Central Pest – Local tips (coffee & tea)

Arioso is a coffee-, furniture- and flowershop very close to Deák Ferenc Square. It’s a small, friendly place where you can sit down in the middle of the day for a tea and a hot sandwich, or maybe a salad, and have some peace away from the rush of the street. Besides the street front area, Arioso also has an even mellower garden in the back, open whenever the weather is nice.

They also have furniture and other home decoration elements like candelabras for sale, and if you walk a few meters down the street, you’ll find the Arioso flower shop (which is where the photo was taken) with a wide selection of really elegant potted and vase plants, bouquets and the like.

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Arioso | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Tea HUF 350
VII. Király utca 9 | Central Pest | +3612663555
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:00

You’re walking on Kazinczy street (where Szimpla (check the Szimpla article) and Kőleves (check the Kőleves article) can be found too) and the colour strikes you: lighting pink and blushing green. Hard to resist the temptation so you enter the bar which you thought was a candy shop judging by the colour.

A welcoming and warm interior, comfortable couches await you and two rabbits appear frequently in different situations as part of the design. Many of you from the region surely remember Bob and Bobek from the Czech cartoon series. They started their day every time with some gymnastics after jumping out of the hat. Czech cartoons were frequent guests on Hungarian television in my childhood.

In such a cheerful place there’s only one thing you can do – smile. And then come food and drinks, daily menu or a la carte.

Bobek has a garden in the backyard, prepared for the cold days with roof, walls and heating. Don’t panic if there’s no place in the pink-green oasis at the front, just boldly walk by the bar and grab your chance outdoors. Still no place to sit? Come on, then grab a drink, think of the rabbits and keep smiling.

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Bobek | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants | Ciabatta HUF from 730
Kazinczy utca 53 | Central Pest | +3613220729
Mon – Thu 10:00 – 00:00, Fri 10:00 – 02:00, Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 11:00 – 23:00

People come and go, some meet friends, others check the news, some wait for the theatre show in the nearby Vígszínház to start. That’s Café Európa (Európa Kávéház), a good place to stop and recharge yourself after strolling the neighbouring Falk Miksa street (see this article) in the antiques treasure hunt.

It’s a bustling place where you’ll see young and old alike, people picking up the coffee just before work, actors or local politicians during their breaks (Parliament is not far away) or kids being glued to the counter with cake display.

Café Európa is a spacious coffeehouse on two floors with the atmosphere of a traditional Budapest café. They offer a good selection of various Hungarian desserts (try their Európa chestnut cake), you can try some cheese or potato “pogácsa” (something like scones) and if you are there for a light breakfast or lunch they have sandwiches, salads and omelettes.

They have a pastry shop next to the café where you can buy all their goodies to take away and it will cost you about 30% less. No credit cards, though. For more check a short movie (in Hungarian) and see how they make their “sajt torta” (cheese cake).

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Café Európa | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cake HUF 390.00
Szent István körút 7-9. | Central Pest | +3613122362
Nov – Apr 09:00 – 22:00 daily, May – Oct 09:00 – 23:00 daily

Centrál is a very elegant, very old style coffee house and restaurant, kind of on the expensive side, but worth a look if you want to know what Pest was like a hundred years ago.

Thanks to Hungary’s proximity and, let’s say, historical contact with Turkey, coffee culture has always been pretty big around here, but probably never so much so as in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Coffee houses were meeting points of the intellectual elite, and the regular haunts of artists and journalists, some of who actually lived in coffee houses. Centrál Kávéház already existed back then, and even though it fulfilled other functions during the communist era, the new management is reaching back to the golden age for inspiration, and as far as looks go, they’re doing a good job.

The place looks exactly as it must have looked back then, and the selection of freely readable newspapers by the entrance is also a fitting and kind touch – even though it seems to me as if the selection of papers had narrowed in the last few years.

The place is divided into a restaurant area, and a coffee house which is more appropriate for sitting down for a bit of a rest while sipping some tea or coffee. As for the food, it’s always been good when I tried it, but a bit pricey. However, if you want to sit down somewhere in the middle of the day to chat and look at passersby, Centrál has the perfect ambience for that – and a few teas or coffees won’t break the bank.

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Centrál Kávéház | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (European) | Main from HUF 1300
V. Károlyi Mihály utca 9 | Central Pest | +3612662110
07:00 – 00:00 daily

If you take a look at the homepage of the OSA Archives, you will find the descriptions of various collections and ongoing exhibitions. From the organizing of the Verzio Human Rights Film Festival to the film club of the Budapest Gay Pride the OSA is engaged with various civil activities.

The house belonged to the Goldberger family and finally got to its present shape in 1909. The family owned a textile-factory in Óbuda. They wanted to have a representative central office downtown. After different turning points in history (German invasion, the Holocaust after that the socialist nationalization of the whole company) when the building was even empty for years the Archive chose it to be its center building.

Luckily it has a cafeteria as well, but it became a spot of the foreign professors and tourists much more than locals. In case you are still interested give them a try. The sandwiches are definitely not the main attractions of the house, rather check out the temporary exhibitions.

If you stay for a longer term in Hungary, apply for a researcher card which is absolutely free and a helpful English speaking staff can guide you through the visual and written materials of Hungarian history.

