Image by Eszter Szilva

Cukorka means candy in Hungarian and from December it also refers to one of the coolest places in Budapest where you can indulge in sugary delights and the stunning design and idea behind this tiny candy shop. It’s always inspiring to see places like this being born in Budapest.

The vivid red walls almost shocked me when I entered the candy shop but everything gets calmer in the other corner where candies are made on a sterile steel counter in front of bright white tiles. Behind there is a row of transparent bottles with flavor and color materials which made me feel like I came across some secret laboratory. And that’s pretty much the case because all the candies are made here by hand according to less-known, traditional recipes from abroad and from Hungary as well.

You can choose from at least ten-fifteen different tastes of candies and lollipops ranging from cinnamon to piña colada, all made on the spot by the friendly staff. If you have difficulties picking your favorite (which I had, of course), tasting  them at the counter might help you out. Cukorka also organizes “candy shows”, when you can get an idea how these sweet little treats are made.

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Cukorka | Shopping, Snacks | Pack of candies HUF 900
Múzeum körút 7 | Central Pest
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 15:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

El Rapido has introduced a pretty unusual combination to the bar scene of the seventh district. It’s a taco buffet and a deli upstairs, plus a flea market bar in the cellar where everything you see is on sale.

Located in the busy Kazinczy street, El Rapido offers cheap and fast tacos and other Mexican-like fast food. The target group is clear: mainly those who arrive late in the evening from the neighborhood’s clubs and bars. As El Rapido is a deli as well, the shelves are packed with international food such as curry sauces, exotic spices and Mexican beers. 

While the small buffet is mostly crowded with people waiting for their snacks, downstairs you’ll enter a much more tranquil place. The smoky cellar bar is full of old tables, chairs and seemingly useless but funny retro gadgets, books and other bric-a-bracs. It feels a bit like sitting in a storage. That sort of a storage where you can choose from forty different types of Mexican tequilas… The slogan is the following: you can buy anything here. So if you feel that your chair is perfectly comfy, you just have to bargain a nice price and be happy with your Budapest souvenir.

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El Rapido | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Taco al pastor HUF 600
Budapest, 1075, Kazinczy utca 10. | Central Pest | +36302792861
Mon – Tue 11:30 – 02:00, Wed – Fri 11:30 – 03:00, Sat 12:00 – 04:00, Sun 17:00 – 02:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Szilva Eszter

Just a corner from busy Múzeum street, the noise of the traffic is suddenly replaced by a happy mix of children’s laughter and clatter. It comes from Károlyi kert, one of the hidden parks of downtown Budapest quite similar to the city garden of Honvéd tér.

This wonderfully kept park has two large groups of regular guests who live side by side without any quarrels. Kids coming from the nearby schools or with their parents enjoy the playgrounds while university students take the benches. Located in the vicinity of the art and law faculties of ELTE university, students often arrive here to breathe some fresh air between the lectures. When I studied at ELTE, I often bought take-out lunch the nearby organic shop and buffet and ate it sitting here.

The park used to be a garden of the neighboring Károlyi palace, now housing The Museum of Literature Petőfi, until it was turned into a public park in the thirties. I was happy to discover that recently, a nice café and vine bar opened at one of the park’s corner, which installed a little terrace in directly at the entrance of the park. It’s nice to continue hanging out there after Károlyi kert closes. Every day strictly at sunset.

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Károlyi kert | Relaxing | Free
Károlyi Mihály utca 16. | Central Pest
Daily from 08.00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Szilva Eszter

Látomás started out as a second-hand clothes shop thirteen years ago but now they already have three venues in Budapest, selling unique garments by small fashion labels. The three stores are a bit different in their style but one thing is common: each of them offers carefully selected clothes for those who had enough of mass produced items.

Látomás, meaning vision or fantasy in Hungarian, is something between a designer store and a multinational chain where you’ll find unique clothes at a rather reasonable price.

My favorite Látomás boutique is in Király utca where I always come across something attractive in the huge display windows which makes me enter. Inside there’s a small and tidy shop full of simple classics, elegant and minimalistic shirts, graphic T-shirts, casual jackets, leggings, trousers, dresses, and basically everything you need to look stylish. This winter I’d opt for the smooth knitwear lining the walls.

