My New Answer to My Most-Asked Question

“Where’s the best place you’ve ever been?”

“What’s your favorite place?”

“Where’s the craziest place you’ve been?”

And other variations of this same question are one of the next 3 things to come out of someone’s mouth when they find out what I do. Only beaten by “Do you get nervous to fly that much?” And “Have you seen the new Top Gun?” To which I reply, “Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle?”

Our trips are ramping up and if May is any indication of how our summer will go (and it seems to be so), it’s going to be very European with a 40% chance of touristy vibes. And I’m okay with that.

When asked where my favorite place is, it’s a combination of Hawaii, because duh?, Santa Barbara, and anywhere that isn’t Teterboro. But now, I confidently have a new answer. And if you follow my Instagram page, you probably have a good guess as to where that may be. I’ll never apologize for spamming my feed with photos and reels showcasing the places I find special.

Budapest has been a bucket list location for quite some time, just as Prague has been, and for much of the same reason – because it feels like you should. But after spending 4 solid days roaming around this historical, brilliant, warm & rich, raw, and celebrated city – it makes much more sense.

So here is my mini guide to Budapest and what I would do next time.

SEE

My crew and I were talking and European cities can start to feel one of the same, as it’s old building after old building, old architecture, old history, and all fairly similar. Budapest didn’t feel that way, at least not to me.

Take the time to go across the Danube to see the Castle District on the Buda side. Just about every building over there is under some sort of renovation construction so you can’t avoid that part. However, it doesn’t take away from its beauty. The colors of the castles are so rich and warm up against the greenery under the usually blue skies, that you feel like you’re in a saturated photo filter. Unfortunately, Budapest has such a destructive history, especially during WWII, that destroyed much of the original architecture, but the efforts to restore it to its original, if not better glory, are there.

I also liked that around the construction of the buildings, there was signage that explained the history of each location and how it got to be the way that it was, with an English version too.

The Castle District feels separate from Budapest in that it was built in a way that makes it its own small village for the aristocrats of the past. The roads are quiet, winding, and colorful cobblestone. A nice break from the parades of tourists.

On the Pest side, the Parliament Building is worth the hype. It’s massive, completely symmetrical on each side, and you feel like an ant standing next to it. On nice days, each window is open with identical wooden shutters. It appears to always have a glow around it, but at night, it lights up the entire city. I didn’t get to see it from the Danube but I hear it’s breathtaking.

On my next trip there?

I plan to go back to the Castle District and do some exploring. I also want to take the yellow #2 train around the city. Again, the colors of everything were just captivating. We walked what felt like 100 miles through the city, which isn’t too far off now that I’m typing it.

STAY

The Matild Palace. A Luxury Collection Hotel by Marriott. I know what some people are thinking…”You should have stayed in an Airbnb to get the REAL Budapest experience.” That’s fine when you’re 25 and backpacking, but when you’re traveling for work, you err on the side of safety. And luxury. And being spoiled sometimes.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about The Matild. From the fresh aroma of flowers when you walk in, to the ornate details in every corner, this place did not mess around. The staff was helpful and friendly and reminded you what a luxury hotel felt like. As I said before – I love a turndown service. At The Matild, in addition to your turndown service and chocolates, you were given eye cream, foot cream, room spray, or any other toiletries to make your slumber a comfortable one.

I was upgraded to a trendy, loft suite on the top floor that included an entire wall of windows with mechanical blinds that opened up to rooftop views of the city. The blue-tiled bathroom and oversized tub were dreamy and provided a fresh hanging robe daily.

One of the worst thing about flight attendants (and believe me, there are so very many) is how much we pine over a good rooftop bar. We love the drinks, the views, the vibes, our outfits, and most important pictures of us enjoying the drinks and vibes in our outfits. The Duchess rooftop bar at The Matild has all of those things. After 6pm, retractable walls and ceilings give way to breezy blue skies to enjoy custom cocktails or their carefully curated list of seasonal drinks. And because I KNOW you’re all wondering – YES they make espresso martinis..and they make GOOD ones. Did I mention they have bar snacks? As every classy bar should?

The bartenders are knowledgeable, attentive, and seriously know what they’re doing. I could have watched them make drinks (and watched girls take pictures of themselves) for hours. It was beautiful and one of the better rooftop bars I’ve been to….and I drag my pilots to A LOT of them.

