Cooking is not just a culinary, but also a cultural experience. Whether you are a foodie, a hobby cook, or a traveler looking for a truly authentic Budapest adventure, joining a local cooking class is always a good idea. During these courses you get to mingle with locals, sample various delicacies, learn about Hungarian cuisine and collect new recipes, so you can impress your friends and family with delicious Hungarian meals when you go home. Below, we’ve listed four of the best cooking classes in Budapest.
Budapest Cooking Class
Contact: +36 20 779-3375
agnes.barath@culinaryhungary.com
budapestcookingclass.com
Hosts Agnes and Andrew will teach you about Hungarian food and cooking techniques on the Buda side in the 2nd district, close to the city center. Agnes is a professional cooking class instructor who has learned cooking from her parents and many of her recipes are family secrets while Andrew – who is also Hungarian – has a passion for food and lived in the U.S. for seven years. He doesn’t only speak excellent English but is a great cook as well. You will be awaited in their cozy, comfortable apartment with wine and pálinka and their cooking session will immediately feel like visiting friends. They offer a 6-hour market & food tour combined with a cooking class, a 4-hour Hungarian cooking class, a 2-hour food tour of the Central Market Hall, and a 3-4-hour vegetarian/vegan cooking class. For a small additional fee, you can even invite your friends to join you for the 3-course meal you cooked at the end of the class, just make sure you let the hosts know how many guests you’ll be inviting. The Hungarian recipes will be e-mailed to you after the class.
Who is it for:
- anyone who wants to try something local. No cooking skills are required.
- for a family or group of friends up to 8 people
- solo travelers who don’t mind being paired up with another solo traveler for a cooking session
- vegetarians, vegans, and people with lactose or gluten intolerance get to choose a special menu
What we love about it: it’s organized in a private home with a cozy atmosphere
Costs: A 4-hour cooking class for 2 costs 27.000 HUF/person (about 85 EUR). The 6-hour program combined with a market tour for 2 costs 38.000 HUF/person (about 122 EUR).
Easy Cooking Budapest
Source: budapestcookingclass.com
Contact: +36 30/353 6100
info@easycookingbudapest.com
easycookingbudapest.com
Located in the 9th district not far from the city Centre, Easy Cooking Budapest offers a 4-5-hour culinary and cultural adventure that comes with a local farmers market walk. According to online reviews, host Cecilia pays attention to every detail. The meeting point is at the entrance of the Great Market Hall where you’ll shop for ingredients and taste local delicacies like wine and cheese, and she’ll even help you choose some souvenirs to take home with you. Then you take a taxi from the market to the kitchen, where you’ll be given aprons and slippers, then get to listen to a wonderful presentation about Hungarian gastronomy.
As for the menu, you’ll be cooking a 4-course meal. You can choose between two appetizers (kőrözött or pogácsa), soups (pea soup or goulash soup), main dishes (chicken paprika or vegetarian fried cheese), and desserts (poppy seed bread pudding or cottage cheese dumplings). The program is organized for a minimum of two people and needs to be booked at least 24 hours in advance. The price includes a bottle of wine (1 bottle/2 guest). The cooking session is also available in German.
Who is it for:
- those who want to do a combined market tour and cooking class in less than 6 hours
- those who want to cook a 4-course meal instead of a 3-course-meal
- business owners to entertain clients
- companies for teambuilding
- both English and German speakers
What we love about it: there’s a 100% money back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied with the program
Costs: 89 Euro / person
Source: easycookingbudapest.com
Chef Parade Cooking School
+36/20/316-1876
info@cookingbudapest.com
Chefparade Cooking School is one of the oldest and most prominent cooking schools in Budapest. In three different locations in the capital and one in the Etyek wine region, their highly experienced chefs offer a wide variety of international culinary courses where you can learn to cook Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, Spanish, French, and even American meals. They also organize cooking courses for children including a Pasta-parade course and a Cupcake design course on the 23rd of October and a Hello Halloween course on the 31th of October.
On their website, you can filter by language, chef, theme, difficulty, and location to find the program that interests you most. If you want to dive into the world of local cuisine, Chefparade also organizes Hungarian cooking courses. These courses run in the late morning hours finishing with lunch, starting at a local farmers market where you’ll source fresh, local ingredients and learn about the market’s history. After arriving to one of their high-end kitchen studios by cab, you will cook a 3-course menu in pairs with the guidance of a professional chef, choosing from a wide variety of local meals. Chefs can even accommodate individual requests, just let them know in advance which local meal you want to cook, and they’ll try to make it happen.
Who is it for:
- for those interested in international gastronomy
- larger groups (events for up to 40 people)
- those who prefer choosing from a wide variety of meals
- those who want to cook something special that isn’t on the menu
- those who enjoy cooking in a modern cooking studio
What we love about it: the great variety of thematic cooking courses they organize
Costs: Hungarian cooking course: from 75 EUR/adult, 25 EUR/child, market visit: 25 EUR/person, thematic courses: 15.990 HUF/person
Source: Pixabay, Pexels
Kitchen Pixie Budapest
Contact: +36 30 515 7938
info@cookinghungary.com
In her private home at the corner of Király street in the Jewish Quarter, professional cook and food fanatic Márti offer to take you on a culinary adventure where you get to tour farmer’s markets, taste local drinks and learn to prepare Hungarian and Jewish delicacies. She offers five different menus that you can choose from. A big plus is that she personally picks you up at the beginning of the program and takes you back to your hotel at the end. Apart from her cooking courses, she also organizes a baking & pastry course, a Hungarian strudel-making course, wine tastings, and business dining as well. On her website, she gives a detailed introduction about her culinary business, family, and the beloved city, Budapest, making a nice first impression. According to guest reviews, Márti is a friendly, welcoming, and patient host. She doesn’t only cook well but also entertains her guests with great stories about Hungarian culinary traditions, so you are guaranteed to leave the cooking session not only with a full stomach but with great recipes and unforgettable memories as well.
Who is it for:
- anyone who is looking for a more private cooking session
- anyone who wonders what an authentic Budapest home looks like
- anyone who wants to learn to prepare Hungarian pastries and strudels
- minimum 2 people – maximum 12
- for groups larger than 6 as they get a discount
What we love about it: Márti’s “personal touch”
Costs: 80 EUR/person (over 2 guests, there is a 5 EUR discount for every further person)
Source: cookinghungary.com
