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I. Batthyány tér 7, Tel: 212 3784, Website: www.angelikakavehaz.hu,
Open: 10am-10pm daily, Metro:
M2 Batthyány tér
Elegant café housed in the former crypt of St.
Anne's
Church. The building's ornate entrance sets the scene for the fine
turn-of-the-20th-century interior complete with lavish furnishings and marble flooring. Popular
with Budapest's older folk, the cakes, pastries and teas are all first-rate. The summer terrace is
also a great spot to unwind after a hard day's sightseeing.
V. Váci utca 7, Tel: 266 9080, Open: 8am-12am daily,
Website: www.annacafe.hu, Metro: M1 Vörösmarty tér, Tram 2
Undoubtedly, the best place to see what's happening on Váci utca. Up until about 9pm it's
a pleasant enough yuppie/tourist haunt. After that, the flash, brash brigade move in. A decent
selection of cakes, lunches and drinks, albeit on a fairly expensive menu.
V. Kossuth Lajos utca 14-16, Tel: 337 6379, E-mail: auguszt@axelero.hu, Website: www.augusztcukraszda.hu, Open: Tue-Fri
10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Metro: M2 Astoria
Set in a quaint shop with courtyard attached, the Augustz Cukrászda is a family operated
business which dates back to 1870. Excellent cakes and pastries make this a good place to take a
breather, while another premises near Moszkva tér caters for those in a hurry.
V. Apáczai Csere János utca 12-14, Tel: 317 9111, Open: 9am-9pm
daily, Metro: M1 Vörösmarty tér
Although to some, the upmarket setting of the Hotel InterContinental represents the more expensive
side of the Budapest café scene, prices are surprisingly reasonable. What's more, the
mouth-watering selection of cakes and pastries on offer are among the best in town. Well-worth a
visit.
V. Kossuth Lajos utca 19-21, Tel: 317 3411, Open: 7am 11pm daily, Metro: M2 Astoria
A truly opulent setting in which to enjoy a light pastry and coffee, the interior of the
Café Astoria retains an untouched turn-of the-20th-century charm. Reasonable prices,
although service is pretty unremarkable (part of the Hotel
Astoria).
V. Vörösmarty tér 7, Tel: 429 9000, Website: www.gerbeaud.hu, Open: 9am 9pm daily, Metro: M1 Vörösmarty tér
The most famous of Budapest's 'old style' coffee houses, the Gerbeaud has been in the business of
creating mouth-watering cakes and pastries for over 140 years.
Originally established by the innovative Swiss confectioner Emil Gerbeaud, the
interior of this turn-of-the-20th-century building creates a wonderfully lavish setting in which to
sample the coffee culture of the city's 'golden era'. Next door, the new Gerbeaud restaurant
promises to offer culinary delights to the same high standard. Another must visit,
although service (depending upon when you visit) ranges from leisurely to abrupt.
Café Kör
V. Sas u. 17, Tel: 311 0053, Website: www.cafekor.com,
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-10pm (closed Sunday), Metro:
M1, M2, M3 Deák tér
Another brasserie style establishment, this time in the centrally located fifth district.
French/Italian Hungarian inspired menu, with a distinctly upmarket clientele. Good salad and fish
dishes.
Café Mozart
VII. Erzsébet körút 36, Tel: 352 0664,
Open: Sun-Fri 9am
11pm, Sat 9am-12am, Tram 4, 6
Set on a busy thoroughfare leading to Andrássy út, a visit to Café Mozart is
memorable if only for the fake period furniture and over the top baroque waitress costumes.
Pastries and coffee are acceptable, although the downtown location is not great. Tries hard, but
doesn't compare favourably to the Ruszwurm or Gerbeaud.
I. Úri utca 30, Tel: 375 5458,
Website: www.cafemiro.hu/var, Open: 9am-midnight daily, Várbusz
from M2 Moszkva tér
Trendy café in Buda's Castle District, which boasts an interior inspired by the works of
Catalan artist Joan Miró. The jazzy, surreal décor makes for a laid back atmosphere,
with a clientele mainly made up of young, well-heeled, tourists and locals. It's
not all good news though. Pastries,
cakes and coffee are only average, while waitress service is laboured (with
staff doing their best to look
completely uninterested). That said, the Miró has proved a success with a Mark II version
having opened in the Mammut shopping mall.
VI. Andrássy út 29, Tel: 352 1337, Open: 9am-midnight daily,
Metro: M1 Opera
Another classic Budapest coffeehouse, this time located on the busy Andrássy
boulevard (and just a short walk away from the State Opera House). Providing you're able
to find a table on the relatively small terrace, Múvesz
makes for a perfect spot in which to while away the hours. Decent cappuccino, along with a
first-rate selection of cakes, pastries and ice-cream, all go towards making it a
recommended visit.
New York Kávéház
VII. Erzsébet körút 9-11, Tel: 322 3849, Metro: M2 Astoria, Tram 4, 6
Previously shrouded under scaffolding and a dirty black exterior, visitors 'not in the know' would
simply pass by the New York Kávéház without discovering the wonderfully lavish
neo-Baroque interior of this turn-of-the-20th-century building. Unfortunately, the café,
which was once the haunt of Budapest's most famous poets and playwrights, was rammed
unceremoniously by a Russian tank during the 1956 uprising (it also suffered significant bomb
damage during WWII). Until now the resultant structural damage was deemed too costly to repair.
All that has changed, however, following the acquisition of the New York
Palace (in which the café is housed) by Italian hotel group Boscolo. Having spent 8
Billion HUF on restoration work alone, they have transformed the building into a luxury
235 room, five star hotel. Oozing style from every fixture and fitting, the New York Kávéház
is a now must visit for anyone touring Budapest.
I. Szentháromság utca 7, Tel: 375 5284, E-mail: ruszwurm@ruszwurm.hu, Website: www.ruszwurm.hu, Open: 10am-7pm daily,
Várbusz from M2 Moszkva tér
Tucked away down Szentháromság utca is the famous Ruszwurm café. This small,
but charming pastry shop began life as a coffee house way back in 1824. The fine Biedermeier
interior, together with the sheer variety of mouth-watering cakes on display makes the Ruszwurm
well-worth a visit (although you'll need the best part of an hour to spare if you plan to
sit inside). On a hot summer's day, you'll find people queuing to buy ice-cream by the scoop
(gomboc) just inside the entrance. A must even if you only buy something to take away.
Zsolnay Kávéház
VI. Teréz körút 43, Radisson Béké Hotel, Tel: 301
1600, Open: 10am-10pm daily, Metro: M3 Nyugati pu.
Another Zsolnay namesake, this time on the first floor of the Radisson Béké Hotel.
Upmarket décor serves as a fitting accompaniment to the good selection of cakes and pastries
on offer. A real bonus if you're residing upstairs.
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