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Látomás | Shopping | Shirts HUF 4000
1077 Bp. Király utca 39. | Central Pest | +3612672158
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 19:30, Sat 11:00 – 16:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Indian restaurants are not abound in Budapest. However, there are some nice venues for those craving a spicy tikka or dahl. You just have to find them. My favorite one, Punjab, is not really easy to come across. I discovered this small restaurant behind Vígszínház theatre only a couple of years ago but since then I’m a regular guest there. Especially since I moved to the neighborhood and I always pass the spot which smells of Indian spices from far away.

Punjab is not a posh and trendy restaurant at all. The plastic entrance which separates the kitchen downstairs and the tables upstairs is probably the worst restaurant design which I have ever seen. But that doesn’t matter because the food is amazing. As experts in Indian gastronomy always emphasize, there’s no such a thing as “Indian cuisine”, because each region has its own tastes. Punjab offers food mostly from the northwestern region of India such as different meats baked in the traditional Tandoor oven. Besides, the dishes range from veggie sammosas, paneers, dahls and biryanis to different chicken, lamb, beef or fish plates. Tikka, masala, curry or korma, you’ll find all of them here. Always fresh and tasty.

Just one more thing: the waiter always ask you how you like your food: hot, medium or mild. I always go for the medium, but that’s already hot enough for me.

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Punjab | Restaurants (Indian) | Chicken curry HUF 1590
1133 Budapest Pannónia utca 3. | Central Pest | +3612702974
Mon – Sun 12:00 – 23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Because of the density of theatres, Nagymező street is called the “Broadway of Budapest” and nowadays it has also become one of the main party streets, but thanks to photographer Mai Manó who built his home and studio-house here at the end of the 18th century, it’s also a major venue for lovers of photography. With its rich and colorful decorations, this building always makes me stop for a moment when I walk around this area.

Mai Manó’s house functions from 1995 as a space dedicated to Hungarian photography. Besides the various exhibitions, Mai Manó, as it is regularly called, is unique because the impressive building itself which, with its wooden stairs and tiny corridors, is more like a palace than an ordinary museum. I am always surprised to see that the tight staircase eventually leads to the wonderfully spacious Daylight studio, the main attraction of the house. This room was used as a photography studio lit by the natural sunlight shining through the huge wooden panes of the windows. Besides enjoying sunlight and imagining how Mai Manó worked here, the studio is another perfect place for trolley gazing!

Mai Manó houses several rooms for separate exhibitions, a photography library and a joint gallery and bookstore as well where you’ll find a number of art albums, books and photo replicas. 

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Hungarian House of Photography | Art & culture, Shopping | Entrance adults HUF 1000
Nagymező utca 20. | Central Pest | +3614732666
Mon – Fri 14:00 – 19:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Szilva Eszter

Facades of classic cinemas with their black letters and neon commercials always impress me. The entrance of Szikra Cool Tour House opposite Nyugati station is one of these spots. The name of this complex institution is a Hunglish word pun: kultúrház (yes, to be pronounced Cool Tour House) means cultural center especially since the early socialist era where different events were organized from official celebrations to concerts of local choirs. Szikra’s programs are just as diverse.

Built in the 1920s, Szikra functioned as a cinema until the end of the 1990s. Its main sensation is the roof of its theatre room which can be opened and closed thanks to a clever machinery. When I was there last time at a Pecha Kucha night, the audience gathering to listen to designers and architects was just as amazed by discovering the starry night above their heads as cinema goers of the 1920s could have been. There’s something magical about sitting in a traditional theatre and watching the sky framed by golden stuccos.

Szikra admittedly goes against Budapest’s famous ruin bar trend by evoking a cabaret milieu. The ornate and shiny decors and the posh bar go perfectly with the atmosphere of the theatre. The program ranges from mainstream to alternative, from jazz concerts to independent theatre performances or DJ sets. The building houses a bar and bistro which you can reach from the street from as early as 8 o’clock in the morning. The snacks and drinks keep you sated until the show begins.

