Artizan near the Hold utca market in the 5th district is the downtown sourdough bakery favoured by Budapest cafes, with long-ferment loaves and laminated pastry.
Must order: The sourdough boule with a slab of butter and a flat white.
Tip: Mon to Sat 08:00 to 19:00, Sun 09:00 to 15:00; sells out by 14:00 most days.
Address: Hold utca 3, 1054 Budapest
Auguszt on Kossuth Lajos has run as a family confectionery since 1870, with a Belle Epoque counter and a hidden Paloma Garden terrace in downtown Budapest.
Order: The Hantas Flora pastry and a small black coffee at the counter.
Tip: Closed Sun and Mon; the Paloma Garden terrace opens from May onwards.
Worth the queue: Hantas Flora pastry
Szamos Marcipan on Parizsi utca near Ferenciek tere is the 1987-opened downtown shop of Hungary's biggest marzipan and patisserie brand, with cakes, marzipan and ice cream, Budapest.
Order: The Rakoczi turos cheese tart with a small filter coffee.
Tip: Open daily 10:00 to 19:00; the marzipan-figure window display is a sight on its own.
Worth the queue: Rakoczi turos cheese tart
Elso Pesti Reteshaz on Oktober 6 utca is Budapest's first dedicated strudel house, in a 1812 building with bakers stretching dough across the open table.
Order: The apple-cinnamon retes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tip: Daily 09:00 to 22:00; ask to watch the dough-stretching demo at 11:00 or 16:00.
Worth the queue: Apple-cinnamon retes
Molnar's on Vaci utca rolls chimney cake over an open coal fire and serves cinnamon, walnut and chocolate variants to a brisk downtown queue in Budapest.
Order: The cinnamon kürtőskalács straight off the fire while still warm.
Tip: Cash and card accepted; the coal-fire counter is at the door, watch the rolling.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon kürtőskalács
Daubner on Szepvolgyi ut in Buda's Rozsadomb hills runs a hundred-year cake counter where locals queue for birthday and name-day pastries in Budapest.
Order: The original Dobos torta with the caramel disc crackled on top.
Tip: Closed Mon and Tue; queues run 30 minutes deep on weekend mornings.
Worth the queue: Dobos torta
Auguszt on Kossuth Lajos has run as a family confectionery since 1870, with a Belle Epoque counter and a hidden Paloma Garden terrace in downtown Budapest.
Order: The Hantas Flora pastry and a small black coffee at the counter.
Tip: Closed Sun and Mon; the Paloma Garden terrace opens from May onwards.
Worth the queue: Hantas Flora pastry
Szamos Marcipan on Parizsi utca near Ferenciek tere is the 1987-opened downtown shop of Hungary's biggest marzipan and patisserie brand, with cakes, marzipan and ice cream, Budapest.
Order: The Rakoczi turos cheese tart with a small filter coffee.
Tip: Open daily 10:00 to 19:00; the marzipan-figure window display is a sight on its own.
Worth the queue: Rakoczi turos cheese tart
Stika on Dob utca in the Jewish Quarter bakes laminated pastry, sourdough loaves and kurtoskalacs in a former kosher bakery, a new-wave Budapest morning room.
Order: The cinnamon kurtoskalacs with a cortado from the espresso bar.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the line runs out the door by 09:30 on weekends.
Worth the queue: Kürtőskalács
Elso Pesti Reteshaz on Oktober 6 utca is Budapest's first dedicated strudel house, in a 1812 building with bakers stretching dough across the open table.
Order: The apple-cinnamon retes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tip: Daily 09:00 to 22:00; ask to watch the dough-stretching demo at 11:00 or 16:00.
Worth the queue: Apple-cinnamon retes
Molnar's on Vaci utca rolls chimney cake over an open coal fire and serves cinnamon, walnut and chocolate variants to a brisk downtown queue in Budapest.
Order: The cinnamon kürtőskalács straight off the fire while still warm.
Tip: Cash and card accepted; the coal-fire counter is at the door, watch the rolling.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon kürtőskalács