In Communist Hungary, eszpresszós were popular hangouts serving cheap coffee (strictly dark roast), beer, and basic food. They are fast disappearing, but Bambi, which opened in 1961, continues to thrive, drawing a mix of regulars and local 20-somethings who have discovered the charms of the Communist-era genre. With its original socialist-modern interior furnishings and stereotypically dour waitstaff, Bambi offers a journey back in time. While it’s appropriate to go there any time of the day, a morning visit for scrambled eggs, frankfurters, and a cup of coffee on the outdoor terrace is especially choice.

This downtown restaurant is a neighborhood institution famed for its prewar Budapest ambience. In keeping with the bourgeois tastes of the period, the interior boasts a Persian-carpeted dining room and curvy Thonet bentwood chairs. For a local experience, visit at lunchtime, when office workers from the nearby financial district flock for cold fruit soups, veal paprikash, oversized schnitzel, and vegetable stews studded with meatballs. Owner Gábor Molnár’s cheerful presence has been a constant since the opening in 1995.

This Michelin-starred downtown restaurant is known best for the visually striking and technically precise dishes prepared under the direction of executive chef Ákos Sárközi. Since the restaurant opened in 2010, the duck liver starter and the Mangalica pork tenderloins have remained mainstays on the menu. Although pricey, Borkonyha has a bistro-like vibe that’s more casual than other fine dining restaurants in Budapest.

Local office workers form a line at lunchtime in front of this standing-only downtown eatery, which specializes in traditional meat-heavy dishes. Patrons can choose from an array of fresh or prepared meats, including Serbian cevapi, schnitzel, and braised duck legs. But the main event here is the sausage, which includes paprika-laced, blood, and pork-liver varieties. Follow the locals and pair a sausage with a generous portion of mustard, pickled vegetables, and a few slices of bread.

Threatening to overtake the thermal baths as the city’s best-known attraction, ruin bars are low-priced pubs housed inside the vast, dilapidated prewar buildings of the city’s old Jewish Quarter. Szimpla Kert — opened in 2003 and furnished with an array of flea-market bric-a-brac — was the genre’s pioneer. Despite its current status as a major tourist destination, it’s worth stopping in for a drink to see the impressive space for yourself. On Sunday mornings, the place transforms into a lively farmers market.

Étkezdes are affordable, quick, lunch-only eateries in Hungary patronized mostly by locals (similar to osterias in Italy). Kívánság, located in a working-class Budapest neighborhood not far from the city center, is one of the best examples of this dying genre. The go-to meal here is the daily soup special followed by mátrai borzas: a crunchy, fried, potato-battered pork loin topped with sour cream and cheese and paired with a side of rice. Not much about the interior has changed since the opening in 1985, but that’s part of the appeal. Kívánság is open only on weekdays.

There are many places in Budapest to find a decent goulash or chicken paprikash, but the city’s undisputed king of traditional Hungarian food is Rosenstein, a family-run restaurant opened in 1996. Other favorites include the stuffed pepper and the pan-seared foie gras with potato croquettes in a sweet Tokaji sauce. In a nod to the owners’ Jewish ancestry, on Fridays and Saturdays the restaurant also serves cholent, the slow-cooked Sabbath dish of baked beans topped with beef, and flódni, a rich Jewish Hungarian layered cake. Rosenstein is a bit outside the city center, but well worth the trip.

Budapest has the largest Chinese community in Central Europe, which means that excellent Chinese restaurants abound in Monori Center, the city’s Chinatown. He He may look like your typical takeout spot, but it serves up stellar Sichuan food and famed hand-pulled noodles, prepared by a dedicated noodle chef from Lanzhou. When in doubt, go for the boiled fish in chile oil and Sichuan peppercorns, or the sizzling beef.

Since cocktail expert Zoltán Nagy opened up shop in 2008, Boutiq has been one of the pioneers of mixed drinks in Budapest. The low-lit space is perennially busy, but the crack team of professional bartenders keeps the drinks flowing efficiently. Order a classic Manhattan, let the bartenders unleash their creativity, or opt for a local taste with the Budapest Spritz made with Zwack Unicum, the beloved Hungarian herbal liqueur.

Artizán is a rightfully popular new-wave bakery in Budapest’s city center. You’ll find a range of sourdough breads, pastries, sandwiches, and fruit juices, but keep an eye out for two of their breakfast favorites: the kakaós csiga, a roll flaunting thick layers of chocolate, and the vanilla- and berry-filled cardamom bun. On your way in or out, be sure to check out Hungary’s most famous Art Nouveau building, designed by Ödön Lechner, located just across the street.

If you’d like to be pampered in grand fashion, make your way to one of Budapest’s temples of Michelin-starred fine dining. Swedish chef Daniel Berlin leads an army of local talent, who treat guests to beautiful creations inspired by Austro-Hungarian fare in addition to the usual suspects of a fine dining menu. A highlight is the tender sturgeon filet, a tribute to the days of yore when the giant fish swam in the Danube. The location, too, is special: The restaurant is flanked by Roman ruins and a medieval church, while the Danube’s bank is just steps away. Both the eight- and 13-course tasting menus will set you back.

It’s hard to think of a more fashionable restaurant in Budapest than Dobrumba, located in the center of the city’s nightlife, the old Jewish Quarter. At all times, a chic crowd of locals and visitors fills the buzzing space. The restaurant specializes in favorites from North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Caucasus, including excellent hot mezze, like baharat-spiced pomegranate chicken livers, and a house-favorite Moroccan lemon chicken tagine, alongside Hungarian wines and cocktails. Advance booking is an absolute must.

Historically, Hungary has been a wine-drinking nation, and today there are 22 wine regions in the country, most famously Tokaj in the northeast. At Marlou, a sleek wine bar hidden on a side street behind the Hungarian State Opera House, you can try Tokaj’s sweets and dries, along with other local and French wines. French proprietor Jean-Julien Ricard works with small, conscientious producers, and many natural and biodynamic labels appear on the menu.