Lake Balaton prices remain high

The prices at the examined street food-style catering establishment clearly show the new levels of hospitality at Lake Balaton: a plain hamburger costs 1900 forints, a double meat version costs 2500, while the version loaded with cheese and bacon costs 2800 forints. Gyros in a pita costs 2300 forints, on a plate 2500, and the price of the simplest hot dog starts at 1500 forints, and can go up to 2000 with extras.

Classic Hungarian cuisine is not cheap either: bean goulash costs 2,900 forints, lecsó costs 2,800 forints, and hake and fried sausages can be purchased for 800 forints/10 dkg – so the price of a hearty portion can easily exceed 2,500-3,000 forints.

The indispensable beach food of the summer, lángos, is not exactly a cheap treat. A plain version costs 1,200 forints, a garlic one costs 1,300, the classic cheese and sour cream version costs 2,400 forints, while more special toppings – such as tuna – can cost up to 3,600 forints. Sweet lángos range in price from 1,300 to 2,300 forints, depending on the toppings chosen.

Balatonfüred is a popular destination: its beautifully built promenades, the sparkling whirlpool of the Tagore promenade, its sailing marina and its cultural events attract more and more guests every year. The restaurants and buffets are priced accordingly, which also means that beauty and location have a price. There is no trace of the beach buffet price level anymore.

All in all, it can be said that a holiday on Lake Balaton increasingly requires a premium budget. If you want to eat well in Balatonfüred, it is worth informing yourself and planning in advance – if only because the price of one meal elsewhere could even buy you a whole day’s worth of meals. Summer on Lake Balaton is no longer about cheap lángos, but about paying the price of the Balaton experience.