11 editor picks in Budapest.
11 cafe places in Budapest we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Budapest | Cafe across every city.
Budapest invented its own coffeehouse culture in the late nineteenth century, and the surviving grand rooms are tourist attractions in their own right. New York Café on Erzsébet körút is the gilded extreme, while Centrál Kávéház near Károlyi utca and Café Gerbeaud on Vörösmarty tér carry the literary tradition downtown. The specialty wave answers with smaller rooms like Espresso Embassy on Arany János utca and Mantra Specialty Coffee Bar, where the focus moves from cake to the cup.
The New York Café in the New York Palace on Erzsebet korut has poured coffee under frescoed ceilings and gilded chandeliers since 1894, the most ornate cafe.
OrderThe Hungarian Melange with the New York apple strudel.
TipQueue moves; ask for a table on the upper gallery for the full ceiling view.
The Central Kavehaz on Karolyi utca has poured coffee since 1887 and was the regular meeting room for the Nyugat literary set in the early 20th century.
OrderA filter coffee with the Esterhazy slice and a Sacher torte.
TipQuieter than New York Cafe for working; the upstairs reading room is the calmest seat.
Gerbeaud on Vorosmarty ter has poured coffee under chandeliers since 1858, a Belle Epoque grand cafe at the head of Vaci utca's pedestrian shopping street.
OrderThe Gerbeaud-szelet, a walnut and apricot jam slice baked here since the 19th century.
TipNo reservation system; arrive before 11:00 to avoid the tour-bus queue on Vorosmarty tér.
The Muvesz Kavehaz on Andrassy across from the Opera has poured coffee since 1898, a quieter alternative to Gerbeaud with full Hungarian pastry counter.
OrderThe Dobos torta with an espresso and a glass of water.
TipOpen daily 09:00-20:00; the terrace fills on Opera matinee days.
Hadik on Bartok Bela ut, rebuilt in 2010 from a 1910 cafe, is the literary heart of Ujbuda with bookshelves, Karinthy memorabilia and a daily Hungarian lunch.
OrderThe Hungarian melange and the daily soup from the kitchen.
TipPair with Szatyor next door for an after-coffee Hungarian dinner.
Kelet Kavezo on Bartok Bela ut in Ujbuda is a cafe, book-exchange library and exhibition space combined, with bagels, filter coffee and a slow Buda crowd.
OrderThe bagel with cream cheese and a single origin filter from the rotating menu.
TipBring a book to swap; the back room is the quietest place to work in Ujbuda.
Mantra Specialty Coffee on a tree-lined Lipotvaros backstreet pours light-roast Ethiopian, Brazilian and Honduran filter coffee on AeroPress.
OrderThe single-origin filter on Chemex or AeroPress, the room's specialty.
TipThe owners run home-barista classes; ask if a class lands on your visit dates.
Espresso Embassy on Arany Janos, steps from the Basilica, opened in 2012 as Budapest's first wave-three specialty cafe and still sets the bar for downtown.
OrderThe single-origin espresso, paired with a chocolate chip cookie.
TipMon to Fri 07:30-19:00, weekends 09:00-17:00; queue is short on weekday mornings.
My Little Melbourne on Madach square was Hungary's first specialty coffee shop when it opened in April 2012, an Australian flat-white cafe near Gozsdu Udvar.
OrderThe flat white with the daily filter from the Brew Bar next door.
TipThe Brew Bar next door is the slow-pour twin; ask for a manual brew there.
Madal Cafe on Hollan Erno in Ujlipotvaros pours 13 single-origin coffees from two micro-roasters and stocks a wide loose-leaf tea wall in a quiet Pest.
OrderA V60 filter from the rotating single-origin menu.
TipMon-Fri 07:30-19:30, weekends 08:30-19:30; the outdoor terrace is calm in summer.
Auguszt on Kossuth Lajos has run as a family confectionery since 1870, now in the fifth generation, with a Belle Epoque room and a hidden Paloma Garden.
OrderThe Hantas Flora pastry with a small black coffee.
TipOpen Mon to Fri 09:00-19:00; ask for the Paloma Garden terrace when the weather permits.
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