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Goldberger OSA Archives | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Festivals & events | Free
Arany János utca 32. | Central Pest | +3613273250
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 17:45

The truth is I like chocolate and even more I like marzipan. If you fit the category or you are simply looking for a nice place to rest and have a cup of coffee or to shop for traditional Hungarian desserts the chance is you will like the Szamos Marcipán confectionery.

You can find several Szamos confectioneries and stores in the city but my favourite is the Royal Café on the Great Boulevard (Nagy körút), the one next to the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal (a beautiful hotel by itself whose spa is very well worth enjoying as well).

Royal Café Szamos is a traditional Hungarian pastry and coffeehouse with cakes, confectioneries, coffee and hot chocolate, breakfast and snacks. The atmosphere tries to bring some of the old monarchy feeling (Sacher hot chocolate and coffee might contribute to that) and their website will tell you more about their story. You can also buy their marzipan sweets and chocolate gifts either in the cafe or in another store just a few steps further away, on the other side of the hotel entrance.

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Royal Café Szamos | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Cake HUF 350.00
Erzsébet krt. 43-49 | Central Pest | +3614137968
10:00 – 20:00 daily

Once upon a time there was a building of public ownership. Some people thought a public space should be filled with public and arts and alcohol – thus Sirály was born. Located in the Jewish district the place has roots in the Jewish culture mostly represented by the cultural programmes.

Every year Sirály goes on a summer holiday and reopens in September with new colours and prices. Bulk beer got cheaper this September:)

Sirály has much more than you see at first sight. When you step inside, you find yourself in a cafe that turns into a pub every night. Newspapers, sandwiches, cakes and pastries strengthen the cafe side, the rows of alcohol on the wall tell you what to expect for the nights.

The stairs to the first floor lead to another space full of chairs and tables often used for discussions and presentations. Non-smokers should grab a chair here. Downstairs, in the typical fusty basement of a down town building art and culture have found their home. Click for photos.

Theatre, performances and concerts fill the old basement with new energy.

If you visit Sirály as frequently as I do you’ll notice the same face every time – pretty stable clientele. Use the space as your own, you might find yourself among them.

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Sirály | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Theaters | Soproni beer HUF 380
Király u. 50 | Central Pest
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 00:00

The beauty of this building amazes me every time I step in. There is the smell of wisdom in the air – heaps and heaps of books. A lifetime would be too short to read all of the 3.541.972 documents. Having accepted this fact I have already given up my plan to go from “A” to “Z” and I can choose randomly with an easy heart. Thank God I don’t have to read all Danielle Steel books!

The building is known as Wenckheim-palace, the capital has acquired it in 1927 to host the library. The renovation between 1998 and 2001 opened all the buildings of the palace to visitors. Szabó Ervin was one of the first directors of the library from 1911 who created a real public library open to all members of society. Apart from the Central Library there are 23 local libraries, one in each district.

Most of the visitors are students which brings back good old memories about studying and making up plans to pick up girls here as I always found that the library is somehow loaded with the prettiest ladies.

There are 15 reading rooms in the building where you can read but not borrow the books. Pay a special attention to the “bölcseleti” or arts reading room with all the old wooden furniture, the chandeliers, huge mirrors and golden carvings that add to the palace-feeling.

With a registration card or a daily ticket you can visit the library for free, you only have to pay if you want to borrow books.

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Szabó Ervin Central Library | Art & culture, Coffee & tea | Free
Szabó Ervin square 1 | Central Pest | +3614115000
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 20:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:00

Toldi was a central place for underground culture and contemporary art before. The place changed a lot because of a reconstruction and many of the guest who visited this cinema daily were seriously afraid that its essence will disappear.

In my opinion it did not. Ok the new style is a bit more designed for a common taste, but now the bathrooms are clean and the fact that they are cleaning the place daily gives a lot to anyone visiting.

The cafeteria is also quite nice, but quite expensive I have to say. They provide free Wifi and you can stay for as long as you want.

What is the most important is that they give place for some really good film festivals: Verzio Human Rights Film Festival also has some screenings here and art films are usually arriving from every corner of the world.

For a spring morning chat the outside benches are just perfect.

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Toldi | Cinemas, Coffee & tea | Per screening from HUF 780
Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 36-38 | Central Pest | +3614720397
10:00 – 20:00 daily (also depends on the screenings)

Treehugger Dan’s Bookstore & Café is owned – very appropriately – by “Treehugger” Dan Swartz, an avid local environmental activist. As such, the selection of second-hand books includes quite a few titles on enviromentalism, politics, sociology and the like. Dan also uses the venue for various public lectures and events, such as “Free Independent Financial Advice” and “Greenpeace Friday”.

The place’s name includes “& Café” for a reason. It offers a selection of tasty Fair Trade teas and coffees, which you can drink in the back of the store at two tiny tables – don’t plan on bringing more than 3 friends!

Treehugger Dan also has two other venues in Budapest: a larger one in Lázár Street (just behind the Opera house), which also acts as a tourist information centre as well as a regular venue for Budapest’s premier English-language poetry reading series, The Bardroom; and a third place at Süto Street 2.

Besides selling used books, Dan also buys them, but only at the Csengery Street location.

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Treehugger Dan’s | Coffee & tea, Shopping | Books HUF 900
VI. Csengery utca 48 | Central Pest | +3613220774
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00