For many a Hungarian, a meal is not a meal without soup. And while the traditionally-important appetizer still kicks off a typical
Sunday, soups have also developed into filling, fully-nutritionally meals all
on their own, thanks to a new wave of in-and-out type soup bars. Here are the
best of the bunch.

by Anna J. Kutor

There once was a time, in the not-so-distant-past, when
soup was what you ordered during the wintertime chills to warm you up. It was
what you ordered for your out-of-town friend to show them the Hungarian
culinary must-try’s like gulyás and fisherman’s soup.
But now, soup has become fashionable and creative. Throughout Budapest, dedicated
soup bars and elevated soup stations have started popping up to serve the
city’s foodie crowd with ingredient-intensive and seasonally fresh blends.
After all, these new-age broths have all the elements that the always-busy
generation craves: nutritionally valuable, easy, fast meals at an
budget-friendly price. Here are the best soup players in Budapest that keep
stirring the pot.

LEVES.

1053 Budapest, Vámház
krt. 14, +36 30 241 7760

Turning soup from a simple nourishment into a hot new
liquid asset, this hole-in-the-wall spot has locals raving about their
palate-thrilling cup fillers. The two young owners, Ádám Gögge and Zoltán
Horváth, set up shop in 2010 in a tiny nook just off Kálvin tér with the intent
of serving regular, tightly-curated feast of soup options that follow the
seasons’ offerings. That concept, in line with the spot-on execution, is what
has made it a crowd-pleasure bar none. The weekly changing soup combinations
range from vegetable-rich broths such as mashed green peas with mint, Indian
lentil soup and baked garlic and potato soup to ethnic specialties such as
African peanut chicken soup to Thai coconut chicken soup. And then there’s the
summer specials that feature cold fruit soups from sour cherry to apple -
soothing and refreshing.

Bors GastroBar

1075 Budapest, Kazinczy utca 10

This Jewish district destination, a few doors down from the
always-busy Szimpla Kert, is perfectly located for those mid-sightseeing dining
breaks or after-party food cravings. The daily-changing menu of experimental
soups are packed with flavor, from the caramel-French mustard pheasant ragout
soup to the pumpkin-crème soup with basil-infused roasted chicken, as well as
paprika-potato soup with added sausage bits. The sweater renditions venture on
the wild side, including the elderflower peach soup with panna cotta inserts as
well as the Túró Rudi soup with Belgian chocolate, but they definitely keep
attracting adventurous eaters.

Fragola

1075 Budapest, Károly krt. 3., +36 20 467 2273

Soup and ice cream may seem like strange bedfellows, until you’ve tried it at
Fragola. The creative masterminds behind this city-wide chain have crafted a
weekly-changing repertoire of seasonal tastes that playfully fuse hot with
cold. Just think tandoori chicken soup with banana-strawberry ice cream;
chickpea and mushroom crème soup with basil-lemon ice cream or eggplant crème
soup with coconut ice cream. For the soup alone there’s a variety of toppings
to add on, including dried onions, various nuts, chilli paprika and coconut
shavings.

Finomító Kantin

1027 Budapest, Varsányi Irén utca 33, +36 30 871 9588

Soup lovers with find their spoon full on the Buda side as well if they visit this hipster
outpost near Szél Kálmán tér. Dreamt up by a lawyer couple and one their
stylist sisters, Finomító Kantin has built a strong following mainly for their
juicy burgers, but the menu also has a host of staple soups, such as gazpacho
with coriander  and spinach-potato crème
soup with grated eggs, alongside some ethnic specialties. The selection is
influenced by the season’s bounty and changes weekly, but come rain or shine
guests will find a creamy and hearty option just fine.