Restaurants & Bars in Keszthely For Hungarian Food & Drink
Keszthely, Hungary, has many fantastic bars, cafes, and restaurants to visit. These include great restaurants for local food, including fish from Lake Balaton and Hungarian staples like goulash. We have visited the area three times and returned to many restaurants, including on our 2026 visit to Keszthely.
Tried and Tested Restaurants & Bars in Keszthely
Apetito Étterem
Just outside the centre is Apetito Étterem, a fantastic place to dine out. They have a nice dining area and a covered terrace for warmer days. They have a good range of drinks, including local beers and wines. I found the servers here friendly, and they spoke English.
The Apetito Étterem menu is extensive and features some excellent traditional dishes. I rated their goulash, served with onion dumplings, as tender and flavourful. Their garlic soup and gypsy pork steaks stuffed with cheese were good too.
Park Etterem
We found the delightful Park Étterem after looking for good Hungarian restaurants. They are a short walk from the main town square. Park Étterem has a lovely covered outdoor seating area and serves a selection of Hungarian food. I opted for the Hungarian-style beef steak. This was a grilled chunk of steak served with tomato and paprika-dusted potatoes.
On a subsequent visit, I enjoyed their goulash soup, which was tasty. For the main course, I enjoyed a variation of their Hungarian steak, this time with sautéed potatoes and a flag for décor.
Móló Terasz
Móló Terasz is a lovely restaurant, a short walk away from the beach on Lake Balaton. They have an indoor seating area and a covered terrace. Their drinks menu includes Hungarian wines and beers.
Their food menu includes traditional soups, including fish and goulash. They offer an extensive range of main courses, including Hungarian staples, and many fish options from Lake Balaton. We opted for their sharing platter of fish and chips. The lake fish included a whole trout, catfish, and perch. All were delicious, and the restaurant was one of the best we visited in Keszthely. Móló Terasz is also a good place to go for a drink in the evenings. Their staff are friendly, multilingual and very helpful. They arranged a taxi for us.
Jóbarát Vendéglő
Jóbarát Vendéglő is a good restaurant with a dog-friendly terrace in the suburbs of Keszthely. They have a lovely covered outdoor seating area for pets and even have dog bowls. Jóbarát Vendéglő has a range of beers, including Hungarian Dreher and Pilsner Urquell on draught.
The Jóbarát Vendéglő food menu is extensive, with many traditional local and Hungarian dishes. The menu focuses on fish from Lake Balaton. We enjoyed pike with a sesame seed crust and fish soup for a starter.
For the main course, I enjoyed their peasant pork knuckle with bacon and potatoes; it was filling, too. My wife opted for a fish main course of zander with vegetables.
Kis Hali Étterem
Kis Hali Étterem is a restaurant with a covered terrace near the beach. They have a comprehensive menu, including street food and proper meals. They also have a range of beers, including Dreher. For food, we enjoyed catfish and a crispy ham hock with Lyonnaise onions.
John’s Pub
John’s Pub is near the Balaton Museum to the south of the city centre. They have an indoor seating area and a terrace at the rear of the venue. They specialise in craft beers, including a Hungarian Wit Beer. You can also get regular lagers, including Soproni.
Their food menu includes burgers, mains and a choice of soups. My wife enjoyed their creamy garlic soup, while I had their hearty goulash soup.
Matróz Kocsma
If you are looking for a pleasant bar near the main square, you might want to seek out Matróz Kocsma. Matróz Kocsma is on the backstreets near Tony’s Gyros and is a handy place for a beer. The venue is a simple neighbourhood bar with a cosy vibe. They offer a selection of beers and are cheaper than most places in the city.
Kanyar Bárkonyha
Near Festetics Palace is Kanyar Bárkonyha, a bar and restaurant with a terrace. They are one of the cheaper places to have a drink out near the palace. They serve a variety of drinks, including continental lagers. Their staff were friendly and spoke excellent English.
ÍZ-PART Keszthely
ÍZ-PART Keszthely is a bar at the Keszthely Yacht Kikötő. The bar has an outside area with splendid views of the marina. It’s one of the more pricey restaurants in the area; however, it’s rather special.
Holsten Étterem
Holsten Étterem is on the main square in central Keszthely. Holsten Étterem is a nice place to go for a drink, with outdoor seating and pleasant views of the central streets. It is a handy spot for a beer while seeing the sights. We enjoyed a few Dreher Hungarian beers here.
Sadly, their reviews put us off dining here, but it was great for a drink. They also only accept cash at Holsten Étterem, which is inconvenient. If you are looking for a dog-friendly place to eat, they have a sign on their door indicating pets are welcome.
Párizsi Udvar Étterem & Panzió
Near the palace, in a beautiful courtyard, is Párizsi Udvar Étterem & Panzió, a good place for a drink. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seats have a lovely view and are quite relaxing. I enjoyed some Hungarian beer and found the staff to be friendly. They also serve Hungarian cuisine.
Zenit Kávéház Pizza
Zenit Kávéház Pizza is in Keszthely city centre, near the palace. I enjoyed a few beers here on their outside terrace. They had continental beer options, including Stella. They served these at the table, and the servers were friendly and spoke better English than I speak Hungarian. They also serve food, including traditional cuisine and some pizza too. Overall, a good place to stop for refreshments with comfy seats while I awaited the Hungarian sunset.
Bohèm Tanya
Everywhere we travel, I enjoy visiting small neighbourhood bars away from the tourist centres. In Keszthely, I found Bohèm Tanya, a nice small bar near our home for the week. Bohèm Tanya was quite cheap for beer and had self-service at the bar inside. They had some seats inside and some covered benches outside.