1/4
Lukács Confectionery
Lukács Confectionery is an interesting piece in the city of cafés. The place is also nicknamed the bank foyer, since to this day we can only approach the financial institution operating in the building by going through the confectionery. Led by Devis Ticmans Canadian chef, the kitchen offers more than just special pastries. Whether it is about breakfast, business lunch or snack, Lukács is a good choice, since even if we have to slim our wallets a bit, the place obviously follows the principle of 'quality money'. A stunning interior with some smaller errors, and sometimes frighteningly empty tables.
2/4
Gerbeaud Bistro
Guidebooks gathering dust on the shelf has written everything there is to know about the city's number one café, Gerbeaud Confectionery, long ago. The café opened in 1858 and made history in the field of the coffee and confectionery field, which they want to improve with their beer house and the luxury restaurant Onyx. The confectionery was opened by Henrik Kugler but became world-famous in Emil Gerbeaud's time - in fact, it became so famous that now there is a Hungarian Gerbeaud even in Tokyo. 330 guests can enjoy Hungarian and Austrian sweets in the middle of Vörösmarty Square after a long walk on the bank of the Danube or a tiring shopping session. Gerbeaud's grandeur is indisputable if we like famous sights. In addition, there is an old urban legend about the café, according to which young men are looking for sponsors in the form of older, wealthy ladies here. Rumour has it that the most suspicious signs are putting their fork down reversed or asking for coffee with four teaspoons of sugar, thus expressing their interest. What everyone needs to try here: the Esterházy, the Dobos cake, and naturally, the original Gerbeaud slice.
3/4
Dunapark Kávéház
Dunapark Café and Restaurant, operating on the Danube bank since 1937, is worth mentioning as well. In 2006 it reopened its gates with the same atmosphere it had in the '30s. Dunapark awaits its guests with steaming cocoa, fresh pastries and freshly squeezed juice in the morning. They did not forget about businessmen either, the lunch menus change daily and weekly, in addition to the A La Carte menu. As for drinks, they have cocktails and well-known Hungarian wines, best for evenings accompanied by live piano music. If this does not seem like enough, we can still have some fun at the upstairs card room, where we can try the best cigars and taste malt whiskeys. Dunapark's grand and luxurious environment requires a thick wallet, and sophistication in return for the quality, so if we want to have fun without having to iron our best suit or dress, we better choose a different place to spend our time at.
4/4
Hadik Café
We can find Hadik Café on the Buda side of the city. The place got its name from the close-by barrack, and is mainly famous for being the hangout place of Frigyes Karinthy, Dezső Kosztolányi and Zsigmond Móricz, who regularly visited the café with their wives. After in its opening in 1922, Karinthy said that the matting-covered wall looked like a shopping bag ('szatyor'). The current owner found this name catchy, which is why part of the café became Szatyor Bar and Gallery. While Hadik's classical elements are for the older generation, Szatyor targets a younger audience with its avant-garde, bohemian atmosphere. This is how we can meet 3-dimensional spatial plastic, Ady and Csinszka in a car. The piano evenings, jazz concerts, literary performances and exhibitions all attempt to carry on the spirit of the cultural space. Upon seeing the renovated café, Karinthy's grandson said that even though he has never been there, he feels as if he just came home.
