Walking into this shop feels like stepping straight into a Budapest side street where the air is…read morethick with smoke, spice, and family history. The counters are packed, the shelves are stacked with imports you haven't seen since childhood, and everyone behind the counter treats you like you've been coming here for decades. The kolbasz that tastes like home The star is the kolbasz. Deep color, real smoke, that sweet‑warm paprika profile that hits you right in the memory. It's the kind of sausage that doesn't just taste good, it tastes correct. The gyulai, the cserkesz, the hams, the salamis, all of it carries that old world confidence. Nothing rushed. Nothing modernized in the wrong way. Just tradition done right. The vibe It's cozy and full of regulars who know exactly what they're here for. You hear Hungarian, English, and that universal language of people pointing at meats they've been dreaming about all week. It's a cultural anchor for the neighborhood, and you feel that the second you walk in. The only heartbreak They don't ship nationwide

My mother was Hungarian and I grew up to appreciate Hungarian cuisine, especially their smoked…read moresausages. The Hungarian Meat Center, owned and operated by the Rozsa Family since 1988,specializes in everything Hungarian. The store is on the small side but upon entering smells of smoked sausages, garlic, paprika and cumin which permeate the air. When in the area, I stop in to pickup some Hungarian delicacy or another. This last visit, I bought a gyulai $16, Cseresz kolbasz $8, and a container of prune and apricot jam, $4.75 each. It's difficult to find Hungarian products in Northern New Jersey let alone at reasonable prices and at this quality level. I must add that their apricot jam has the right texture, no added sugar however the sweetness of the fruit remains. I love it. They also offer torta, punies, kremes/sampit, spices and seasonal candies.

Looking for a place to eat or have coffee, come here!!!…read more It is a hidden gem in the Upper East Side. If you are just meeting for coffee and dessert or dinner after the museum this is the spot. It is a small yet cozy place where the food is fresh and though it's a small stuff, they are extremely efficient. I had a cappuccino as well as a very delicious cherry soup. I also had their cappuccino and their different type of strudels, including cabbage and poppyseed. Service is good and hard working I strongly recommend you to come here.

Budapest cafe is a staple on the UES and has been here for decades, even before I moved to the UES…read more We decided to go for lunch, they do have a lunch menu (3 course that includes soup, entree, and a slice of cake). The Goulash soup was ok, just tasted like vegetable soup in a tomato paste with a few pieces of boiled veal. My schnitzel was good! And of course the apple crumble cake was the highlight of my meal! Budapest is really excellent for that dessert! All homemade desserts that hit the spot. This spot is really a gem of the upper east side.

We were walking around in Greenpoint and suddenly the neighborhood turned Polish, which is super…read morebecause I love Polish things...especially stuffed cabbage. I saw a couple pointing and nodding, so I asked, is this place amazing? They said yes. We were sold. We were wanting a drink and conveniently, they had a bar. Polish beer and incredible Polish cabbage on the way to meet friends for dinner at another restaurant? Duh!! Im Jewish - not religious - but it's important because beef/rice is the norm in my world. Karczma makes a pork version which was so so good. Big fat pieces. Thick, perfectly wrapped cabbage. Juicy, flavorful filling. The sauce was bright with tomato flavor. The wagon wheel decor was a curveball, but the warm and comfy vibe in the restaurant is what mattered most. We loved it.

Came here for lunch and tried a couple of the lunch specials…read more The breaded pork cutlet was my favorite over the kielbasa. Both pickle soups and white borscht soups were great. The two lunch dishes were enough food for 4 people.

Always consistently good! When you come here, you know what to expect, especially if you've been…read morebefore. Thr staff is nice and has that old school feel as it should since it's been around so long. The pierogies are really good, and I personally prefer them steamed, though you can also get them fried. I tried the egg noodles for the first time last night along with a four-piece order of potato pierogies. The onion and sour cream on the side are a must for the potato pierogies, and definitely ask for butter and mushroom gravy for the egg noodles. It makes for such a warm, comforting meal! There's so much more on the menu I still want to try. I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the East Village!

Stumbled upon this place during a girls trip to NYC, and it ended up being the best food we had all…read moreweekend! We shared the pierogies (highly recommend the goat cheese and arugula one--make it a full meal with kielbasa sausage, caramelized onions, and sour cream), and tried the matzo ball soup, which tasted just like home. Don't miss the Bloody Marys either--so good! The food here was so similar to what my mom makes, which made it a special and comforting stop for me. Yes, it was super busy, but honestly, where in NYC isn't? The wait was actually shorter than at other spots we tried. If you're planning a trip or live nearby, I definitely recommend checking out this cute little restaurant!

