Even though we didn’t scrutinize statistics to confirm this claim, we can pretty safely say that the smallest coffee shop of Budapest is now open in the heart of Óbuda, in the center of Fő Square, offering an impressive assortment of invigorating beverages. The bite-sized coffee bar opened in the building of a former gas-transfer station, providing a perfect example for successfully repurposing a historic site.
Anyone who has ever visited the main square of Óbuda is probably familiar with this minuscule building, but aside from a few diehard historians, only a few people are familiar with its original purpose. Anyone who strolls or cycles through this cobblestoned square spots the strange but sweetly adorable building of Gázlámpa Kioszk, a former gas-transfer station.
Óbuda’s municipal officials initiated the preservation of this building, and after a thorough reconstruction, the revamped unit opened its green gates for the first time during this past Christmas season, to serve mulled wine during a charity event.
The long-term plans always included the year-round use of the bijou building, and so Gázlámpa Kioszk became the area’s first specialty café when it opened there in May, where they use the light-roasted beans of 42Coffee in a La Marzocco machine. We tried their coffee creations, and we definitely weren’t disappointed.
As we noticed, their ice creams are highly popular among the nearby bikers and strollers, and it’s likely that many people will return here for a Szindbád beer, too, named after the most famous character of beloved Hungarian writer Gyúla Krúdy, who lived in this neighborhood during Budapest’s belle-époque era.
Perhaps the most peculiar element of this building is the hidden basement found beneath the staff’s feet. This extra space is truly beneficial, because such a small place obviously doesn’t have enough space for beer kegs and all of the other equipment needed in a café – but these all fit perfectly in the basement.The nearby Esernyős community center – better known as the Óbuda Cultural, Tourism, and Information Point – has outgrown itself during the two years of its existence, and now it’s not only a tourist-info point, but also the organizer of countless cultural programs of Óbuda, also paving the way for the overall refurbishment of Fő Square. The most popular monthly event here is Bike&Breakfast, in the course of which they await everyone with hot morning drinks and pastries at various venues, in an effort to boost cycling in this part of the city. There are many attractions to discover in Óbuda, such as the Vasarely Museum, the Kiscelli Museum, or the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism (occupying the building where Krúdy once lived) – and now after visiting these places, we can relax and sip on a delicious coffee in the center of it all at Gázlámpa Kioszk.
