Any Hungarian 
will tell you that their capital city had a thriving cafe scene long before the famous coffee houses of Vienna, Rome or Paris opened their doors, and they'd be right. The cafe culture in Hungary is more steeped in history, and in the mentality of the people, than in any of those cities.
A Cafe History of Budapest
As part of the old Ottoman Empire coffee (soon followed by coffee houses) first made an appearance in Budapest in the sixteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth, Budapest's coffee houses were renowned gathering spots for city intellectuals, with hotspots such as the New York Cafe leading the field. The advent of Communism in Budapest came as a blow to its coffee houses, when the meeting places of writers and artists became intolerable to the regime. Many were closed, and became meeting places for the secret police instead. Come 1989, however, and the coffee houses of Budapest picked up where they left off: serving legendary coffee and cakes in elegant surrounds.
Cafe Gerbeaud — Most Famous Cafe
Gerbeaud is the most elite cafe in Budapest, dating back to 1858. With a terrace overlooking the famous Vörösmarty Square, the specialty here is the cake (the Gerbeaud classic is a sponge cake made with jam, ground walnuts and chocolate). A trip inside to see the plush interior with its elaborate carvings and frescos is mandatory.
Location: Vörösmarty tér 7—8, Pest
Cafe Angelika — A Cafe in a Church
The panorama over the Danube River is a big incentive to come for a coffee at Angelika — as is the building itself, built next to an 18th century church. The cakes are great and the staff pleasant. The clientele is mainly local.
Location: Batthyány tér 7, Buda
Centrál Kavehaz — Traditional Intellectual Hangout
The Central Café (Kávéház) was formerly the grandest of Budapest's cafes and the meeting place of the staff of the radical literary magazine, Nyugat. It's now reopened and today challenges Gerbeaud as the hang-out of the "in" crowd in Pest.
Location: Károlyi Mihály utca 9
Cafe Kor — Budapest Understated Elegance
Managing to be both rustic and posh-looking, this cozy place has vaulted ceilings, tablecloths and old pictures of Budapest on the walls. It's both lively and well-regarded.
Location: Sas utca 17,Pest
The New York Cafe, Budapest
Reopened as of 2006 on the ground floor of the New York Palace (a five star hotel), this oppulent coffee house was the favoured hangout of Hungarian writer Ferenc Molnár, who supposedly enjoyed the place so much he once threw the key into the river so that it couldn't close!
Location: Erzsébet Körút 9—11, VII District
Ruszwurm — One of the Oldest Budapest Cafes
This is deservedly the most popular venue in the Castle Hill area to get a caffeine fix. It's very crowded too however, usually with a queue out of the door. Many think it's worth the wait to get a seat in this charming, quirky old confectioners, packed to the gills with antiques, including old sweet making tools.
Location: Szentháromság utca 7, Castle Hill District, Buda
Cafe Miro — Budapests Modern Take on the Coffee House
If there are no seats free in Ruszwurm this is a good reserve choice: it's funkily decorated with lots of bright colours (oranges and blues), plants and, most importantly, seats.
Location: Úri utca 30, Castle Hill District, Buda
Cafe Auguszt
Bright, wood-panelled and with an Art Deco vibe, the first-floor Auguszt has a central bar ad upper gallery and can be found near the Mammut shopping centre.
Location: Fény utca 8, Buda
Other Budapest Coffee Houses
Other coffee houses to try include:
-Lukács: in the Budapest spa of the same name, former meeting place of the secret police.
-Cafe Pierrot, with a great selection of specialty coffees, but more of a restaurant feel.
Booking.com
When in any of the above cafes, it is also a good idea to know what sweet treats to watch out for in a country famous for its cakes and pastries. The Gerbeaud cake, mentioned above, can be found in various forms across the city. Sacher Torta (originally Austrian) and Oroszkrém torta, a cream cake, are also popular, as is strudel and the delectable chestnut puree (Gszetenye puré). Locations are given for which side of the river the cafes are on: Buda (west of Danube) or Pest (east of Danube).
