It bills itself as the city's oldest patisserie. It has three branches, of which I've only been to the one in central Pest, all presumably served by a single bakery.
One of the three most important things about the Auguszt is its adherence to the classics of Hungarian pastry making; it turns out the closest things you will find to traditional Hungarian patisserie in the center of town.
While there are newer confections in the pastry case as well -- things assembled entirely out of mousses and air -- its heart is in the old cakes and new takes on the old instincts. An important place to have around...
The other two critical aspects of the place derive from the quirkiness of the Kossuth Lajos utca location -- buried in the back of a huge open courtyard, almost invisible from the street. As you walk towards the river from Astoria, or towards the business district from the Elizabeth Bridge, on the north side of the thoroughfare, near a moviehouse and amid decaying window displays, you might catch sight of a fraying poster in a window advertising Budapest's Oldest Bakery or words to that effect. Kind of beige and low key, despite its large size.
And then you have to watch out for the next doorway on your left leading to a large inner courtyard with little or no sign of a café inside. Go towards the left corner, squeeze yourself around the columns and into what looks like a tiny corner shop from the outside but is actually a good sized café once inside. A bit dark, or alternatively cozy, depending on your mood (and its), you're there.
So finding the place is the second salient feature. And the third?
The feeling you will have of having tumbled into a spot that few tourists get to-- that feeling of having found an insider's niche in the midst of a 3-cities-in-10-days tour is pretty special indeed, especially when you can do it without stepping more than about 50 feet from the main tourist route.