Delicious pierogis! We tried the tatar and meat versions and both were fantastic. We wish we had…read moretime to go back for more. We also tried every shot and highly recommend the raspberry vodka.

Cute pierogi shop right in hipster Greenpoint. The prices are fair, the service is reasonable, and…read moreof course, the food is good, real good. The Kielbasa sausage with three pierogis is the ideal dish to order here, especially for those not all that familiar with Polish cuisine (like myself). The sausage is just smoky enough without it being too overwhelming, and the pierogi (get the raspberry and sweet cheese one to balance out your palette) are a great point/counterpoint to the meal. Afterwards, I debated between getting the waffle, or walking up the street and getting donuts at nearby Peter Pan. I decided on the former as I never met a waffle I did not like. This continues to be the case. The waffle is cake-like but not overly indulgent, and just the right size. Unfortunately the fruit is more on the tart side, but balances out the waffle well. Next time I will be better prepared. And oh yeah, I still made it out to Peter Pan and got my donuts afterwards.

I stopped by the Hungarian Pastry Shop on a rainy Sunday afternoon, knowing I would be in the…read moreManhattan Valley area. Despite the foul weather, the bakery was packed to capacity with a small line forming outside waiting to order to go like me. The line moved efficiently and I was positionrd to order within about fifteen minutes. I ordered the baklava, apricot hazelnut cake, and the cherry cheese strudel, the latter seemingly drawing lots of attention, but accompanied by some disappointment in the reviews I read. Whole standing there, I noticed the fruit tarts on the left in the display case and ordered a plum and an apricot tart. If you're Guyanese or from the Caribbean, you know well the pine (pineapple) tarts. The young lady wrapped them individually in parchment paper and within a box constructed with seasoned hands and this string that is dispensed from an overhead spool that looks like an overhead hanging light without the light. It seems rather ubiquitous, but I don't recall ever seeing such. The apricot hazelnut cake is the most refined of all these treats. The top layer is a type of merengue or whipped cream and the apricot forms the bottom layer with a thin layer of hazelnut in between and hardly makes its presence known. It's not a sweet sugar bomb and would be accompanied well by some Earl Grey tea. The baklava I had two days later and this is the one best consumed the same day or the next day at the latest. The thin flaky layers of phyllo dough are presumably only accomplished by butter like a croissant and this must be experienced fresh. The nuts and other filler are very good, but you should experience the phyllo counterpoint afresh. This could be the best of everything had I had it fresh. The baklava is made for coffee. The cherry cheese strudel was great. I don't know why there are some mixed to disappointed reviews, but I found it delicious and definitely would order this on repeat. It's not too sweet and the balance between the cherry compote and creamed cheese seemed just right. Coffee or tea would pair well. The apricot tart was better than the plum tart. The plum tart had a grainy plum filling, but the apricot filling was on point. The triangle pastry is a bit large in pastry with relatively little filling, but the balance is still pretty good. Tea accompanies these fruit tarts nicely. I appreciate immensely that nothing was overpoweringly sweet. Sugar is often used as a substitute for real baking expertise and you can count on the Hungarian Pastry Shop to deliver treats a mature palate will recognize and appreciate. Service was good and the place was packed when the weather was bad. 4 quality stars and very return worthy!

Finally made it uptown to The Hungarian Pastry Shop. The block is actually quaint and across the…read morestreet from St. John's Cathedral. Got there around 1 PM on a weekday, they were just starting to run out with some items. The pastries were very fresh & delicious in a comforting way. Got a Cardamom Bun (mild flavor, with light layer of apricot jam in the layers) & the Sacher Torte (Excellent! Austrian hazelnut flour torte, raspberry jam). I'm not familiar with a lot of the items & wish they were labeled. Would have ordered more. The cafe was *very crowded & kind of loud. The ambiance didn't seem enjoyable compared to the calm UWS streets. The outdoor tables looked calmer even though a short line blocked the front of it. There's only a line because the counter is close to the front door and little space to wait. The 2-3 counter staff was very nice & patiently answered questions (labeled & priced pastries - with ingredients/nut disclaimer still would have helped & move the line along) . Took the treats to the community garden on the corner. Keep exploring NYC y'all!

