each includes the classic cheese-and-sour-cream standard, as well as filled and sweet versions, cottage-cheese doughnuts and pancakes.

Why we love it Lángosom preserves the familiar world of classic lángos place while comfortably fitting into the downtown rhythm. The dough is light, they don’t skimp on the toppings, and the selection is wide enough to appeal to lovers of traditional flavours and to those seeking to experiment to find something new.

Time Out tip: If you’re looking for something seriously substantial, try the Budapest filled lángos: you can also order the bacon-sausage-sour cream-cheese topping as a plain version instead of filled.

Addresses: Sütő utca 2, 1052 Budapest; Wesselényi utca 35, 1077 Budapest

Opening hours: Sütő utca: Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun 10am-11pm; Wesselényi utca Daily 11am-midnight

Expect to pay: Classic cheese & sour cream Ft 1,990 (€5.60). Budapest lángos plain Ft 3,090 (€8.70), filled Ft 3,490 (€9.80)

What is it? A downtown lángos spot overlooking focal square Erzsébet tér, this is more of a quick pit stop than a sit-down eatery. There is no table service, you order at the counter on the street, a good choice if you want something quick, fresh and distinctly Hungarian before an afternoon’s sightseeing or shopping.

Why we love it Despite its touristy surroundings, A lángosos does not move too far from the lángos genre: it is prepared quickly, arrives fresh, the dough is light, and the toppings are generous enough to make one portion become a small meal. The service is friendly and brisk, and the price-value ratio is fair considering the locality.

Time Out tip: Order at the window, then sit down for a cold beer at the Bavarian bar next door.

Address: József Attila utca 22, 1051 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Thur, Sat noon-10pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sun noon-9.30pm. Closed Tue

Expect to pay: Cheese & sour cream Ft 2,500 (€7). Hungarian (cheese, sour cream, red onion, paprika, salami, bacon) Ft 3,500 (€9.80)