Author Twinkle Brar
will tell you that their capital city had a thriving cafe scene long before the famous coffee houses of Vienna, Rome or Paris opened their doors, and they'd be right. The cafe culture in Hungary is more steeped in history, and in the mentality of the people, than in any of those cities.
A Cafe History of Budapest
As part of the old Ottoman Empire coffee (soon followed by coffee houses) first made an appearance in Budapest in the sixteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth, Budapest's coffee houses were renowned gathering spots for city intellectuals, with hotspots such as the New York Cafe leading the field. The advent of Communism in Budapest came as a blow to its coffee houses, when the meeting places of writers and artists became intolerable to the regime. Many were closed, and became meeting places for the secret police instead. Come 1989, however, and the coffee houses of Budapest picked up where they left off: serving legendary coffee and cakes in elegant surrounds.
Cafe Gerbeaud — Most Famous Cafe
Gerbeaud is the most elite cafe in Budapest, dating back to 1858. With a terrace overlooking the famous Vörösmarty Square, the specialty here is the cake (the Gerbeaud classic is a sponge cake made with jam, ground walnuts and chocolate). A trip inside to see the plush interior with its elaborate carvings and frescos is mandatory.
Location: Vörösmarty tér 7—8, Pest
Cafe Angelika — A Cafe in a Church
The panorama over the Danube River is a big incentive to come for a coffee at Angelika — as is the building itself, built next to an 18th century church. The cakes are great and the staff pleasant. The clientele is mainly local.
Location: Batthyány tér 7, Buda
Centrál Kavehaz — Traditional Intellectual Hangout
The Central Café (Kávéház) was formerly the grandest of Budapest's cafes and the meeting place of the staff of the radical literary magazine, Nyugat. It's now reopened and today challenges Gerbeaud as the hang-out of the "in" crowd in Pest.
Location: Károlyi Mihály utca 9
Cafe Kor — Budapest Understated Elegance
Managing to be both rustic and posh-looking, this cozy place has vaulted ceilings, tablecloths and old pictures of Budapest on the walls. It's both lively and well-regarded.
Location: Sas utca 17,Pest
The New York Cafe, Budapest
Reopened as of 2006 on the ground floor of the New York Palace (a five star hotel), this oppulent coffee house was the favoured hangout of Hungarian writer Ferenc Molnár, who supposedly enjoyed the place so much he once threw the key into the river so that it couldn't close!
Location: Erzsébet Körút 9—11, VII District
Ruszwurm — One of the Oldest Budapest Cafes
This is deservedly the most popular venue in the Castle Hill area to get a caffeine fix. It's very crowded too however, usually with a queue out of the door. Many think it's worth the wait to get a seat in this charming, quirky old confectioners, packed to the gills with antiques, including old sweet making tools.
Location: Szentháromság utca 7, Castle Hill District, Buda
Cafe Miro — Budapests Modern Take on the Coffee House
If there are no seats free in Ruszwurm this is a good reserve choice: it's funkily decorated with lots of bright colours (oranges and blues), plants and, most importantly, seats.
Location: Úri utca 30, Castle Hill District, Buda
Cafe Auguszt
Bright, wood-panelled and with an Art Deco vibe, the first-floor Auguszt has a central bar ad upper gallery and can be found near the Mammut shopping centre.
Location: Fény utca 8, Buda
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Other Budapest Coffee Houses
Other coffee houses to try include:
-Lukács: in the Budapest spa of the same name, former meeting place of the secret police.
-Cafe Pierrot, with a great selection of specialty coffees, but more of a restaurant feel.
Booking.com
When in any of the above cafes, it is also a good idea to know what sweet treats to watch out for in a country famous for its cakes and pastries. The Gerbeaud cake, mentioned above, can be found in various forms across the city. Sacher Torta (originally Austrian) and Oroszkrém torta, a cream cake, are also popular, as is strudel and the delectable chestnut puree (Gszetenye puré). Locations are given for which side of the river the cafes are on: Buda (west of Danube) or Pest (east of Danube).
Author Twinkle Brar
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