Cafes and Confectionery
Coffee culture appeared in Budapest long before Vienna or Paris and was at its peak from around the early 1910's until the beginning of the 1930's. About 500 cafés were scattered around the city. The cafés are cake shops as well with impressive range of home-made Hungarian cakes and pastries. Some cake shops have been owned by the same family since the 19th century and the secret of recipes have passed on generation by generation.
Cafés were an important part of social and cultural life at that time. They served as common meeting places of talented writers, poets and artists. Many of them had regular tables in cafés. They could not afford to heat their small flats, so they spent most of the day in their favourite coffee house. Ink and paper were free for them and they could eat the "writer's menu" at discounted price.
Most of the classic Budapest coffee houses were destroyed during the world wars. The communist regime did not help them either. The leaders of the communist party considered the cafés as a centre of underground organizations and secret meetings, that's why they had every coffee house in Budapest closed down in 1948. In recent years many once-grand cafés have been restored to their original splendour.
Here is a list of the most popular and traditional Coffee Houses of Budapest:
Cafés were an important part of social and cultural life at that time. They served as common meeting places of talented writers, poets and artists. Many of them had regular tables in cafés. They could not afford to heat their small flats, so they spent most of the day in their favourite coffee house. Ink and paper were free for them and they could eat the "writer's menu" at discounted price.
Most of the classic Budapest coffee houses were destroyed during the world wars. The communist regime did not help them either. The leaders of the communist party considered the cafés as a centre of underground organizations and secret meetings, that's why they had every coffee house in Budapest closed down in 1948. In recent years many once-grand cafés have been restored to their original splendour.
Here is a list of the most popular and traditional Coffee Houses of Budapest:
Gerbeaud Café and Confectionery - www.gerbeaud.hu Address: V. Vörösmarty tér 7-8. The legendary GERBEAUD, in the heart of Budapest, is one of the largest, most traditional, and most famous café-confectioneries in Europe. Located on Vörösmarty Square at the end of Váci Street. The café was established by Henrik Kugler in 1858 and expanded by its later owner, Emil Gerbeaud, and by 1890 was already world-famous. The café has three separate shops and a terrace facing Vörösmarty Square. The main shop opens from the square. |
Spend some time to walk through all the rooms and admire the varied decoration. You'll also see the portrait of Emile Gerbeaud the Swiss pastry chef who bought the place in 1884. He created the famous Hungarian bonbon, konyakosmeggy: sour-cherry soaked in cognac and covered with dark chocolate. The first thing that pops in most Hungarian's mind about Gerbeaud is not coffee but the delicious homemade cakes. Here you must try the Gerbeaud cake (Zserbó): ground walnut and jam filling between layers of sponge covered with chocolate. |
Ruszwurm Café and Confectionary Land – www.ruszwurm.hu
Address: I. Szentháromság tér 7. The Baroque coffee house is the oldest confectionery in the continent founded in 1827 and run by the last, still active Hungarian confectionery dynasty. The small but cosy place welcomes guests with almost intact and original interior, delicious cakes and coffee. Despite the major damage to the building itself, the internal equipments miraculously survived the 1848-49 revolution and also the World Wars. The items of furniture and equipment declared to be protected. Situated in the Castle District in Buda near Matthias Church the coffee house's neighbourhood is rich in historic monuments. |
Confectioner Ferenc Schwabl started his business in 1827 and the cosy, long-established, but not luxurious sweets shop has been functioning at the same place continuously.
The confectionary was managed by Vilmos Ruszwurm, from 1884 to 1922 and preserved his name so far. One of the famous cakes - the Ruszwurm cream pastry - is still prepared by the original recipe of him. The pastries were so tasty that Elizabeth, wife of Austrian Emperor and Queen of Hungary (1837-1898) sent couriers to get cakes for her breakfast. Check out the lovely intro of Ruszwurm’s webpage where you can also read the full history of the cakeshop from the very beginning until recent days. |
Lukács Cafe and Confectionery – www.lukacscukraszda.hu
Address: VI. Andrássy út 70.
Old-style café milieu, traditional range of cakes in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Andrássy Avenue. Established by Sándor Lukács, a famous pastry chef, Lukacs Café was opened more than 100 years ago. Soon became a very popular and well respected establishment with high society clientele and products suitable for their taste.
Address: VI. Andrássy út 70.
Old-style café milieu, traditional range of cakes in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Andrássy Avenue. Established by Sándor Lukács, a famous pastry chef, Lukacs Café was opened more than 100 years ago. Soon became a very popular and well respected establishment with high society clientele and products suitable for their taste.
The Communists confiscated the café from the owner Lukács family in 1949. It was closed to ordinary people and became the meeting place of the secret police. The Café has now been renovated in a splendid manner. It has been given back its former glory to be once again a pride of Budapest. It has fine decor reflecting the Habsburg era with marble tables, columns gilded walls and beautiful chandeliers. Here you can find luxurious pastry creations, freshly made from organic produce whenever possible. Their motto from their website: “Only the best is good enough”. |
Auguszt Confectionery
Address: V. Kossuth L. u. 14-16. / II. Fény u. 8. Five generations, tradition, knowledge, quality with three shops in Budapest. The history of Auguszt dates back to 1870 when Elek Auguszt opened his little cake shop. His son Josef Auguszt won gold medal in 1896 on the Millennium exhibition with his sugar statue composition. He took over the management of the confectionary in 1905 and with his wife they opened a new shop in 1916 which was for long time noted as the “Gerbeaud of Buda” within the public. During the world war their main shop was destroyed which was reopened in 1947. The downtown Auguszt coffee house is located in Kossuth street in a closed courtyard of a 19th century house. In 2009 the shop was reopened after reconstruction, this time with a new street front. |
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Művész Café (Artist Café)
Address: VI. Andrássy út 29. The Művész Café is located in the heart of the theatre district of Budapest near the Opera House. Muvesz contains interior design from the turn of the century. Its atmosphere and décor resembles a 19th-century grand salon, with golden stuccoes and frames, copper coat-hangers and a grand mirror. One of the oldest Café of Budapest has recently gone trough a minor renovation. Művesz is a Café and Bistro style restaurant, as well, offering light meals in addition to the excellent coffee and the cakes are also delicious. Many of the clients are actors and musicians. The front room is always busy and crowded, the back room is suitable for intimate conversation. |
Zsolnay Café
Address: VI. Teréz krt. 43 (Hotel Radisson Béke) Newly reconstructed and enlarged with a cocktail bar, Zsolnay Café does not only contribute to the hotel's nice atmosphere but it will also charm guests with its rich offer. With a great tradition, the Café has remained faithful to the well-known coffee and tea specialities offered in original Zsolnay porcelain cups, while a wide selection of light salads, sandwiches, classic and alcohol-free cocktails is adjusted to the pace of modern lifestyle. |
New York Café - www.newyorkcafe.hu/eng/
Address: VII. Erzsébet krt. 9-11. Out of the 500 Budapest coffee houses the New York Café was the most elegant andpopular at the turn of the 20th century and said to be the "most beautiful cafe in the world". It was a famous meeting place of all kind of Hungarian artists. The cafe is on the ground floor of the lavish New York Palace (today functions as a luxury 5-star hotel) built for an American insurance company between 1891 and 95. After extensive renovation the cafe reopened in May 2006 incorporating a posh restaurant. Despite the grand all gold and marble interior the New York Cafe lost its original coffee house atmosphere. |
Daubner Confectionery
Address: II. Szépvölgyi út 50.
Daubner Confectionery (Daubner Cukrászda) in Budapest is unanimously one of the best confectioneries in Hungary. It is characterized by a constant long queue, but their delicious cakes and value for your money definitely make the wait worth-while. The selection is so wide that it normally takes a while for a newcomer to choose the cakes.
Address: II. Szépvölgyi út 50.
Daubner Confectionery (Daubner Cukrászda) in Budapest is unanimously one of the best confectioneries in Hungary. It is characterized by a constant long queue, but their delicious cakes and value for your money definitely make the wait worth-while. The selection is so wide that it normally takes a while for a newcomer to choose the cakes.
It is a bit far from the central but can be easily reached by public transport. Locals rave about it, while tourists rarely take this off-route track to discover one of the true gems in Budapest. Deeply and heavenly delicious cakes, strudels, pies, confectionery poetry, as well as salty snacks (pogácsa) await the reckless visitor here. Once you tried any of their cake you will understand the reason why the end of the queue is often out of the door. Locals say about the Sacher torte that every bit is as good as it is in the famous Sacher Hotel in Vienna. The “Eszterhazy torta” is also a must, it is truly magnificent. |
In the Outskirt of the City
There are two confectionery shops located in the outskirts of Budapest but the quality what they represent make them well worth mentioning. The time to reach them won’t be regret as these places well-known not only by the locals when wanting to buy the best cakes in Budapest.
Zila Café House and Restaurant (Krisztina Confectionery) - www.zilakavehaz.hu
Address: XVIII. Üllői út 452.
Krisztina Confectioner's was opened in 1984 by László Zila master confectioner. Since 2002 the Confectioner's is part of Zila Coffee House and Restaurant, functioning in the renovated historic building of a former pool's main building.
Just a short after opening, Zila Coffee house won the first prize on the Competition of Coffee Houses of Budapest. Among the cakes you can find the traditional ones as well as some special cakes. Desserts, pies, strudels, sweet and salty biscuits are other examples from the huge range they serve. Krisztina confectionary is the first choice for even famous people when they need cakes for special celebrations or weddings. The inside restaurant and café area is nicely furnished and decorated while they also provide a peaceful and sheltered garden area to consume your chosen masterpiece.
Vári Confectionery Address: XVI. Szlovák út 82. Known by the public as “Ice Cream Heaven”. This small confectionery shop is an always busy place thanks to the plenty of different, tasty and unique ice-creams. When you visit the first time you will need a few minutes to decide what flavour to vote for but the helpful staff allows you to taste any of your choice before ordering to make sure you get what you really want. Many award wining flavours are on sale and you can find flavours like nowhere else, such as chilli-chocolate or Tokaj-Wine. The cake and also ice-cake selection is also huge, even providing unmatched choice for people on different diets. |