Very small bakery I came after 3pm so there weren't many things left I did get a little cake with…read morechocolate and different colors as well as an iced coffee which was much needed due to this heat. Iced coffee was big and refreshing and the cake pretty good. Unfortunately I didn't get to take a pic of it since I ate and drank on the go. Lady behind the counter was nice and prices were very decent for both items.

I ordered quite a few items - the Linzer cookies, a giant rainbow cookie cake slice, apple strudel,…read morea butter chocolate shell type cookie with raspberry filling and some of the lacy cookies with chocolate layer between. I also got a very nice iced coffee all for $30. They fortunately take Apple Pay. The bakery is very small, standing room only but the staff was helpful and I have enjoyed the cookies.

Food was delicious as always and our server Kyle was phenomenal with his spot on recommendations…read moreand kindness. We had rosemary roast chicken, Wiener schnitzel, chocolate cake and Linzer torte. All fabulous!

Okay, now I think I have hit my quota for German/Austrian/Bavarian restaurants. This one is a…read morepretty darn good one too, and do not regret the fact it is not super easy to get to by subway. In actuality, it is not far from either Church Ave station on the F, or the B/Q. Fair warning, they only take cash or Amex. Thankfully I was able to pay with the latter, enabling me to order more food and have a more pleasant experience. The pretzel they have here is called the Best Pretzel in NYC. It is a delicious pretzel, not overly salted but definitely not a glorified breadstick. The mustard and spread that is included with it only adds to the experience. I also changed it up this time and got a Wiener Schnitzel instead of a sausage. Though they use pork instead of veal, pork is an acceptable substitute. It tastes great, easy and fluffy, and the cucumber salad is a welcome addition. The cranberries? Well, that is up to you to decide. I think it is just *okay*, but to others it is not something that is needed. For dessert I got two, the Apple Strudel and the Linzer tart. No, the latter is not the cookie. Rather it is like a cake, or a pie, much like the one I had when I was in Switzerland. I thought the latter was better than the former, but only for authenticity sake. Both need the cream for it to be a truly indulgent treat, but next time I will just stick with one and call it a meal. I am happy I stopped in here and had myself a good dinner. The food is not cheap, but that should not deter you from feeling like you just had a little Oktoberfest in Kensington.

Amazingly enough, this place has the best huevos rancheros for brunch in the city! And, of course,…read morethe schnitzels are absolutely to die for. I can't recommend this place enough--without a doubt, a must-try!!!

Came here with a group of 7 people…read more Ordered a selection of their greatest hits and everything was pretty tasty.

At Cafe Katja, I had a Reuben pork belly sandwich and their Wiener schnitzel. I found the sandwich…read moreto be really big portion size wise and I really enjoyed it! I also like how the pork belly wasn't overly fatty. I also found the schnitzel to be breaded really well. I would love to try their sausage here if I get a chance

I did not take pictures of what I got here, largely since none of the food is memorable. Not bad,…read morejust not memorable. The pretzel here is tasty, but small. I really wanted to like this pretzel but it is hard to justify $7 for a pretzel I ate in less than two minutes. I get it. This is the kind of pretzel they serve in Germany and Austria, but this had so much of a Manhattan undercurrent that I had to keep thinking in my head why I had to justify the indulgence. This restaurant also serves the Austrian version of a chicken noodle soup. It is kinda bland, and mostly broth. The noodles are nice and soft, and the vegetables bring a mellow texture to the soup, but this is a hard buy in. Now onto the entrees: The Krainerwurst is a smoky and tasty sausage but it is also small, and it is just one link. I really enjoyed the Quark Dumplings, almost like Austria's answer to gnocchi. This is tasty and pillowy. Super delicious. Of course, I got a Wiener Schnitzel to round out the meal. It is puffy and the breading is an easy coating; they also use pork instead of veal, but beggars cannot be choosers. The sides worked well as they helped make the plate less naked. -- There was one dish I was hoping to try, but unfortunately due to my foolishness and a little confusion, I did not order it. That is the Emmental Sausage, a sausage encased in cheese but has enormous flavor. It is very popular in Austria, and it is also known as the Kasekreiner. I guess it was not meant to be. That is okay. I also want to point out the pretty Austrian server I had who made my experience more than just about the food. I never got her name, but she was special to talk to and share my travel experiences with. In the end, I am happy I got to experience this restaurant, but small portions and high prices undo what could have been a real special, memorable treat, pictures or no pictures.