The best cafés in Budapest, from imperial coffeehouses to local hotspots

What is it? The most elegant of coffeehouses from the city’s fin-de-siècle heyday, the New York Café bills itself as ‘The Most Beautiful Café in the World’ – hence the crystal chandeliers, 24-carat-gold latte macchiato and slow-moving queue to get in every morning.

Why we love it: For its gilded history – Mihály Kertész, later Michael Curtiz of Casablanca fame, was a regular, while playwright Ferenc Molnár threatened to throw the key into the Danube so that the place would never close. 

Time Out tip: The New York’s relatively affordable all-day breakfasts allow you to linger longer over eggs Benedict.

Address: Erzsébet körút 9-11, 1073 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 7am-midnight, Mar-Oct Thur-Sun until 2.30am

Expect to pay: 24-carat-gold NY cappuccino Ft5,200 (€13). All-day breakfasts from Ft 6,700 (€16.50)

What is it? Anchoring the main square of Vörösmarty tér, the venerable Gerbeaud is synonymous with the apricot-walnut-and-chocolate slice, invented here by the Swiss master confectioner of the same name.

Why we love it: What was the point of the Habsburgs if not to spoil us with their creamy treats a century or more later? Their empire may have crumbled but their cakes still hold firm, to be devoured with delicate little forks on exquisite china in gilded institutions such as these.

Time Out tip: Every day between 2pm and 6pm, Gerbeaud offers an afternoon tea featuring Hungary’s most revered cakes, Dobos, Gerbeaud and the buttercream-rich Esterházy slice.

Address: Vörösmarty tér 7-8, 1051 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur, Sun 9am-8pm, Fri-Sat 9am-9pm

Expect to pay: Hungarian chicken paprikash Ft 7,990 (€20). Gerbeaud slice Ft 4,250 (€10.65)

What is it? Unveiled, as the date on its awning suggests, in 1887, the centrally located Centrál was revived in 2000, both as a convivial café and as a host of cultural gatherings.

Why we love it: Serving classic Hungarian confectionery, revered mains and notable wines, this literary legend also nods to its hallowed past by holding free writing sessions for local high-school students on Tuesday afternoons – the same day of the week that the illustrious contributors to seminal Hungarian journal Nyugat would convene here a century ago. 

Time Out tip: Brunch here is varied and substantial – try the mangalica sausage, made with prime Hungarian pork.

Address: Károlyi utca 9, 1053 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Tue, Sun 9am-10pm, Wed-Sat 9am-midnight

Expect to pay: Brunch Ft 3,890 (€9.70). Hungarian cake selection Ft 4,190 (€10.50)

What is it? Diagonally across from the Opera House, the Művész cannot claim an uninterrupted lineage to the gilded era of Habsburg confectionery, but its Biedermeier furnishings and revolving display of enticing desserts would not have looked out of place in Liszt’s day. 

Why we love it: Cosy in winter, its terrace a prime spot on the leafy showcase boulevard of Andrássy út in summer, the Művész encourages friends, writers, lovers and business associates to idle and interact in timeless surroundings.

Time Out tip: While some of the vast cake selection here can be found elsewhere in Budapest, much is unique – peruse the list to discover curiosities such as the Opera coffee slice or gold-and-green cake from Örség.

Address: Andrássy út 29, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 9am-8pm

Expect to pay: Wiener melange with honey Ft 1,890 (€4.75). Andrássy slice Ft 1,890 (€4.75)

What is it? For all its Parisian feel and fine desserts, the Gerlóczy offers tranquillity in the heart of the city, its terrace hidden amid greenery and behind a statue of Budapest’s first mayor. 

Why we love it: Birdsong and, in autumn, the gentle fall of golden leaves accompany your satisfying time reading, writing or just musing here, perhaps over a pistachio mille-feuille with raspberry, and melange with honey.

Time Out tip: As well as cakes, the Gerlóczy specialises in top-quality sourdough bread which comes with your Viennese sausage breakfast or can be taken home as a loaf to share.

Address: Gerlóczy utca 1, 1052 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 7.30am-11pm

Expect to pay: Fruit tea Ft 1,450 (€3.65). Gerlóczy After Eight dessert Ft 2,500 (€6.25)

What is it? Epicentre of the urban phenomenon that is Bartók Béla út – the café- and gallery-lined avenue that shifted attention from Pest to Buda –  Kelet (‘East’) still operates as a cultural hub and key hangout five years later.

Why we love it: Unpretentious and informal, Kelet keeps its prices reasonable without skimping on quality or that personal touch where service is concerned.

Time Out tip: Across the street, Gdansk attracts an arty and invariably thirsty crowd with its Polish specialities, own-brand beer and retro-boho ambience.

