Plant-filled café The Pot brightens the dark days of November

Densely packed with plants over two floors, The Pot dovetails the twin influences of hospitality and horticulture on the part of café owner Andrea Császár – with a little inspiration from her son in the Netherlands.

In these grey days of November, it’s a pleasure to find a spot amid the jungle-like surroundings of The Pot, a new specialty café on Vas utca in District VIII.

One of the sons of owner Andrea Császár is studying in the Netherlands where, among the multi-functional cafés he saw, one had a similar feel to what his mother has since created here in Budapest. The Pot is the happy marriage of horticulture and hospitality.

Before the birth of her three children, Andrea worked in catering, then in her husband’s gardening company, even earning a degree in horticulture. The combination of the two in this case is therefore not just following green trends, but founded on professionalism.

She can therefore deal with issues of plant care that come up from time to time when chatting to any home gardener dropping into in her cosy café. Beneath full-spectrum light bulbs, the plants here are cared for by Andrea every day, sprinkling them with filtered water as demand requires.

It sells all the well-proven, popular houseplants reasonably easy to keep alive between four walls: spider plants, snake plants, peace lilies, dracaena, Kentia palms, parlour palms, aloe veras, weeping figs and the like. Prices are similar to those in DIY and garden stores, plus The Pot is at pains to provide the buyer with trusted advice.

Even if you’re not looking to bring home a potted plant, the foliage makes for a convivial environment to have coffee and the green theme covers every little detail, from the toilet seats to the plates to Andrea’s apron.

Building on a contrast of green and white, the interior enhances a botanical sense of beauty, perhaps at odds with the yellow chairs and cups, the idea of an interior designer friend with a sense of feng energy.

Freshly prepared homemade dips such as avocado, horseradish, smoked-ham spread and humus, as well as croissants, artisanal cakes and American pancakes are served daily.

The coffee, available in both light and dark roasts, is Marley brand from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, high-quality, organic and fair-trade. The name? The company was founded by Rohan Marley, son of reggae legend Bob.