A Week in Budapest: What's Actually Worth Your Time
It's easy to get Budapest wrong. I learned that the hard way on my first morning, when I stumbled into a tourist trap on Váci utca, paying 12 euros for a "traditional" Hungarian dish that tasted like a microwave dinner. The waiter, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, said, "This is how Hungarians eat." I ate it anyway, but by the time I finished, I knew I had to find a better way to experience the city. My second day started right. I followed a local to a tiny café near the Margaret Island bridge called Kávéház. It's on a quiet street called Károlyi utca, just a five-minute walk from the bridge. They serve a real, hearty breakfast: a plate of scrambled eggs with smoked cheese and sourdough, all for 8 euros. The owner, a woman named Mária, greeted me by name after my third visit. She told me to skip the touristy spots and try the local markets instead. I did, and it changed everything. For lunch, I headed to a hidden gem called Bors, a small rest...