Address: Bartók Béla út 29, 1114 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-11pm, Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 9am-10pm

Expect to pay: Indonesian peanut-sauce sandwich Ft 1,800 (€4.50). Kola-nut cordial Ft 1,300 (€3.25)

What is it? One of the last of Budapest’s great literary cafés to be revived, reopening in 2010, the Hadik predates the recent renaissance of the avenue it overlooks, Bartók Béla út. This has allowed it to become a cultural cornerstone anchoring a strip of galleries, and provide a more traditional contrast to the contemporary hangouts nearby.

Why we love it: Relaxed, informal yet proud of its heavyweight literary history, Hadik caters to its regular clientele of older Buda bookworms without alienating the younger creatives also in its orbit. And it serves a fine cappuccino freddo.

Time Out tip: Almost anticipating the changes happening along Bartók Béla út, Hadik shares the building with partner bar Szatyor, arty, bohemian and named after the carrier bags dished out at supermarket tills.

Address: Bartók Béla út 36, 1111 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Wed, Sun noon-11pm, Thur-Sat noon-midnight

Expect to pay: Karinthy slice Ft 1,890 (€4.75). Iced coffee with vanilla ice cream Ft 1,690 (€4.25)

What is it? More than just a coffeehouse. Integral to a hotel opened in 1914, Astoria was where the leaders of the first Hungarian republic convened four years later. Later a Gestapo headquarters, Astoria lends its name to this central junction and metro station – those sipping coffee in its stately café are literally surrounded by history.

Why we love it: A-Listers may generate Insta clicks when staying at five-star hotels elsewhere in town but guests tucking into their royal chocolate mousse here know that they might be sitting where momentous decisions were taken that changed the course of Hungarian history. 

Time Out tip: For the full Astoria experience, visit on a Friday or Saturday evening when pianist József Badi rolls back the years.

Address: Kossuth Lajos utca 19-21, 1052 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 7am-11pm

Expect to pay: Astoria Schnitzel Ft 6,700 (€16.75). Astoria home-made fruit pie Ft 1,790 (€4.50)

What is it? At the vanguard of the new wave of contemporary cafés in Budapest, Canadian-run Cube prides itself on top-notch, seasonal ingredients mainly sourced from small-batch producers.

Why we love it: A mixed Hungarian and global crowd gathers amid the regularly changing original art here, not just for the micro-roasted light brews from Casino Mocca and celebrated vegan banana bread, but to hang out and chat with like-minded coffee sippers.

Time Out tip: The square alongside Cube’s pavement tables doubles up as public park with a sports court and skating rink in winter – hence the many young families. It’s also gateway to an excellent local market hall with one of Budapest’s best cheese outlets. 

Address: Hunyadi tér 8, 1067 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-4pm

Expect to pay: Espresso macchiato Ft 930 (€2.35). Vegan banana bread Ft 1,090 (€2.75)

What is it? Click on its dot by Elizabeth Bridge on Google Maps and Három Holló (‘Three Ravens’) is described as a ‘cultural center’. It is, in fact, a pleasant café at a prime location with an active literary agenda, as befits its links to the legacy of Hungary’s greatest poet, Endre Ady.

Why we love it: Since opening in 2017 on the 140th anniversary of the birth of revered writer Ady, Három Holló – named after his former drinking haunt by the Opera House. – has never wavered in its mission to provide a convivial space for culture. Nor has it alienated passing tourists, its terrace granting them a fine view of stark white Elizabeth Bridge as she starts her graceful journey over the Danube.

Time Out tip: Though there is no Events section on its English page, check out programok on its Hungarian-language site – in the summer of 2025, you’d find the Latino band Sudamerican Rockers, Greek rebetiko and Polish combo Groovosophers featuring famed New York jazz trumpeter Satish Robertson.

Address: Piarista köz 1/corner Szabadsajtó út, 1052 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily noon-midnight

Expect to pay: Weekday lunch (two courses, two choices of mains Ft 2,950 (€7.40). Pint of locally brewed craft beer Hübris on draught Ft 1,050 (€2.65)

What is it? An English-run new-wave café operating at two prime locations, downtown District V and District VII in Budapest’s bar hub.

Why we love it: The Goat Herder relies on Scando-led, ethical coffee roaster Awaken in Hungary for its superb brews. While you may find cheaper breakfasts, you may not have a better cappuccino in Budapest than the one served here. 

Time Out tip: The two eggs with sourdough toast option (Ft 2,250/€5.65) should set you up for the day without breaking the bank.

Address: Bánk utca 6, 1054 Budapest & István utca 5, 1078 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm. (István utca branch from 7.30am Mon-Fri.)

Expect to pay: Granola pot Ft 1,250 (€3.15). Flat white Ft 1,250 (€3.15)

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