The gem of all our 'cosy up' top lists, one of our favourite hot chocolate places, the Rengeteg RomKafé has moved to a brighter and twice as big space. It awaits us in the 6th district, close to Nyugati station, with about 570 freshly washed teddy bears, the usual unpretentiousness, and 1,600 kinds of rich hot chocolate.
Meet Tibor Szabó, the founding honcho of the Rengeteg RomKafé, one of our favourite hot chocolate spots in Budapest. He is originally a teacher, but instead of giving lectures in a school, he is trying to teach his guests to take time for each other and listen. For 14 years now, he has been creating the perfect environment for this: he first opened his café in Miskolc, then moved to Budapest and nestled into an underground but nonetheless adorable place on Tűzoltó Street. That is where we stumbled upon the café for the first time, back in 2013. The concept worked and he continued to grow, which resulted in a relocation: Rengeteg recently moved to a bigger space, and we were first in line to check it out.
The new shop sits on a one-way street close to Nyugati station. It is decorated in warm colours, which reflects the timeless, informal world of our childhood bedroom and a nurturing grandmother's cake-scented living room. One of the dominant elements is the extended teddy bear family (approximately 570 toys) 'living' in the shop, who will be your partners in crime in any chocolate-indulged business. The whole atmosphere will make you slow down and chill out instantly.
This is further enhanced by the fact that, in keeping with the philosophy of the place, you have to wait a while for your drinks, as everything is freshly made. The most famous of the range is some 1,600 different types of thick and creamy hot chocolate made from Belgian, Spanish, or French pastilles. There are some surprising and even wild variations - all of them served beautifully.
We tried the oriental spiced chestnut white chocolate (HUF 1,650), but we can only recommend any variety. You can also sample coffees, teas, and super syrups, all accompanied by delicious cookies. We would not miss the nearly 100 flavours of hot marzipan drinks either.
All in all, the atmosphere and the offerings are unchanged, but the bears have come up from their underground abode to the surface and continue to charm visitors in a sunnier, more spacious setting. Enjoy the company of the wonderful, almost jewel-like hot chocolates for as long as you can. There is absolutely no rush.
