Thai restaurants have just recently made their appearance en masse in Budapest, much to the delight of the expat and international community, as Thai food is one of the staples of the leisure classes. Here is a guide to the already existing and newly opened Thai restaurants. These will include some franchises as well as a couple of standalone complexes.
This chain has recently made an appearance, and most of the restaurants still have great opening sales still! The menu is spectacular, their pad that sauce is sensational and a little bit sweet, and they mainly deal with noodles. They do have a la carte foods, but really, a nice plate of Thai noodles with the usual selection of red curry, green curry, pad Thai, sweet and sour and a number of different sauces, combined with either chicken, seafood, vegetables, beef, or even tofu, for all you vegans out there (the noodles are egg free, too!). So far they only have locations in the inner city, there is one near Deák tér in October 6th street, and there is one near the Octagon. The interior is what you would expect, and the prices are middle of the road for Hungary, which is super cheap for our international friends.
This restaurant franchise has three locations in Budapest currently. They are the most fast food like of all of these, and they also focus on noodles, with the occasional a la carte option, and an awesome selection of Tom Yum and Tom Ka, awesome coconut milk based soups full of galangal, cilantro, and mouthwatering veggies and chicken or shrimp. Vegan options are naturally available. While they do have an a la carte, mostly the soups and the noodles are the main attraction, and they are ready immediately.
Located in a tiny side street just off of the famous Váci utca, this restaurant has a small following, and is actually the first Thai restaurant to open in the city, and the only one available until about 5 years ago. The place is in typical Budapest fashion located in a subterranean area, and is dazzling to enter, with koi fish in large aquariums, and a tiny altar to the Buddha in the middle of the restaurant. The place is a sit down sort of affair, and not a fast food chain, but has arguably the largest menu of any Thai restaurants in Budapest. They have two pages just of starters, the usual Thai awesome soups, and also serve noodles as well as rice dishes. They are one of the few places that has many pork, beef and chicken dishes, and the service is phenomenal. This is also a great place to try out some Thai desserts, as their tapioca, their authentic rice pudding with Thai fruits, and their fried banana re all delicious, not to mention the litchi flavored ice cream.
This newly opened a la carte restaurant is located at the head of the Andrássy utca, the Broadway of Budapest. They are a place I would recommend to families first and foremost, and there are numerous reasons why. First of all, being a sit down restaurant, it takes a bit of time for them to bring the food out something that young people who are constantly on the go might not have the patience for. The food is superb, and the place has a large play corner where you can put the kids down. The restaurant has two floors, with the children’s corner on the top floor, so you can avoid the noise of playing children by staying downstairs, if you so choose. Mainly this place is extremely well positioned, well furbished, and is the most convenient option if you want to eat Thai food, but do not want fast food.
Named after the awesome dish that has brought fame to the kitchens of Thailand, this is a standalone Thai fast food restaurant located just a few meters from the Basilica, literally a 5 minute walk from Deák tér, the cultural and physical center of the city. This place is awesome because it is very fast, you order something, and you will have it within minutes, and they are the only place that has a city wide delivery system as well. Highly recommended for when you just want a quick bite and get on with your day, as the portions aren’t that big either, although big enough to satisfy.
I hope this gives an ample selection of the booming Thai food sensation that just hit (somewhat late, I know) Budapest. Enjoy!