Ever since Budapest began to flourish at the end of the 1800s, and the city transformed into a vibrant metropolis, cafés have played an important role in everyday life, providing scenes for socializing. Each era and each social strata has its distinguishable favourites: some have disappeared in the whirlwinds of history, and some have survived wars, poverty, and political systems. We’ve collected the best of two extremities – hip-vibed spots and seen-it-all classic cafés -, check them out!
1/10
My Little Melbourne
This homely café’s name situated on Madách tér, well within walking distance of Deák Ferenc tér(Deák Ferenc Square), derives from a memorable trip to Australia. Although it’s a wee bit smaller than Melbourne (about 35 square meters), its tinyness conjures a family atmosphere sprinkled with the vibe of an English café. lives by its motto - 'Life is too short for bad coffee' -, and serves tasty caffeine elixirs, moreover, provides salads, sandwiches, croissants, juices, and soft drinks. There are no deadly animals around, save for a few dangerously cute dogs.
2/10
Printa
, situated on Rumbach Sebestyén utca (Rumbach Sebestyén Street), in ruin pub-heavy Erzsébetváros, is a multifunctional venue with the characteristics of a design shop, a gallery, a print shop, and a café. An environmentalist philosophy oozes from the limited edition ecodesign products – such as pieces of furniture, clothes, bags, various accessories, and even children’s clothes – , while the gallery exhibits creations related to screen printing. Fine-quality direct trade coffees for the body, and art workshops for the mind put the icing on the cake.
3/10
Tamp & Pull - Czuczor (Closed)
’s name derives from the last two steps of the espresso-brewing process. This nook of coffee fanatics situated in the vicinity of (Liberty Bridge) guarantees quality cups, which becomes crystal clear and fully visibly the moment you take a glance at the assortment written on a chalkboard and at the various coffee machines. Both the brewing process and the serving are masterful, and if you’re still not satisfied, you can upgrade your cup o’ with cold milk foam, caramelized sugar, or hot chocolate; though if you're not into fancying, you can have it plain and simple: black as the night.
4/10
Espresso Embassy
Located on Arany János utca (Arany János Street), right across an A-plus bakery and breakfast spot, Á table, Espresso Embassy might be the mountaintop of Budapest’s cafés. Spearheaded by the former and ever masterful baristas of , the Embassy thinks outside the box when it comes to coffee-making; and, despite its premises, which used to give home to a secondhand clothes shop, puts brand new ideas into practice. A prime example for an innovation would be the so-called filter coffee, which, just like all the other caffeine masterpieces, is made from Has Bean beans. As for the non-liquid selection, it’s made up of sandwiches and various bakery products, so you might have a hard time deciding between Espresso Embassy and formerly mentioned Á table. As the proverb goes, to each their own, though, since we’re dealing with cafés right here, we’d recommend the Embassy.
5/10
Massolit Books and Café
Situated in the 7th district, sharing a street with one of the city’s maddest party hostels, , this homely mixture of a is the Budapest-based brother of Krakow’s very own Massolit. Coffees made from direct trade beans and tea specialties are served with cookies, brownies, quiches, and cakes, all courtesy of a pastry chef. To make things even more sweeter, Massolit has a garden with park benches suited for reading in the spring sunshine.
6/10
Centrál Kávéház
(Centrál Café), located in , a corner away from (Elizabeth Bridge) and (Váci Street), was founded in 1887, and served as an intellectual citadel frequented by the sharpest literary minds and the most iconic actors and actresses of the early 1900s. After WW II had ended, misfortune descended upon Centrál, which process culminated in the 1990s, when Centrál’s premises gave home to an arcade. The revival of the original concept began in 1999: the historic interior was restored with all its paintings, chandeliers, and wooden furniture-masterpieces, although the lack of literary geniuses is hard to compensate. Regardless, Centrál is one of the best in the business, and has a tasty selection of cakes, pastries, and Hungarian cuisine.
7/10
Ruszwurm
is the oldest family-owned confectionery-café hybrid in Budapest, with a history dating back to 1827. Its location is on-par with its prestigious past, for Ruszwurm has been operating in Buda Castle ever since the first scentful cake was taken out from the oven. In light of the fact that it managed to survive two sieges – in 1849 and in 1944 – without getting severly damaged, Ruszwurm must hold a special place in destiny’s heart. The interior recalls the vibe of a 1920s living room, while cakes and pastries remind you that going on a diet is unhealthy for your soul.
8/10
Gerbeaud Bistro
, one of ’s (Vörösmarty Square) emblematic venues, is arguably the most famous confectionery and coffee house in Budapest, which also belongs to the cream of the crop in Europe, and has been operating a unit in Tokyo since 2009. The inmeasurable experience of a 164-year-long history determines Gerbeaud’s enviable selection, which is basically an exhibition of confectionery art. The interior is dominated by three materials – marble, gold, and wood -, and recalls the atmosphere of early 20th century Budapest, when once-in-a-generation poets and writers were café-hopping all day long.
9/10
Belvárosi Auguszt
Belvárosi Auguszt, situated in the vicinity of (Váci Street) and (Elizabeth Bridge), is operated by a well-respected confectioner dynasty, the Auguszts.The Auguszt family has been mesmerizing the sweeth-toothed with cakes and ice creams since 1870, so they might know a thing or two about flavors. Their high-quality products come to life by putting a mixture of traditional and innovative methods into practice, and the confectionery’s interior wholly reflects this attitude.
10/10
Alexandra Bookcafe (Closed)
(also known as Bookcafé), housed by the Lotz Hall of (Paris Department Store), is characterized by a luxorious interior, and is sprinkled with a bookstore atmosphere. The latter fact is not overly suprising, since it’s located on (Andrássy Avenue), on the first floor of Budapest’s most elegant bookstore. The place resembles a cathedral with its chandeliers and frescoes, though the soothing piano music and the wide selection of cakes is not something you could come across in, say, (St. Stephen’s Basilica).
