Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Daily life in Budapest has long been punctuated by the consumption of strong black
coffee and the city's coffee houses (
kávéház
) rival those of Prague and Vienna for sheer
grandeur and deferential service. The days of writers, journalists and the odd revolu-
tionary using them as unofficial “offices” has long gone, but they are still full of char-
acter and a hit with locals and tourists alike. The global trend towards artisan coffee
and hip baristas has also arrived with a vengeance. New-wave coffee bars (
kézműves
kávézók
) have sprung up across the city, in designer premises - and often with English
names. Tea-lovers won't be short-changed either, with several fine tea houses around
the city.
Any caffeine quest should begin with the grand old stalwarts of the coffee-house world such
as the
Centrál Káveház
and
Gerbeaud
. In contrast, the new coffee bars dotted around the
centre of the city such as
Espresso Embassy
and
Tamp & Pull
are cosy little affairs with a
handful of tables. Most coffee houses also have counters stocked with scrumptious, beau-
tifully crafted
cakes and pastries
like brightly coloured macaroons,
dobos torta
,
rétes
and
flódni
. Otherwise head straight to the nearest
patisserie
(
cukrászda
) for a delicious helping
of sugar and carbs. Hungarians love their
icecream
, too, and there are several excellent par-
lours dotted around the city.
THE BELVÁROS
CaféAstoria
V, Kossuth utca 19 1 889 6000;
map
.
Dating from the turn of the last century
the
Astoria
hotel's coffee house-bar has retained much of its old charm, even if some of the
oldglitzhasfaded;oversizedchandeliers,dustypinktableclothesandredvelvetseatingcom-
bine to make this a still-popular meeting place.
Daily 7am-11pm.
CentrálKávéház
V, Károlyi Mihály utca 9 1 266 2110;
map
.
In its heyday, the decades
around World War I, this large coffee house was a popular venue in Budapest's literary scene.
After many years as a dowdy university club, it was restored to its former grandeur and today
stands as the city's most sophisticated café. Good coffee (450-700Ft) and an immaculate se-
lection of cakes (650-750Ft), which are cheaper than at many other places in the Belváros.
They also have a full menu for meals.
Daily 8am-midnight or 1am.
Fekete
V, Múzeum körút 5
feketekv.hu
;
map
.
Just down the Astoria junction,
Fekete
is
typical of the hip
kézműves
bars, with equal emphasis on design and good coffee. It's little
more than a hole in the wall, but it turns out excellent flat whites, lattes and delicious hot
chocolate. It has a couple of tables out on the pavement.
Mon-Fri 7.30am-6.30pm, Sat
9am-4pm.
Gerbeaud
V, Vörösmarty tér 7 1 429 9000
gerbeaud.hu
;
map
.
Another Budapest insti-
tution,
Gerbeaud
has been a fixture on this square since 1858. The gilded salon is magnifi-
cent, though most people park themselves outside on the massive terrace, one of the best in
