Launched in 2013, Fekete was one of Budapest’s pioneering new-wave cafés. Since then, a small empire has grown around it. Today you can find great brunches, an in-house bakery, a design boutique and a hostel. It’s a long way from small snacks and cakes.
When Fekete (‘Black’) started out, there weren’t too many specialty cafés in town. Here, a few tables overlooked the Small Boulevard – but inside they knew their coffee. At first, they only offered small snacks alongside Nordic-style new-wave coffees, cheeses, tapas and cakes, but as their capacity grew, so the kitchen slowly expanded.
They moved into the larger courtyard space and cuisine has been the dominant factor since 2017. They also began to expand outside Budapest, opening Major in Budaörs, not only a café and restaurant but also a cultural space where different kinds of events interact.
At the mothership near Astoria, brunch is a vital element, available from opening time until 2pm during the week, and until 4pm at weekends. Not only does Black roast its own coffee, it also opened its own bakery this spring, nor/ma on nearby Kecskeméti utca, where they make Scandinavian-style sourdough bread and pastries.
Owner András Gerzsenyi stressed the need for the same quality across the board, whether it’s the light-roasted, Nordic-style coffee, breakfast, brunch, sourdough bread or bakery products. Although there are a few such places in the city, he felt that Fekete having its own bakery was an obvious move for the sake of continuity and to accentuate Scandinavian feel. To this end, they have just opened an apartment that operates as a lodging under the name Herbarium Noir.
Summer food and drinks underpinned by the nor/ma bakery feature coffee specialties such as the Shakerato (950 HUF), Nitro Cold Brew (1,000 HUF) and Espresso Tonic (1,100 HUF), while the perfect start to the day is provided by granola, shakshuka, American pancakes, homemade quiche or a good ham and eggs.
A big favourite among guests is the salmon brioche (1,850 HUF), a homemade brioche with smoked salmon, cream cheese, a fried egg, green salad and raspberry balsamic vinegar, ideal for lunch if you’re not lingering over brunch.
Shakshuka (2,350 HUF) is both lunch and part of a hearty brunch. Now as popular here as the English breakfast, this is served elsewhere as a kind of red tomato-and-pepper stew but Fekete prepares a green variety. A base of peas, courgettes and coriander offsets the fragrant oriental spices, plus there’s egg and feta cheese thrown in. Of course, it comes with the house semi-dark sourdough bread.
Surprisingly and pleasingly, the pancakes (1,650 HUF) aren’t floating in maple syrup but built on a smaller basket of fruit, lashings of fresh fruits-of-the-forest topping and chocolate sauce ensuring that the three stacked on top of each other aren’t dry. In summer it’s a treat to have this seasonal, fruity variety instead of a sugar bomb.
Fekete District VIII. Múzeum körút 5
Open: Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 8.30am-7pm, Sun 9am-6pm
