Budapest recommendations

[RewildingAmbridge]

I've just bought flights to Budapest on a whim for our wedding anniversary. It's the kind of thing we used to do multiple times a year before DS. PIL babysitting services are being gratefully utilised. I won't tell DH until after Christmas.
So we have 4 days 3 nights in Budapest, arrive around 11 am and leave around 6pm, early February. I've not booked a hotel yet and only have some vague ideas about what to do.
We both like nice food and wine, history, places of interest. Also both quite active/adventurous and like to have fun. I'm aware it will be VERY cold (we managed a similar time of year in Krakow). We're happy to hire a car if necessary, but also happy to walk and use pubic transport.
Anyone have any recommendations?

So many replies! Will have a good look tomorrow at work on my break, when DH isn't around 😁

Budapest absolutely not my favorite city but things we liked found were:

Any restaurant that is good needs booking in advance
Cafe culture is a big deal. You can plan every day around a different historic cafe and it's specialty cake. we ate vast quantities of cake
Music is amazing. Go to the opera, or for something fun the operetta, one theatre specializes in it
The synagogue is a must see
Spinoza cafe does a meal followed by a klezmer concert, I don't even like Klezmer and it was brilliant.
It's worth the trip to Memento Park, if you go get the written guide, it's very informative and moving

Lived in Budapest for a few years. No need to hire a car the public transport is excellent, get a 72h pass from a machine and download the BudapestGO app for routes and live schedules. Ride the number 2 tram all the way along pest side for great views. Bolt app is like Uber and works well in the city.

Hungarian wine is fantastic, try to book a tasting to know where to start. Doblo wine bar or drop shop will also be great for informal advice. If you ever go in September the wine festival at the castle is fabulous.

It can get very cold but not necessarily any worse than UK every year.

The usual tourist guide book stuff can easily fill up your short trip and is great fun. Fisherman's bastion is stunning and as someone mentioned already there is usually an ice rink close to heroes square in winter. You won't see the fountain on Margaret island as it only runs May-Oct and is covered over in winter as it would freeze. Visit the Basilica and climb it too for great views of Pest.

The thermal baths are wonderful in winter. I don't agree with PP who suggested Palatinus on the island - it's a strand/outdoor fun pool with a couple of thermal pools but not a fürdo and most of the outdoor parts are drained for winter.

All of the old thermal baths are a bit smelly and grubby because of the waters and their age so you have to accept that and they are not to be missed. Széchenyi is very touristy but the building still makes it worth seeing. I prefer Gellért but it was closed for refurbishment last year so do check if it's reopened. Rudas is nice but only one tiny, albeit with dramatic location, outdoor hot tub. Smaller with more locals than tourists, try Lukács or Király baths in Buda. ("keer-eye", also the name of the main tourist street in Pest where you will find all the stag do bars - some nice places hidden away in that area - just avoid at weekend nights).

It's a fabulous city for tourists. Eating out I love Két Szerecsen, Klassz, Leila's, Dobrumba, Mazel Tov.

Have a great trip, I can't wait for my next one after writing this!

I love Budapest! Definitely go to the Terror Museum, Gellert Spa and see the shoes on the Danube.

Margaret island is lovely and we always go there by boat, but not sure whether this runs in winter. You can get there by land though. Don't think the open air water park and spa will be open but it's still a lovely place to walk around.

The tourist bus is great - there's so much to see that it's really worth getting the 2 day pass. You'll have such a lovely time - I'm quite jealous!

Book this wine tasting budacastlebudapest.com/faust-wine-cellar-buda-castle/ is amazing

Gresham Hotel by the Chain Bridge is lovely.

Definitely visit the Jewish Quarter - I recommend a guided tour of one of the old synagogues, plus museum, and then lunch in a traditional Jewish cafe.

Got a vague itinerary planned based on many of the suggestions here. Hotel wise it's between hotel collect and Barcelo. Can't justify the Gresham for this trip! Got a good deal on the latter for the junior suite but it seems less cosy and breakfast not included but can easily go out (I'm not paying an extra £19 pp/pn for hotel breakfast), bed seems bigger, this is important as DH is 6'4.
Hotel collect seems a little more adult which will be nice without DS, but also smaller hotel so more concerns about standard of service if there's anything wrong. This would probably be a superior courtyard view rather than a suite as they seem fine.
Help? Anyone stayed at hotel collect? PP recommended the Barcelo and I've started at others in other locations so know the standard.

Think it was be that recommended Barcelo. Was great, location was brilliant, but really quiet. Rooms were nice too. Careful not to stay on the other side of the river if the bridge is still closed as it’s quite a walk round.

we didn’t have breakfast, but there are 2 coffee shops directly down stairs from hotel so we (I) grabbed coffee and pastries on a morning and brought them back to the room.

oh and def go to farmers market. And I agree about the bus, we got a 3 day tourist ticket, really enabled us to see everything without walking miles in heat (was June)

@RewildingAmbridge how did your trip
go? My DH is also tall.

@Daddylonglegs123 we ended up at the hotel connect, in the suite with park view , it was a really lovely boutique hotel and the bed was vast! We booked through booking. Com in a standard room but then a couple of weeks before it was the same price for the suite booking directly with the hotel. Great location too everything really walkable and a few minutes from tram and metro and the staff couldn't have been nice. Good cheap ruin bar just up the road too

Sorry hotel collect not connect

Omg the best thing I remember about Budapest was the food! Sadly too long to remember any specific places!

I love Budapest, amazing city. Only spent 3 days there, so much I didn't see. This thread is making me want to go back!

Terror House
St Stephen's Basilica
Get the Bolt App
Shoes on the Danube
Christmas markets
Heroes square
Open air spa (I loved all of them)

I think Margaret island is more a summer thing.