Cafés

Budapest

Cafés in Budapest

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CafésGuide was updated: June 24, 2025

From opulent, fin de siècle cafes to new-wave coffee houses, Budapest never fails to entice lovers of caffeine. Confectioneries too abound to offer you traditional Hungarian desserts — make sure to try a good strudel or kürtőskalács, a spit cake best had with a cinnamon coating (look in markets or Váci street). Winter favourites include walnut puree with whipped cream and flódni, a traditional Hungarian Jewish pastry, filled with layers of apple, walnuts, poppy seeds, and plum jam.

Gerbeaud

Gerbeaud

Once the venue where the aristocracy would meet during the times of the dual monarchy, Café Gerbeaud will take you back to a time of sumptuous delicacies in luxurious surroundings, preserved to this day. Gerbeaud is also the name of the signature dessert, a flavourful cake layered with walnut and apricot jam and covered thickly with chocolate.

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New York Café

New York Café

New York Café, once hailed as 'the most beautiful café in the world', is a lavish establishment steeped in history since its inception in 1894. Serving as a meeting point for artists and intellectuals in the early 20th century, the café retains its opulent ambience, following a recent renovation, including its ornate frescoes and elegant chandeliers. Today, it remains a Budapest treasure, offering patrons a majestic setting to enjoy traditional flavours, whether it's a sumptuous feast or a slice of creamy cake, while evoking the grandeur of bygone eras.

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Centrál Grand Cafe & Bar

Centrál Grand Cafe & Bar

First opened in 1887, Centrál Grand Cafe was one of the most important intellectual venues in the country, serving coffee to the most prominent scientists and writers of the time. Today, its mission is to evoke the atmosphere that prevailed at the turn of the century by serving traditional Hungarian treats in a restored Art Nouveau galleried interior.

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Művész Kávéház

Művész Kávéház

Művész, meaning 'artist' in Hungarian, is a historic café dating back to 1898, renowned as a gathering place for writers, philosophers, and intellectuals of the past century. With its grand architecture featuring high ceilings, large mirrors, and elegant chandeliers, the café offers a charming ambience for enjoying coffee, cakes, and light meals. Its outdoor seating along a bustling shopping avenue provides a perfect spot for indulging in people-watching while soaking in the café's rich cultural heritage.

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Ruszwurm Confectionery

Ruszwurm Confectionery

Ruszwurm Confectionery on the Buda side is what Café Gerbeaud is for Pest. Still run by the well-known confectionery dynasty, the café has preserved its fin de siècle feel, finely adorned with red velvet curtains, marble tables, and beautiful Biedermeier furniture. The famous cream pastry and strudel (rétes) are always in demand here.

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Gerlóczy Kávéház

Gerlóczy Kávéház

Gerlóczy Kávéház is a charming Parisian-style café at the intersection of Gerlóczy and Vitkovics streets in the busy city centre. Food is served from breakfast through lunch and afternoon tea, to special dinners like Fish Friday. In front of the café stands the statue of Károly Kammermayer, the first mayor of Budapest from 1873, when Buda, Pest and Óbuda were unified.

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Callas Café

Callas Café

Callas Café is located next to the Opera House in a neo-Renaissance building, constructed in 1880. It changed hands several times in the early 20th century and also served as the headquarters of a British bank between the wars. Today, it provides an elegant setting to enjoy Hungarian flavours with live salon music, or simply a drink before an opera performance.

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Szamos Gourmet Ház

Szamos Gourmet Ház

Szamos is noted amongst the most prominent confectionery dynasties in Hungary, specialising in the production of marzipan treats. Today, they offer an extensive selection of confectionery at several locations in the country (including a chocolate museum), and their flagship store below also serves breakfast and light snacks throughout the day.

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Auguszt Cukrászda

Auguszt Cukrászda

A family-run confectionery business with deep-rooted traditions and devotion to serving desserts of varied flavour and exceptional quality. The first Auguszt opened in 1870; now they have three locations in town.

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Hadik Café

Hadik Café

Once the gathering place of Hungary's most prominent writers, Hadik still enjoys a steady flow of visitors, choosing Buda's cosy flagship café for a creamy coffee, a light dinner, or a literary event — if poems scattered on the menu pages were not enough.

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Lumen Café

Lumen Café

Located in Budapest's elegant Palace District, Lumen offers a casual yet charming atmosphere, complete with a patio for al fresco dining and regular live music performances. Serving a diverse menu that evolves with the seasons, the restaurant prides itself on roasting its own coffee beans and offering a rich selection of delicious wines.

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Fekete

Fekete

A quaint espresso bar with a small terrace in the heart of what is noted as the capital's oasis for second-hand books, serving specialty coffee, breakfast and brunch fare alongside baked goods and sweets.

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Artigiana Gelati

Artigiana Gelati

A tranquil walk in Buda's residential area will give you a completely different picture of the otherwise vibrant capital. This Italian artisanal ice cream shop is located conveniently next to Városmajor, Buda's green oasis, and offers an ample selection of fine ice cream flavours, arguably among the best in town. The Sacher torte flavour will surely make you come back for more.

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Cafe Frei

Cafe Frei

Cafe Frei is a popular franchise founded by traveller-journalist Tamás Frei, featuring over 70 coffee specialties from five continents, bringing you genuine flavours from as far as Brazil and the Himalayas. With several locations in town, usually directly linked to a bookshop of the Hungarian chain Libri.

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Cserpes Tejivó

Cserpes Tejivó

A traditional milk bar chain serving sandwiches, salads and traditional Hungarian breakfast pastries, along with a large variety of hot beverages, made with their popular own brand dairy products. With four locations in town, make sure you won't miss locals' favourite breakfast spot.

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Fruska Bisztró

Fruska Bisztró

If you feel like basking in the sun and enjoying great views of the Danube, you should visit the Fruska Bisztró on the Kopaszi dam. It has a cool terrace offering coffee, beers, wines and picnic snacks as well.

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Cat Café

Cat Café

A small friendly café near the Opera House, welcoming visitors with cakes, paninis, coffee and cocktails, along with cosy, cushioned seats, cat-themed art and souvenirs, but most importantly, 15 permanent feline residents to keep you purrfect company.

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