Right in the heart of the elegant Palace Quarter behind the National Museum is the vibrant community art space, the Painters Palace. But backtrack just a few steps, and on the corner you’ll see a coffee shop, whose interior was disused, forgotten and ramshackle only a few weeks ago. This is the Art Café Muse, an unadulterated bohemian place that is a favourite for artists or anyone interested in the arts. This was love at first sight – and at the first sip of coffee. The author of this article is ready to declare it his new go-to coffee shop in the Palace Quarter!
Enter the Art Café Muse and the first thing you’ll notice is the warm style and cosy atmosphere. The next thing you’ll notice is the exquisite quality of the coffee – I asked for a ristretto, and never have a drunk such a delicious shot before! Silky, soft and creamy, made from Colombian beans – and the coffee machine is equipped with a timer so the taste is perfectly calculated.
The Painters Palace on Mária utca reopened a couple of months ago, inviting local inhabitants to come together to make art, practise creative writing and have a beer or two or three in the presence of good company. The café was imagined by the founder of the Painters Palace, Tomass. “We’ve been renovating since March,” he explains. “We moved in one day before the lockdown, so we’ve been working non-stop.” The work has paid off – plants hang from the ceiling and decorate the tables down below, and free lemon water is available on each table for customers to enjoy. Soon alcohol – beers and wines – will be available, as well as food.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an art café without art, and art it surely has! The walls are hung with paintings, postcards are for sale, and a guest book has been placed for visitors to leave their mark. Unlike most guest books though, this one has fewer written words inside and more drawings in all sorts of sizes and styles!
The Art Café Muse is more than just your average coffee shop, featuring the highest-quality brews usually only found in high-end and debilitatingly expensive grand coffeehouses – yet the prices here remain comfortably within our wallet’s reach. The fine art and relaxed atmosphere will keep you coming back time and again for a coffee, a beer, a bite to eat or just a chat with the bar staff and other customers.
Art Café Muse
District VIII. Bródy Sándor utca 27
Open: Daily 9am-10pm
