The recently opened BeoPlay Budapest is a good example of what happens if one of the city’s most important specialty coffee bars, My Little Melbourne, teams up with BANG & OLUFSEN – known for their premium-quality sound systems and televisions – plus Route 42, which makes unique motorbikes for unique individuals, and opens a store in a building with breathtaking panorama.
BeoPlay Budapest is surely a one-of-a-kind place (that much we can surely tell from the confused facial expression of tourists when they enter for the first time); it’s hard to imagine three companies with such different products coexisting in peace and harmony under the same roof.
But, that is now the case at Bálna! After we spent a few minutes at the shop, it was hard to imagine that someone can can resist buying a flat-screen TV while sipping a filter coffee, or not start imagining roaming free on the open road with a Harley-Davidson Flathead 42 or a restored Vespa GT200 between his/her legs.
The idea of the store wasn’t a concious decision; this unusual pairing of the three different brands happened by “accident”, but we never would’ve guessed it: the interior design is harmonic and moderately elegant, and the whole place is perfect for hosting presentations or roundtable discussions.
However, it isn’t flat-screen TVs that provides the best scenery, but the panorama and the coffee. We tasted the latter, and we cannot complain: it was as good as it is at My Little Melbourne – which is the biggest compliment. An espresso costs 500 forints, while an Americano costs 550 forints, a big latte costs 800 forints, and they charge 650 forints for a cappuccino; all of these prices are pretty reasonable, considering the cosmopolitan ambience.
Our advice is to visit the place when the weather is good: the green terrace is a perfect spot to break free from the daily routine and chill out while letting the caffeine, cool music, and motorcycling fantasies surround your soul.
BeoPlay Budapest
Address: Budapest 1093, Fővám Square 11-12
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