Magazine
Where to eat in Keszthely? 17 places from breakfast to dinner
Keszthely restaurants and cafés by occasion: breakfast, ice cream, pizza, sushi, Mexican, a fish inn and Hungarian restaurants. 17 checked places.
Keszthely is not just a summer town. A university, a palace, a town centre that lives all year and Hévíz next door: hospitality here keeps going even when many Balaton resorts have pulled down their shutters. In this round-up we have gathered all 17 Keszthely places in the BalatonEats guide, from morning coffee to a lakeside fish dinner, from a confectionery open since 1968 to Transdanubia’s first Mexican restaurant.
The order is not a ranking but a grouping by occasion. For each place we say what it is good for and link to the detailed page with opening hours, address and tips.
Quick picker: where to go in Keszthely?
- Breakfast and coffee: Part Cafe Reggeliző, Pajti, Lady Hamilton Kávéház, Pelso Café.
- Ice cream and cakes: Jordanics Cukrászda.
- Lunch and dinner in town: Piazza di Piccola Napoli, Klassz Kultbisztró, NemSzomszéd, Los Amigos.
- By the water, with fish: Halászcsárda, A Szitakötő, Vitorlás Bisztró.
- Hungarian, homely, generous: Park Vendéglő, Tompos Étterem, Jóbarát Vendéglő, Mustár Bisztró.
- Quick and cheap: Old Smokey Hamburgerező.
Breakfast and coffee
Part Cafe Reggeliző
An early-opening breakfast spot on Bercsényi utca, with hearty egg dishes and a long coffee list. If your day starts early, this is the safe bet: at the time of research it opened at 7 every morning.
Pajti
A café turned all-day bistro next to the town market. Eggs Benedict in the morning, pad thai or a poke bowl at noon, with vegan options. A good place for a late, hearty brunch.
Lady Hamilton Kávéház
A coffee house within the walls of Festetics Palace, with a terrace facing the palace park, open all year. The house recommendation is the espresso tonic, cakes come from Bergmann Cukrászda in Balatonfüred, and there is an English breakfast for brunch. The obvious stop before or after a palace visit.
Pelso Café
A two-storey café on the main square next to the Gothic parish church, run by the same family for more than twenty years. Italian coffee, cream cake, lemonade, and a playground next door, which makes it a favourite with young families. Its name is the Roman name of Lake Balaton.
Ice cream and cakes
Jordanics Cukrászda
Keszthely’s oldest confectionery, open since 1968 in a mint-green house on Pethő utca, behind the pedestrian street. The Lóth family’s father-and-son team makes artisan ice cream; the house signature is the Keszthelyi Kétszínű, dark chocolate and ginger apricot. Seasonal, open from spring to the end of September.
“You have to find us.”
Magor Lóth, owner of Jordanics
Lunch and dinner in town
Piazza di Piccola Napoli
A Neapolitan pizzeria and wine bar on the pedestrian street, with airy dough, bufala and burrata pizzas. For a relaxed Italian dinner in town, the easiest choice.
Klassz Kultbisztró
A café, tapas bar and cultural venue in one on the main square: hummus, sharing plates and book evenings. Suits a chatty evening or a cultural event.
NemSzomszéd
A small sushi bar in the centre, born from a sushi night that went too well. Freshly rolled sushi, tempura and matcha, when you want something completely different after Hungarian fare.
Los Amigos Mexikói Étterem
Transdanubia’s first Mexican restaurant, on the main square since 2003, in front of the Balaton Theatre. Two dishes to come for: fajitas in a sizzling iron pan, and chicken breast that the waiter presses at the table with an antique iron through fresh rosemary. Latin music, a terrace, made for groups of friends.
By the water, with fish
Halászcsárda
A Festetics-era inn by Helikon beach, with fish soup, fish crackling and its own Zala-style dödölle. For Balaton fish in an old-time csárda atmosphere, this is the Keszthely classic.
A Szitakötő
Courtyard street food next to the Halászcsárda: Zala dödölle, toasted sandwiches, ice cream. A relaxed stop during a bike ride or a beach day.
Vitorlás Bisztró Keszthely
A seasonal beach bistro at the Town Beach, with fried zander, BBQ pork neck and an oleander-lined terrace. Open from spring to autumn, closed in winter.
Hungarian, homely, generous
Park Vendéglő
An old-fashioned Hungarian restaurant in a villa with a shady garden: pörkölt with dumplings, pikeperch Keszthely-style. Weekday set lunch too.
Tompos Étterem
A family restaurant in Keszthely-Zámor with Hungarian and international dishes, a terrace and a large car park. Open all year, good for larger groups.
Jóbarát Vendéglő
Where Keszthely locals have lunch: a Hungarian restaurant between the town centre and Libás beach, with tócsi dishes, the Jóbarát platter for two and generous portions. Its big hall also suits events and live music.
“Good work takes time.”
A guest about Jóbarát Vendéglő
Mustár Bisztró
A daytime homely bistro on Külső Zsidi út: tripe stew, a giant bone-marrow toast and a big free car park. For a cheap, quick weekday lunch.
Quick and cheap
Old Smokey Hamburgerező
A street-food burger joint at the foot of a block of flats, with sixteen burgers, döner and delivery. Eat the Gigaburger in 15 minutes and Smokey bácsi pays. A street-food counter, so set your expectations accordingly.
“Eat it in 15 minutes and Smokey bácsi pays for the burger.”
Old Smokey’s Gigaburger challenge
A day in Keszthely: how to plan it
Morning: breakfast at Part Cafe or Pajti, then a walk along the pedestrian street to Festetics Palace, and a coffee at Lady Hamilton on the terrace facing the palace park.
Noon: lunch in town, pizza at Piazza di Piccola Napoli or sushi at NemSzomszéd, and in summer an ice cream at Jordanics.
Afternoon and evening: coffee and cream cake on Pelso’s terrace on the main square, dinner by the water at the Halászcsárda, or fajitas at Los Amigos with friends.
Keszthely off-season
Keszthely is one of the best winter destinations on Lake Balaton, because many places stay open all year. From this list, Lady Hamilton Kávéház, Pelso Café, Tompos Étterem and Jóbarát Vendéglő welcome guests all year, among others. Jordanics and Vitorlás Bisztró are seasonal and closed in winter. We cover winter options around the lake in detail in our Open in winter guide. Off-season, hours change more often, so check by phone before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I have breakfast in Keszthely?
Early in the morning at Part Cafe Reggeliző, a hearty brunch at Pajti, or in elegant surroundings at Lady Hamilton Kávéház in Festetics Palace.
Where can I eat fish in Keszthely?
At the Halászcsárda by Helikon beach, with fish soup and fish crackling, and in summer at Vitorlás Bisztró on the Town Beach. Pikeperch is also on the menus of Park Vendéglő and Tompos.
Which is the oldest confectionery in Keszthely?
Jordanics Cukrászda, opened in 1968 on what is now Pethő utca.
Sources and checks: we checked the details of each place between October and November 2026, based on the official sites listed on each page, the keszthely.hu town gastronomy site and public reviews. This article is a selection by occasion, not a ranking. Opening hours and menus may change.
Eating in Füred or Siófok too? Read our Balatonfüred and Siófok selections.