Day 2
Vega City is a cafeteria style restaurant, where you are served immediately upon ordering, this, the convenient location and the delicious vegan options meant that it was a very popular lunch spot for many Hungarians. Being across the road from the Hungarian National Museum meant that we had both breakfast and lunch in this spot. We had smoothies and a brownie for breakfast, all of which were delicious! There was a choice of about 8 smoothies out when we went in, some of which quite unusual combinations, but the ones we tried were quite delicious!
After the museum we went back for some lunch; upon walking in we noticed these amazing looking burgers, one of which had a stripy bun like a tiger! I ordered a layered rice, tomato and kale bake, topped with sunflower seed sauce and a side salad and my mum had a mushroom and kale pasta dish. The rice option I ordered seemed to be quite popular among the other customers, it was packed with flavour and I would definitely order it again, though it was very filing and I struggled to finish it!
Hungarian National Museum
In between our trips to Vega City we explored the Hungarian National Museum, which we gained entry to with our Budapest Cards. We did however find out half way through that you had to pay to take pictures within the museum, not included in the card, though, we had taken a few photos by then so we didn't come away empty handed. The museum was pretty amazing, as you walked through it was like a journey through time, with each exhibition taking you through a different era. By the time we were at the 1800's the similarity with the furniture and clothes to today's styles was pretty remarkable. There were many pieces that would not look out of place in a home today, which really shows how styles come around again. The museum itself was originally built as a library and began to become a museum a year later, by the donation of a mineral collection by the founder's wife. It is a stunning building, with decorative ceilings and amazing detail, I would definitely recommend visiting the National Museum, it allows you to get a feel for Hungary and learn some history of the country you're, which is pretty fascinating.
Hungarian National Gallery
The national gallery, located in the Buda Castle is a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibitions of art from the 15th century to modern day, and again you can gain free entry with the Budapest Card. You can either walk up the hill, which takes about 10 minutes or you can get the lift up, at a cost. I would recommend walking up, the views of the city are just breathtaking, and even if you do not go in the gallery, you cannot miss the scenery! It's from higher up that you really gain a perspective on the city, it allows you to really appreciate the scenery and the beauty of the cities. Pictured in the distance is the parliament building and the Margaret bridge, leading onto Margaret Island.
We ordered the Napfényes sharing platter for two, which gives you some of their most popular options to try, including crepes with veggies, fried vegan cheese, seitan cutlets, seitan kievs, falafel, rice and peas, potatoes, pickled cabbage, bean sprouts and tartar sauce. So, this platter certainly wouldn't win any health awards, but we didn't expect a fried platter to; it would however win some taste awards! Often fried food can all taste the same, but this was definitely not the case here, each piece had it's own flavour and it was all very well seasoned, my favourite pieces would have to be the kiev, which had oozy garlic sauce and the fried cheese triangles, the whole platter however, was incredible, and a very generous size for 2!
Everyone knows that dessert goes into a different stomach, so of course we had to try some of the icecream before we left, I had a hazelnut flavour and my mum had the pomegranate, both of which were creamy and delicious! It was so refreshing to be able to order vegan ice cream in a restaurant, and of course being on holiday made it essential to eat ice cream. Napfényes is a must-visit for vegans and non-vegans alike in Budapest, no matter what your tastes, there will be something, or everything you love on the menu!
The City at Night
After the meal we wandered back via the Danube, which we had heard was just stunning at night. The inner city, is quite a safe area at night, there's plenty of people around and it has a very calming feel to it. We took a few pictures of the bridges and buildings lit up, whilst we walked off our dinner, it was absolutely stunning and a must-do in Budapest!
The national gallery, located in the Buda Castle is a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibitions of art from the 15th century to modern day, and again you can gain free entry with the Budapest Card. You can either walk up the hill, which takes about 10 minutes or you can get the lift up, at a cost. I would recommend walking up, the views of the city are just breathtaking, and even if you do not go in the gallery, you cannot miss the scenery! It's from higher up that you really gain a perspective on the city, it allows you to really appreciate the scenery and the beauty of the cities. Pictured in the distance is the parliament building and the Margaret bridge, leading onto Margaret Island.
Napfényes consistently came back as the top option for vegans in Budapest on both Trip Advisor and Happy Cow, and it certainly lived up to expectations! They now have two locations, we went to the newest one, located near the Ferenciek Tere Metro stop, in Pest and coincidentally, just down the street from the coffee place we were at the day before! They have an extensive 20 page menu, in both Hungarian and English, offering 100% vegan food, including gluten free and raw options. The dining area is white table cloths and candles, and there is even live music too, it's a lovely place for an evening meal!
We ordered the Napfényes sharing platter for two, which gives you some of their most popular options to try, including crepes with veggies, fried vegan cheese, seitan cutlets, seitan kievs, falafel, rice and peas, potatoes, pickled cabbage, bean sprouts and tartar sauce. So, this platter certainly wouldn't win any health awards, but we didn't expect a fried platter to; it would however win some taste awards! Often fried food can all taste the same, but this was definitely not the case here, each piece had it's own flavour and it was all very well seasoned, my favourite pieces would have to be the kiev, which had oozy garlic sauce and the fried cheese triangles, the whole platter however, was incredible, and a very generous size for 2!
Everyone knows that dessert goes into a different stomach, so of course we had to try some of the icecream before we left, I had a hazelnut flavour and my mum had the pomegranate, both of which were creamy and delicious! It was so refreshing to be able to order vegan ice cream in a restaurant, and of course being on holiday made it essential to eat ice cream. Napfényes is a must-visit for vegans and non-vegans alike in Budapest, no matter what your tastes, there will be something, or everything you love on the menu!
The City at Night
After the meal we wandered back via the Danube, which we had heard was just stunning at night. The inner city, is quite a safe area at night, there's plenty of people around and it has a very calming feel to it. We took a few pictures of the bridges and buildings lit up, whilst we walked off our dinner, it was absolutely stunning and a must-do in Budapest!
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