Restaurant in Budapest, Hungary
Michelin-recognised Hungarian cooking, mid-range pricing.
Szaletly holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025 and delivers traditional Hungarian cooking at a €€ price point — one of the better value propositions in Budapest's recognised dining circuit. With a 4.7 rating from nearly 3,000 reviews, consistency is not a concern. Book a few days ahead, plan the journey to the 14th district, and pair with a Hungarian wine from the domestic list.
Yes — if you want Michelin-recognised Hungarian cooking at a price point that leaves room for a good bottle of wine. Szaletly has held a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, which signals consistent kitchen quality without the tasting-menu prices of Budapest's starred tier. At €€, it sits well below Babel or Costes, and is one of the more direct bookings in the city's recognised dining circuit. The address — Stefánia út 93 in the 14th district , puts it away from the tourist-heavy inner city, which keeps the room local and the atmosphere grounded.
Szaletly is a Hungarian kitchen with Michelin Plate recognition across two consecutive years , a credential that matters here because Budapest's mid-range dining scene is uneven, and the Plate designation is a reliable signal that inspectors found the cooking worth noting. With a Google rating of 4.7 from 2,870 reviews, the guest satisfaction data reinforces the inspectors' view: this is not a one-visit curiosity but a restaurant with a consistent track record across a large sample.
The cuisine type is straightforwardly Hungarian, which means you should come expecting the traditional building blocks of the country's kitchen , paprika-led sauces, slow-cooked meats, rich stocks , rather than a modernised or fusion-influenced take. For returning visitors, that clarity of identity is an asset. You know what register you are in, which makes it easier to order with confidence on a second or third visit.
On the wine side, Hungarian wine has genuine depth and is still underpriced relative to its quality. Tokaj's dry furmint, the structured reds of Eger and Villány, and the lighter styles from the Balaton region all offer good pairing options for the kind of food Szaletly serves. A restaurant at this recognition level and price tier in Budapest will typically carry a list that leans into domestic producers , which is the right call. If the list does that well, Hungarian red wines from Villány make a strong match for the richer meat preparations you would expect from a traditional kitchen, while a dry furmint holds up well against the paprika-forward dishes that anchor Hungarian menus. The wine programme, if it is doing its job, should be one of the easier decisions at the table rather than an afterthought.
The 14th district location on Stefánia út is a practical consideration worth flagging for first-timers. This is a residential and park-adjacent part of Budapest, a different atmosphere from the ruin-bar district or the Belváros restaurants closer to the river. For a returning visitor, that separation from the tourist circuit is part of the appeal , the room skews local, and the pace tends to be more relaxed than the busier central venues.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which means you are unlikely to need more than a week's notice for most nights. Weekend evenings may fill faster given the venue's Michelin recognition and strong review base, so if you have a fixed date, booking 5–7 days ahead is sensible rather than leaving it to the day. Walk-in availability is plausible on quieter weeknights, but confirming in advance removes the uncertainty, especially if you are visiting as part of a planned trip. Szaletly does not carry the six-week booking window of the city's starred kitchens , that accessibility is a genuine advantage for spontaneous or shorter-stay visitors to Budapest.
For more options in the city, see our full Budapest restaurants guide, our full Budapest hotels guide, our full Budapest bars guide, our full Budapest wineries guide, and our full Budapest experiences guide. Elsewhere in Hungary, Platán Gourmet in Tata, Pajta in Őriszentpéter, and 42 Restaurant in Esztergom are worth knowing. For regional Hungarian dining, 67 Sigma in Székesfehérvár, A Konyhám Stúdió 365 in Fonyód, Alkimista Kulináris Műhely in Szeged, Kistücsök in Balatonszemes, and Platán Bisztró in Tata round out the picture. In Budapest itself, Zazie Bistro is a reliable alternative if you want something outside the Hungarian tradition.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Szaletly | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | €€ | — |
| Babel | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Borkonyha Winekitchen | Michelin 1 Star | €€€ | — |
| Rumour by Rácz Jenő | €€€€ | — | |
| Stand25 Bisztró | €€ | — | |
| Bilanx | €€ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
No dietary policy is documented for Szaletly, so check the venue's official channels before booking if you have specific requirements. Hungarian cuisine traditionally centres on meat and dairy, so vegetarian or allergen-sensitive diners should flag needs in advance. Given its €€ price point and Michelin Plate recognition, kitchen flexibility is plausible but not guaranteed.
No dress code is specified for Szaletly. At the €€ price point with Michelin Plate recognition, neat casual fits — think what you'd wear to a well-regarded neighbourhood bistro rather than a formal dining room. Overdressing is unlikely to be necessary; underdressing noticeably probably not ideal.
Specific menu items are not documented here, so ordering guidance requires checking current menus directly with the restaurant. What is clear: Szaletly focuses on Hungarian cuisine and has earned consecutive Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025, suggesting the kitchen has reliable strengths worth trusting when staff make recommendations.
For Hungarian cooking with more wine focus, Borkonyha Winekitchen holds a Michelin Star and sits at a higher price tier. Stand25 Bisztró offers a brasserie format with strong local credentials. Rumour by Rácz Jenő is worth considering if you want a more chef-driven, contemporary approach. Szaletly's advantage is Michelin Plate credibility at a €€ price point, which few rivals match.
Yes, particularly if budget matters alongside quality. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions give Szaletly enough credibility to feel like a deliberate choice rather than a fallback. It works well for a birthday dinner or anniversary where you want a step above everyday dining without committing to full Michelin Star pricing.
Tasting menu availability and pricing are not confirmed in the available data, so verify directly with the restaurant before planning around one. If a tasting format is offered, Szaletly's Michelin Plate status across two years suggests the kitchen can sustain quality across multiple courses — but confirm before booking.
At €€, yes. Michelin Plate recognition in two consecutive years at a mid-range price point is a strong value signal in a city where Michelin-level cooking often costs significantly more. If you want credentialed Hungarian cuisine without the bill of a Star-rated room, Szaletly makes a clear case for itself.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