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Szikra | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Music, Snacks, Theaters | Espresso HUF 250
Budapest, 1066, Teréz krt. 62. | Central Pest | +3619110911
Sun – Tue 10:00 – 02:00, Wed – Thu 10:00 – 04:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 06:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

It’s originally from Krakow, speaks English, offers interesting books and serves delicious coffee and tasty cookies in the heart of the Jewish district. Any guesses? Ok, I’ll help. Massolit, a café and English language bookstore from Poland, has recently opened its doors in Budapest as well, for the pleasure of expats, exchange and local university students, and basically everyone who speaks English.

For me, someone who graduated in English Literature, Media and Gender Studies, this place is a heaven of books as Massolit is specialised precisely in these areas (plus politics, history, Jewish Studies and other social studies) and offers great academic titles at reduced prices. Besides non-fiction, they have a selection of fiction as well. Reading requires coffee, of course, and here I get it from direct trade and in various seasonal blends.

The café and store is situated on a ground floor of an old building. The turquoise wooden windows, the black and white granite tiles, the palm tree and the big bookshelves embracing all these create an antique but still cozy interior. Behind you’ll find a terrace located in one of the nicest backyards of Budapest, especially friendly during the summer days when the garden is lush and green.

Similarly to the Krakow store, the Budapest branch also organizes concerts, readings and other social gatherings. In the back room you might bump into English courses as well.

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Massolit | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Espresso HUF 300
Nagy Diófa utca 30. | Central Pest | +3617885292
Mon – Sat: 11:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Design shop, gallery, café and silkscreen studio – you’ll find it all in place opposite the old synagogue in Jewish district’s Rumbach Sebestyén street.

Printa is a concept-store, that is, everything they offer is centered around a concept, here, eco-friendly design. Thus, the coffee they serve comes from direct trade and the items you can buy are designed by Hungarian designers who work with recycled or eco-friendly materials.

Besides the exquisite coffee beans, the trained baristas also guarantee that you get wonderful coffee here. As one of them said, we put sugar in our coffee only because the coffee is not of the best quality. However, if you have a sweet tooth, don’t be afraid, you’ll find sugar here.

Printa offers goodies from jewellery inspired by the beautiful matyó folk art embroidery to funny bags sewn from vintage leather jackets or silkscreen T-shirts with the names of iconic Budapest streets. If you want to make your own silkscreen print, register to the workshops!

The minimalistic but friendly interior contains two big tables and some seats at the counter, however, in a sunny weather you can take your seat outside in the huge windows. You might bump into exhibition openings and other social gatherings as well.

Printa is a great place to start a stroll in the Jewish district. What’s more, they have made their own, nicely designed map to downtown Pest. Delicious coffee and some cookies in your stomach, Printa’s map in your hands – you cannot get lost, only if you want to!

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Printa | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Espresso HUF 300
Rumbach Sebestyén utca 10. | Central Pest | +36302920329
Mon – Fri 11:00- 19:00, Sat 12:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Each city has its own iconic bookstore that means lot more than a simple retail place. This spot in Budapest is Írók Boltja (Writers’ Bookshop), located on the busy corner of Andrássy street and Liszt Ferenc square. Írók boltja is the place to go when you are interested in Hungarian literature as it offers a nice selection of books in English, German and French translation.

The store is special because it has a history of more than hundred years, always connected to writers and poets. Originally a café, it functioned from the 1890s as a legendary gathering place for writers and intellectuals until it was transformed into a bookshop in the 1950s. The members of the Hungarian Association of Writers could buy books on discount here and they organized public readings. Írók boltja offers literary and cultural events as well where writers and readers can meet in person.

I might not be a natural born businesswoman, but for me, a good shop is where I don’t feel compelled to buy anything. Here, I’m free to grab a book with a cup of tea or coffee and sit down in the corner. At the same time, I can peacefully enjoy the bustle of the outside world through the huge windows. Sometimes it feels like sitting in an aquarium full of books, magazines and literature fans instead of fishes and shells.

Finally, a secret: some parts of the café’s original decoration were discovered and preserved. If you cannot find them, just ask the super friendly staff!

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Írók boltja | Art & culture, Shopping
Andrássy út 45. | Central Pest | +3613221645
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 11:00 -19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest