Browse our list of "Best Budapest Cafes": our favorite places in the city that make decent espresso and other coffee drinks and have friendly ambience.
Budapest has many cafes including the classical coffee houses (Ruszwurm, Gerbeaud, August) that first started business in the 19th century and managed to retain their old world charm in the 21st century.
There are countless trendy cafes throughout Budapest but only a few make good-quality espresso, cappuccino and other coffee drinks. Most cafes in Budapest offer breakfast, light lunch/dinner (salads, pasta dishes) and pastries, cakes to go with your coffee.
BARbár Cafe & Chocolate - Pálinka + Chocolate Tasting Programs
Address: Papnövelde utca 3., 1053 Budapest) near Váci utca in the city center
Open: Mon-Thurs: 12.00-22.00, Fri-Sat: 15.00-22.00, Sun: closed
A friendly place in a small street just off Váci utca. In BARbár you can drink the best hot chocolate in Budapest.
They make it from Belgian chocolate pastilles instead of chocolate powder.
They also serve various coffee drinks (from Vergnano coffee), a range of soft drinks (lemonade prepared from fruits), alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails too.
If you want to have a taste of authentic Hungarian pálinka (spirit made from various fruits) then I recommend that you go for a Pálinka Tasting in BARbár Cafe & Chocolate. |
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Alibi Cafe
Address: Egyetem tér 4., district V., M3 (blue) metro Kálvin tér station
Open: Mon-Fri: 8.00-22.00, Sat-Sun: 10.00-22.00
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A small but lovely place in a nice revamped part of the inner city on University Square.
Coffee is made of Arabica coffee supplied by Semiramis roast coffee provider.
Besides the usual espresso (290 HUF) and other coffee drinks (cappuccino: 390 HUF, cafe macchiato: 300 HUF, cafe au lait: 450 HUF etc.) a wide variety of teas are also offered.
If you want something healthier have freshly squeezed fruit juice or milk-shake.
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Breakfast menu is available from 8.00 till 12.00:
- Morning sandwich with hot drink (690 HUF),
- Alibi breakfast (1190 HUF),
- Continental breakfast (1190 HUF),
- Croissant breakfast (1190 HUF).
Other meals for breakfast include scrambled eggs (690-790 HUF), ham and eggs (550-605 HUF), omlette (790-850 HUF), French croissant (200 HUF), jam or chocolate croissant (250 HUF), ham & cheese croissant (290 HUF), whole wheat flakes with fresh milk or yogurt (690 HUF). |
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For a light lunch or dinner you can choose from a range of snacks, salads, grilled dishes and desserts.
You can enjoy your coffee in the terrace in good weather: the area is partially pedestrianized (it is part of Budapest's New Main Street project) so it is quite peaceful for sitting around.
Alexandra Bookstore Cafe - Párizsi Department Store, Lotz Room
Address: Andrássy út 39., district VI., M3 (yellow) metro) Opera station
Open: Mon-Sun: 10.00-22.00
Situated on the upper floor of the reconstructed former Párizsi Department Store this elegant cafe is a must for tourists.
The spacious cafe's ceiling is a sight to admire: colourful paintings of Károly Lotz (one of the most talented Hungarian artists in the 19th century whose works can be seen in many other buildings of Budapest) drew the eye upwards.
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There's a cake counter but the cakes aren't in the printed menu so it is a bit complicated to order once you've sat down. Prices are friendly - an espresso is only 280 HUF, cakes cost around 200-400 HUF.
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Balzac Cafe
Address: 44/b Balzac utca, district XIII.
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This tiny cafe in distrtic XIII. is a reference shop for the "QAWA Art of Coffee" coffee roaster company. Coffee drinks are made from freshly roasted specialty coffees of the world (Brasil Santos, Bolivia, Columbia Etiop Sidamo, Hawaii Kona, Mexico, India, Etiopia).
You can also buy the coffees including one of the most delicious and expensive coffees of the world the Jamaican Blue Mountain.
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Besides espresso, cappuccino and lattes there's hot chocolate as well as freshly baked croissant and sandwiches.
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Walzer Cafe - Buda Castle
Address: Táncsics Mihály utca 12., Buda Castle, district I.
Open: Tue-Sun, 10.30-18.30, closed on Monday
This lovely cafe is just a few steps from the Matthias Church in Buda Castle.
Just like Alibi, Cafe Walzer too uses Semiramis freshly roasted coffees for its espresso and other coffee drinks. The cafe also offers quality teas, tasty snacks, pastries, cakes and chocolate specialties. |
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Prága Coffee & Tea House
Address: Baross utca 8., district VIII.
Open: Mon-Fri: 7.00-23.00, Sat: 9.00-23.00, Sunday: closed
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The Prága is a blend of classic coffee house and modern upbeat urban cafe.
They roast their own coffee blend on the spot. Its a meeting place of university students, artists and local people.
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Kind and attentive staff makes a coffee in Prága even more pleasant.
Besides coffee drinks, teas there are alcoholic drinks including Belgian beers, wines, champagne and cocktails.
Prices: teas: cc. 490-590 HUF, espresso: 290 HUF, cappuccino: 370 HUF, cafe latte: 440 HUF, croissant: 240 HUF, sandwiches: 440 HUF
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Semiramis Cafe Shops
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Semiramis is a supplier of freshly roasted coffee beans originating from all over the world.
