In the next part of our Rising Districts series, we present an area that has everything we could possibly need to enjoy ourselves: a tree-lined lane of impressive buildings, varied restaurants, and splendid shops, all serving as the centerpiece of a charming riverfront neighborhood that has long been one of downtown’s most pleasant places to live. While this has never been a bad neighborhood, it definitely is taking a turn for the better in recent times.

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Újlipótváros, and within that the vicinity of St. Stephen Park, that is, the area bordered by the Grand Boulevard, Váci Avenue, Dráva Street, and the bank of the Danube, is one of the most popular residential quarters of the Pest side, with small restaurants, cafés, galleries, and old craftsmen. The apartment buildings in good condition, incorrectly called Bauhaus by realtors and built mainly between the two World Wars, significantly contribute to the friendly atmosphere. It’s not easy to snatch an apartment in this area. The public transport is great, and if we yearn for some nature, we don’t even have to go as far as Margaret Island; St. Stephen Park is a family favorite for a reason. Nothing shows the district’s solidarity more that residents even have their own “cultural village day” called Pozsonyi Piknik, which will be held for the eighth time this year.

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Budapest Jazz

1136 Budapest, Hollán Ernő utca 7.
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The Odeon-Lloyd Cinema, opened in 1937, also contributed to the rank of the neighborhood. The cinema hall at Hollán Ernő Street 7 was built by the plans of Béla Hosstätter and Ferenc Domány, using unique architectural solutions. In place of the cinema that once had a convertible hall now operates the Budapest Jazz Club, with its own café and restaurant.

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Pozsonyi út Reformed Church

1133 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 58.

Another architectural curiosity is the Calvinist church, which was built between 1936 and 1940 by the plans of Imre Tóth and Jenő Halászy. In addition to its architectural style, the church under Pozsonyi Road 58 is notable for another reason. In the summer of 1944, the leaders of the Calvinist church protested together with the Lutherans against the terror of the Arrow Cross Party, a former Hungarian national socialist party, and the local church became a Jewish refugee camp. They issued baptismal certificates and hid hundreds of people; not only Jews but also war fugitives and people persecuted for their political views.

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My green cup

1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 15
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Wooden furniture designed by Position Collective, green cups and lamps, a small terrace, an ever-changing coffee supply, cakes, Piadina, sandwiches. My Green Cup would do great anywhere in the world, but fortunately, it’s ours – and is one of the most popular coffee shops of the area. Its selection includes specialties like cascara, Karma Cola and fritz-kola.

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Partisan

1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 16
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Double Shot is also a strong competitor. Their specialty is the normale, or double-shot coffee, and they obtain their coffee from a small, Winchester-based English roastery called The Roasting Party. In addition to coffee, they also have cakes and sandwiches in their selection.

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Édesmindegy

1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 16
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The team of Édesmindegy brings us desserts that are popular on an international level but somehow are not well known here in Hungary. They explore and experiment, and will start preparing for their fall “collection” soon. The story of each dessert can also be found on the page, so for example, we can learn that the story of the creamy eton mess with meringue pieces and strawberries originates from the award ceremony of a cricket match in England. The cake called black mamba sells as good as all of the others together, so the cheesecake with peanut butter and chocolate is definitely worth a try.

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Oriental

1136 Budapest, Balzac utca 35.
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Oriental Soup House, located on Hollán Ernő Street, is one of the most popular soup restaurants in the whole city, with a slight bistro vibe. The interior is characterized by a lot of wood but rather strengthens a modern line, which is definitely not true for the kitchen: the owner isn’t willing to deviate from the original recipes by a single gram, and the guests definitely appreciate this. In addition to the traditional pho, we recommend tasting the duck version as well, which becomes even more intense by the afternoon, after simmering all day. The meat isn’t cooked but scalded. They work with a very short menu, and make only what they’re good at. From the few main courses, we recommend the bun cha (Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle) and the beef pares (Philippine beef dish), and tapioca from the desserts. Reserve a table before coming here!

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Dunapark Kávéház

1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 38.

Dunapark, looking over St. Stephen Park, is one of the area’s most popular restaurants with its huge windows, wraparound gallery and a lot of regular guests. Its large spaces could stand their ground in the thirties – which was probably the owner’s purpose to begin with when they decided to restore the place to its original state. From the appetizers, the Dunapark salad is worth highlighting, as well as the hazelnut-duck liver with elderberry-quince compote. The asparagus with Hollandaise sauce is as good as it is simple; from the main dishes, neither the tender goose leg with sour cherry, red cabbage, and potato cream cake or the salmon with parsnip purée, baby spinach, butter sauce and buttery pastry disappoint. Dunapark isn’t just a restaurant, but also a café with its own confectionery, and the long lines for ice cream in the summer cannot be a coincidence.

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Babka

1137 Budapest, Pozsonyi út 3.

The recently opened Babka is named after a chocolate milk loaf from Jerusalem – the logo reflects this same motif, as well. We can find this friendly place at the beginning of Pozsonyi Road, where we can eat something interesting from morning to evening. Its kitchen is international with Middle Eastern influences; its drinks are classic cocktails, imaginative lemonades and nice wines. They follow a “slow” lifestyle, with upcycled furniture and a relaxed atmosphere.