If you’re looking to settle down in a beautiful café with a cup of coffee and escape the chaos of the outside world, Budapest is the city for you.
You’ll find great cafés scattered across the Hungarian capital, from trendy modern third-wave coffee shops to traditional establishments steeped in history that are monuments to “The World of Yesterday.” Should beauty be your priority in your luxury café experience, add these to your Budapest bucket list.
The New York Café on the Grand Boulevard is not only the most beautiful in Budapest but in the whole world. With curved marble pillars, frescoed ceilings bordered by stuccoed cherubs, and lavish gold-leaf gilding, this café dating back to the fin de siècle, was once a hub for Hungarian artists, writers, and journalists who spent many delirious nights here in a haze of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Today there is usually a long line to get in, and a cup of coffee can set you back €10, but it’s worth it to soak in the atmosphere and beauty of this historic landmark.
Set on a square close to the Danube Banks on the Pest side of the city, Gerbeaud opened in 1858 as a café but made its name as a confectionery when Emil Gerbeaud took over in 1884. This historic cafe is perfect for a decadent cake and coffee in lavish surroundings. Its cherry wood panelled walls, patterned silk wallpaper, heavy velvet curtains, marble-topped tables, and crystal chandeliers capture much of the history. Its collection of Hungarian pastries are miniature, edible works of art. Along with their signature sweets, like their konyakmeggy, brandy-soaked sour cherries enclosed by a dark chocolate shell, you’ll find the perfect accompaniment to an espresso.
This café and brasserie occupy an art nouveau arcade that was once Budapest’s first modern department store. The curved, tiled ceiling stretches around arched windows and mahogany galleries and encloses the cafe in what is now the ground floor of a luxury hotel. Although there is a full menu at the Brasserie, you can always enjoy a premium coffee in a spectacular and unique setting.
The Central Café opened in 1887 and was once a hangout for Budapest’s artists and writers at the turn of the century. The cafe was recently renovated, but it kept its bohemian charm with painted stucco ceilings, burgundy banquettes, black and red columns, and Thonet-style chairs. Sometimes there’s live piano and violin music, but it’s worth dropping in for coffee or one of the beautifully sculpted cakes!
Matild resides on the ground floor of the recently renovated Matild Palace, a new luxury hotel in downtown Budapest. This once iconic grand coffee house also re-opened with its Belle Epoque splendour. The café dates back to 1901, formerly known as the Belvárosi Kávéház, and became a hub for Budapest’s literati and intellectuals for many decades before it became a restaurant and nightclub and was closed for years during its renovation. The café blends art nouveau with Egyptomania aesthetics. During the day, it’s a café – try a perfectly prepared coffee with some handcrafted chocolate from their “Chocolate Atelier”– and it transforms into a cabaret and cocktail bar by night.
For something with a French bistro vibe, Gerlóczy Café, tucked away in a Haussmann-esque building hidden plaza in the heart of the V District, makes a charming escape. The interior, with its high ceilings, round marbles, cosy leather booths, and picturesque cakes, partly add to the Parisian vibe but sit outside on the terrace in the summer and you might easily forget you’re in Budapest and feel like you’re in France for an hour or two. On the upper floors, there is also a boutique hotel.
Those of you who take your coffee seriously and are looking for excellent new-wave coffees to accompany aesthetics may want to add Espresso Embassy to the list. It resides inside a repurposed neoclassical building. Although its interior may be more minimalist than other cafés on this list, it’s still beautiful, with a vaulted ceiling set against contemporary industrial chic design with exposed brick walls. You’ll find an excellent variety of speciality coffees, a selection of pour-overs, traditional espresso drinks, and a trendy young crowd.
