Hungry in Hungary (with a Baby)

There was an article by Rick Steves in yesterday’s Baltimore Sun. I found it informative and interesting but there are definitely some things I could add, having been there recently.

I did a 6-country, 28-day tour of Europe alone with my 10-month old.  I did have an amazing time and Budapest was one of my favorite stops.  Ellie and I stayed at the Budapest Marriott right in the heart of the city.  It sits right on the Danube River and every room has a view – an amazing view – of the castle up on the hill.  Every night in my room I would open the curtains and just stare at the amazing vista before me.

One of my biggest frustrations with Budapest, and most of Eastern Europe, is the lack of family friendly restaurants.  In several of them I couldn’t get a high chair because they only had a couple and they were taken (if the restaurant had any at all).  My most frustrating problem was finding a restaurant with a changing table.  I ended up having to change her on a pad in the bathroom floor or on a park bench.

There was only one restaurant that I found and that was a fantastic place for a nice dinner with a child.   Vakvarju is a good restaurant and walking distance from the Marriott.  It was the only restaurant I have ever seen (in the world) with a gated play area for children.  They had books and all kinds of toys for children to play while parents enjoyed a meal.  Why don’t more restaurants have this? They of course also had plenty of high chairs and a changing table in the restroom.

Even if you don’t have a child I would still recommend it, the food was delicious and the prices were reasonable.  And of course, I definitely recommend putting Budapest on your bucket list.  I am definitely going to go back with my husband some day and Ellie so she can remember it this time. 😉

Oh, and by the way I do recommend buses like the Hop On Hop Off.  I really enjoyed getting a break from the elements, learning about the area and history all in a comfortable setting where my daughter could sleep.