Next time I plan to try the Marriott that sits directly on the Danube, within sight of the Parliament building. The outside had me a bit suspicious but after doing more digging, the inside looks top-notch. It has an M-club with a river-facing terrace, spa, and multiple dining options.

EAT

I don’t think I ate even just an average meal in Budapest. The only thing average about it was the service, and that’s putting it nicely and coming from an American who thrives on instant gratification in every aspect.

Eat at Mazel Tov. Eat at Mazel Tov. Eat at Mazel Tov. I went per a recommendation from a friend and it was out of this world. We went for lunch on a Sunday and unless you have reservations, you have to sit in a smaller side room which isn’t as much of a bummer as it sounds.

The falafel? Perfectly crisp. The hummus? Would live off of it. Tabouleh? Fresh. Chicken shwarma pita? Some of the best. It was a meal my dreams are made of. Order the homemade iced tea. I don’t know what it is, but it’s certainly not iced tea, though delicious all the same.

If you’re a food market fan, take time to go to the Fovam ter market. It’s basically a giant smoked meat and paprika distributor. The people do not love a refrigerator or keeping their food below 32 degrees. Which is fine. Suspicious, but fine. The building is lined with hundreds of vendors displaying their locally grown meats, fruit & veggies, spices, spirits, and handmade goods. My souvenirs included a handmade, yellow leather purse and candied fruits.

For gelato I recommend Gelato Olasz Fagyizo at Veres Palne u.3. You’ll want to get either the cinnamon or Nutella flavor. Just trust me on this one.

Next time I plan to go back to Mazel Tov but will make reservations. The center dining room sits under the highest of ceilings that are draped with greenery and string light; it feels like you’re sitting outside on a patio. I also plan to fill a suitcase with those candied fruits because they are divine and filled with diabetes.

PLAY

Wait in line for the Ruins Bars.

We showed up around 10:30 pm on a Saturday night and the line wrapped around the corner was that of the hundreds of bars you stand in line for in your 20s…in the dead of winter… in that bodycon skirt that you swear you’ll never do again.

But alas, we did because it came highly recommended and the weather was beautiful. What else did we have to do? On the outside, it’s basically a dilapidated building that otherwise you wouldn’t give a second look. However, upon doing a bit of reading, the Ruins Bars are in fact ruins of old buildings with a food truck market attached to the side. Oh did I mention they don’t close either? No. They don’t. How do I know that? Because I watched a handful of “boys” fall out of there in between breakfast and lunch and merrily hop on their electric scooters.

And I am SO glad we did. The line wasn’t real as they seem to use it only to usher people inside in a makeshift timely manner. We waited maybe 15-20 minutes and when you’re people watching in a city you’ve never been to and making friends with the British college students “on holiday from uni,” time passes quickly.

I will never do this description justice so just stick with me here for the pictures. If you’ve ever been, you’ll understand.

Through the giant wooden doors was a cross between a rave and a small, stone, underground hidden city with neon lights stringing across the ceilings. We quickly (oddly enough considering how many people appeared to fit into this place) grabbed a giant beer from the nearest bar to fall in suit with the masses.

We decided to wander and through our “travels” through these walls were were an endless amount of bars, people, and lights, just one after another, each with its own theme. One room would have a DJ, bar, and people jumping to the beat of the house music through the speakers, only to walk 10 feet to a room with beanbag chairs and those glow-in-the-dark stars everywhere. Despite how many people appeared to be in these bars, I never felt claustrophobic, could order a drink, and would use the restroom whenever I pleased..which is obviously what matters.

This place was dream-like, trippy, and otherworldly. We found our British friends, whom we thoroughly enjoyed, again and stayed for a bit longer. Time didn’t exist at the Ruins Bars…and neither did a seltzer drink either. Europe. Go figure.

Next time? I’m going back to do it all over again except this time I’ll enjoy the food trucks. I feel like I missed out on the beloved post-going-out street meat experience, which is usually one of my favorites.

On the final day when you’re discussing the trip with your crew and you’re talking about what you did, saw, ate, and whatnot, despite doing all of it together to begin with, we all agreed that Budapest is somewhere we wanted to go back. I was fortunate enough to enjoy 4 full days there. I saw was felt like everything, learned so much, yet still felt like I needed more time there.

And lucky for us, we’ll get that soon enough.