Three plates on the Cookie Beacon menu in Budapest are vegan: Carrot-Cake Pancakes (Ft 4,400), the Shakshuka with grilled tofu (Ft 5,100) and the Caramel Fudge cookie (Ft 1,990), plus the Maple Chai Latte (Ft 1,950). Two more are vegan if you ask: the Grilled-Romaine Caesar Crunch with grilled tofu (Ft 5,100) and any latte poured with plant-based milk. Both of our brunch spots in Budapest serve all of it: Hercegprímás u. 15 by St. Stephen’s Basilica, and Ferenciek tere in Belváros. Mon-Fri 08:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 09:00-17:00, walk-ins only.
That is the whole list, and being straight about its edges is the point of this page. We cook with butter and eggs. We are a good room for a mixed table and the wrong one when everybody at it is vegan, and the last section says where to go instead.
Vegan as it arrives
The Caramel Fudge cookie is the only cookie on the counter that is vegan, and it is also gluten-free and refined-sugar-free. It bakes differently from the butter-and-Belgian-chocolate ones beside it, so order it knowing that rather than expecting a Classic Choco Chip without the dairy.
The Maple Chai Latte is vegan as poured, at Ft 1,950: homemade chai extract and oat milk.
The Carrot-Cake Pancakes (Ft 4,400) need a line of their own. The menu describes them as vegan pancakes, and the kitchen serves them as a vegan plate, but the printed description still lists mascarpone in the cream. Until the card says which, ask the team before you order them as vegan.
“Really nice food with an abundance of vegan options. Quick service and our server Ali was very attentive and helpful.” — Jamie Whittington, Google review, Ferenciek tere, May 2026
Vegan if you ask
Two swaps the kitchen makes properly, and one dish we will not put on the vegan list.
| Dish | Price | The swap |
|---|---|---|
| Spirulina Power Bowl | Ft 4,400 | Ask first. Fruit can replace the granola, but the recipe also lists collagen and pollen, which the swap does not remove — so we do not count it as vegan |
| Grilled-Romaine Caesar Crunch | Ft 5,100 | Grilled tofu instead of chicken, and a plain dressing instead of the Caesar sauce |
| Any latte | from Ft 1,400 | Poured with plant-based milk |
The Caesar is the one worth knowing about. It has been ordered that way often enough lately that the kitchen treats it as a normal order rather than a special request.
“Amazing food and drinks, clearly made and served with care. Great veggie and vegan options. Only small issue is that it seems a little pricy compared to other places for breakfast, but I think that the price is pretty reasonable compared to the uk.” — Jake Shillaber, Google review, Basilica, July 2026
Where the line falls
The rest of the cookie counter is butter-based, and so is the Cheesecake by Cookie Beacon line. We bake in-house every morning with real butter and we are not going to relabel that.
One thing worth knowing before you order for someone else: the cookie counter does not print nut allergens. Ask the team, and ask before the cookie goes in the bag.
Bringing people who eat differently
This is the case we are actually good at. One table can run a shakshuka with tofu, a Philly Cheese Steak Protein Bowl that is gluten-free and protein-packed, and a stack of butter cookies, without anybody eating a side salad while the others eat properly.
The evidence for that is thin but specific. Across 800 of the two cafés’ positive Google reviews from May to August 2026, five name gluten-free options and staff who knew what coeliac means. One describes a server who remembered a guest’s allergies on her return visit.
“The brunch was great, there is a good variety of options for different diets to choose from as well. Cata was the best! Definitely recommend.” — Emily Renner, Google review, Ferenciek tere, May 2026
Where to go when you want a fully vegan kitchen
Five places in Budapest cook entirely without animal products. Go to them.
- Vegan Garden, District VI, Király u. 8-10, inside the Central Passage. A sit-down room doing international plant-based cooking, a few minutes from Deák Ferenc tér.
- Napfényes, District V, Curia u. 2. Around the corner from Ferenciek tere, with a vegan confectionery attached. It opens at 11:30, so it is lunch onward rather than brunch.
- Tahina Bite, District VII, Wesselényi u. 2. The Jewish Quarter pick: hummus, baba ghanoush and falafel bowls over the counter.
- VegOut, District XIII, Katona József u. 5. The closest thing the city has to a dedicated vegan brunch room. It opens at 07:00 on weekdays and shuts at weekends, which catches people out.
- Vega City, District V, Múzeum krt. 23/25. An affordable, unfussy weekday canteen between Kálvin tér and Astoria.
One correction to the guides that send everyone to the Jewish Quarter: those five sit across four different districts. District VII is one cluster, not the whole map.
Practical things
Both Budapest brunch spots run the same food menu and the same dietary tags, so a vegan order works the same at either.
| Where / what | Detail |
|---|---|
| Basilica | Hercegprímás u. 15, two minutes from St. Stephen’s Basilica. 4.7 from 19,642 Google reviews |
| Ferenciek tere | Belváros, on the square itself. 4.8 from 4,337 Google reviews |
| Hours | Mon-Fri 08:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 09:00-17:00 |
| Booking | Walk-ins only, no reservations |
| Coffee | Espresso Ft 900 at the Basilica, Ft 790 at Ferenciek tere |
| Mimosas | Classic Mimosa Ft 2,100 |
Weekends run busiest between 10:00 and 13:00. Arrive near the 09:00 open or after about 14:00 and you will get a table without waiting. Dogs are welcome at both.
The full list with every price is on the Budapest menu. There is more on brunch in Budapest across both rooms, or go straight to the Basilica brunch spot or Ferenciek tere. If you want the wider argument rather than the plant-based one, that is in our best brunch in Budapest guide.