They also have their own cafes where you can have coffee and buy roasted coffee in various roast types (Viennese, French, Italian roasts).
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They have a cafe shop in the city center at Hold utca 13. in district V., on the ground floor, and in district XI. at Csóka utca 9.
August Confectionery also supplies coffee from Semiramis.
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Zenit Cafe
Address: Dohány utca I/A., district VII.
Open: Mon-Sun: 9.00-23.00
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A great coffee house in the center of Budapest's former Jewish district.
A perfect place for breakfast or a late morning coffee/tea with sandwich. Coffee drinks are made from freshly roasted coffee beans.
A bit more expensive than the other Budapest cafes listed above but you can admire the beautiful Central Synagogue while sipping a hot drink.
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Prices: an espresso costs 360 HUF, a cappuccino is 590 HUF, a croissant is 360 HUF. There are also salads, sandwiches, hot-dog and cakes.
Azték Choxolat
Address: Semmelweis utca 19., and Károly krt. 22. district V.
Open: Mon-Fri: 7.00-19.00, Sat: 9.00-14.00
Although Azték Choxolat is renowned for its homemade bonbons, specialty chocolates and all sorts of hot chocolate drinks they make excellent coffee too.
They offer choices of coffee drinks made from Robusta, Arabica or decaffeinated coffee.
An espresso from Robusta costs 330 HUF while it is 380 HUF if prepared from Arabica coffee beans.
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Gerlóczy Cafe & Restaurant
Address: Gerlóczy utca 1., V. distric V.
Open: every day: 7.00- 23.00
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Gerlóczy Cafe is a French bistro type place tucked away behind lovely Kammermayer Square in downtown Budapest. It's a bit touristy and is often full on summer days but it is a pleasant place to sip a cup of coffee on the terrace.
Gerlóczy is also a restaurant - a quite good one - offering lunch menu of two courses from Monday to Thursday for 1400 HUF, but you can also eat a la carte.
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There's also breakfast menu (light: cappuccino with croissant for 750 HUF or hearty: Vienna sausage, salted butter, pepperoni flavoured ciabatta, scrambled eggs and French toast for 2200 HUF).
Két Szerecsen Coffee House & Bistro
Address: Nagymező utca 14., district VI.
Open: weekdays: 8.00-24.00, weekends: 9.00-24.00
They make decent espresso and other coffee drinks. Két Szerecsen is one of the best breakfast places in central Budapest (breakfast is served between 8.00-11.00 on weekdays and between 9.00-11.00 on weekends).
It is also a dining place offering Mediterranean-style dishes.
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Due to the location - in a restaurant and cafe hub of the city just off Andrássy Avenue - the place is very popular with locals and tourists alike. It is a ideal for breakfast or for a light lunch/dinner with a glass of wine.
Prices aren't cheap but not over the top either: espresso: 350 HUF, cappuccino: 370 HUF, freshly squeezed orange juice (1dl): 300 HUF, a glass of white wine (1dl): 400-600 HUF, breakfast dishes: cc. 500-800 HUF, salads, pastas, main courses: cc. 2000-3000 HUF.
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Cafe Factory
Address: Jókai utca 28., district VI.
Open: every day 11.00-23.00
Cafe Factory is a spacious and upbeat place situated in a side street of Andrássy Avenue.
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Coffee is made from specialty coffees like Vergnano, Manuel, Mauro, Dallmayr and Julius Meinl.
A variety of espressos, other coffee drinks, tea, alcoholic drinks are offered along with sandwiches, tortillas and salads.
Prices are friendly (espresso is 290-350, cappuccino is 350 HUF, sandwiches, salads are cc. 900-1300 HUF). |
Károlyi Cafe & Restaurant
Address: Károlyi u. 16. district V.
This elegant cafe and restaurant in downtown Budapest is great for lunch or just a cup of coffee with a slice of cake. The menu offers traditional Hungarian dishes with a hint of Mediterranean.
It has a lovely terrace garden. The extensive wine list includes excellent wines of Hungary's most talented wine makers. Prices are a bit high.
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Csiga Cafe
Address: Vásár utca 2., district VIII. , near Blaha Lujza tér (trams 4,6, M2 metro)
Open: every day: 11.00-01.00
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Cafe Csiga is a friendly low-key place in the center of Budapest with good food and coffee.
Prices are on the lower end:
espresso: 250 HUF, cappuccino: 300 HUF, a mug of beer 400-500 HUF, soups: 500 HUF, pasta dishes: 1500-2000 HUF, main courses: 1700-2500 HUF.
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Manuel Cafes
Address: Tűzoltó utca 78-80., district IX.
Manuel Cafe is a supplier of premium category Italian roast coffees, hot chocolates and teas.
They also have 2-3 cafe shops in Budapest where you can drink good espresso and have light snacks, sandwiches made of fresh ingredients or even lunch. |
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TIP: see more Budapest Cafes.
Budapest has of course many other good cafes. The city centre including Váci utca and Ráday utca are packed with terraced restaurants and coffee houses.
And there are the growing number of outlets belonging to international coffee house chains like the Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Coffee Heaven and the California Coffee Company. You have a wide choice to pick from where to sit in for a good cuppa in Budapest.
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Related Pages
Budapest Shopping Centers
Shopping in Budapest
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