In Budapest, Hungary, visitors can feast their eyes on miles of magnificent historic architecture, and when they’ve hit their limit on sightseeing, traditional Hungarian cuisine is around every corner. The sights and smells of these meat-heavy feastful foods, however, may offer little solstice to vegans or vegetarians. Thankfully, there is a growing counter culture cuisine movement that caters to plant-based tastes. My favorite of these up-and-coming choices is Napfényes Restaurant and Pastry Shop.
I discovered Napfényes while strolling through the streets of Budapest on a quiet, chilly, and gloomy Sunday morning. At its opening hour, the restaurant’s exterior that was bustling with crowds the night before was now eerily calm apart from a few eager restaurant-goers who lined up at its front door.
Napfényes translates to sunshine, and as the name suggests, the restaurant is a cheery food hub that brightens eaters’ days. As soon as the restaurant’s doors opened promptly at noon, a busy stream of guests began filing in, as if drawn toward the pastry-counter lights and hearty smells of Sunday brunch.
Napfényes is a delight for hungry plant-based tourists and locals alike in that it includes us in the experience of traditional Hungarian cuisine. In addition to its variety of international, organic-made vegan favorites, its menu is replete with vegan versions of Hungarian classics, like Hungarian bean goulash soup, stuffed cabbage à la Kolozsvár, and seitan roast à la Brasov. Each of these dishes are served in generous portions that leave its enthusiastic eaters satisfied.
Seitan roast à la Brasov
Yet if a heaping dish of meaty seitan, house-made beefy steak fries, and paprika-spiced tomato and onion ravioli isn’t enough, Napfényes has the last empty inch in eaters’ bellies covered with its brimming and bright selection of pastries and homemade desserts. I highly recommend the Hungarian specialty (faux) cheese dumplings, made from millet, grits, spelt bread crumbs, vanilla, and lemon, and drizzled lovingly in soy yogurt sauce.
Faux cottage cheese dumplings in soy yogurt sauce.
And as if Napféynes’ healthy doses of dazzling dessert were in need of a cherry on top, there’s even more. Napfényes offers up regular events to teach its patrons the tricks of the restaurant’s trade, including an everyday bread-making course, vegan nutrition fundamentals, and a “Vegan Christmas” class. This sunny restaurant truly leaves its eaters’ interests piqued in plant-based nutrition while satiating our hunger for Hungarian food culture.
About the author: Lacey Gibson is a global health researcher, a food writer, and a Vinyasa yoga teacher. She recently graduated with a Masters of Science in Global Health Population from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Here, she also served as a Food Literacy Project Fellow, coordinating community events to inspire education of the food system. Prior to her Masters, she graduated in 2015 with a BA/BS in French and Physiology from Southern Illinois University, where she also competed as an NCAA DI track/cross country runner. Throughout her career, Lacey’s work has been published in academic journals, such as the Journal of Wine Research and the International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. She is also a regular contributor to writings for a wider wellness-interested audience, such as UNDO Ordinary, I Am Woman Project, and Skin In The Game. For a full taste of her writing style, keep up with her here.
