Handmade quality chocolate, all forms and tastes that a real connoisseur can dream of. Pralines and table chocolates are just the top of the iceberg. Personally I am a big fan of (dark) chocolates, I don’t even want to hide my enthusiasm.

The shop is really small where the design and the lights create a calm atmosphere that accentuates the bitter-clean smell of chocolate and cocoa beans. I’m still in the phase of tasting various pralines, if course I can recommend all of the flavors but I wouldn’t miss the lemon-oil caramel bonbon and the chanterelle praline at no cost. The sweets are wrapped in stylish wrappers or put in design-boxes.

Chocolate can also be used as raw material to create artworks: chocolate sculptures, boxes or “rusty tools” show the skills of the craftsmen and -women. Eating these beautiful pieces of art would be blasphemy! Well, hard times sometimes bring the heretic out of the chocolate believer.

The street where the shop is located has been undergoing a major transformation for some time and it has turned into a nice pedestrian street, just like the surrounding area. You’ve got to watch out not to walk past the shop, look for the chocolate brown shop front.

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Rózsavölgyi Chocolate | Shopping, Snacks | 10 Bonbons HUF 2760
Királyi Pál utca 6 | Central Pest | +36308148929
Mon – Fri 10:30 – 13:00 & 13:30 – 18:30, Sat 12:00 – 18:00

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
Király utca 9 | Central Pest | +3612663555
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:00

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 environmentalism, 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
Csengery utca 48 | Central Pest | +3613220774
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00

Neither a beer store, nor a pub, Csak a jó sör (meaning “only good beer” in Hungarian) is something in-between where you can taste, drink and buy different beers from all over the world.

Although beer consumption is relatively high, Hungary is not really famous for its beer but rather its wine culture. However, small breweries are on the rise now and Budapest also has a tiny beer festival entitled to special handmade beer. At Csak a jó sör, you can taste several fine examples of this new line of brewery culture, for example beer with plum from a small brewery in Békésszentandrás, or a special kind of beer made with millet.

Besides, you can buy almost a hundred type of beer from the most famous brewing countries from Belgium to the Czech Republic or UK, and also from far-away places such as Australia or USA. The offer on the tap varies regularly.

When you enter the small and cozy shop, you will only see a couple of wooden tables with some chairs and a counter. The owner of the place stands behind the counter pouring beer tap all day long and answers even the dumbest or trickiest questions related to beer culture. For example, he just explained to me the connection between long ship journeys and a type of beer called India Pale ale.

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Csak a jó sör | Bars, Shopping | Pint of beer HUF 600
Kertész u. 42-44 | Central Pest | +36302514737
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 21:00

If you start paying attention to what the 18-something-and-over Hungarians have on their feet, you’ll notice that they wear some fashion leather sport shoes with a logo shaped as a ‘T’. These shoes are actually called Tisza cipő and you can find them only in Hungary!

Tisza is one of the most successful Hungarian accessory brands, there are also Tisza bags, T-shirts and a couple of other things. I myself wear Tisza shoes almost every day! They are elegant enough for all kinds of occasions, very comfortable and long-lasting.

Well of course, they cost a bit (roughly 90 € a pair), but take it as investment;) and as a way of meeting cool Hungarians in here and abroad! I made a couple of unexpected friends through my good old Tiszas, getting off the train in my hometown, 30km away from Paris for instance (who would have thought it?).

The reason why the brand is so popular has to do with its history. The original Tisza trademark dates back to 1971. At that time, they were the only shoes available on the Hungarian communist ‘market’. After the fall of communism, Hungary stopped producing them.

László Vidák (who is also behind Menza restaurant in Budapest), surfing on the ‘retro’ wave a few years ago, decided to reintroduce his childhood footwear. He turned the Tisza shoes into fashionable items and opened his first shop in 2003 where you can still get your own Tiszas (you can also buy them at WestEnd shopping mall, which remains open later).

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Tisza Cipő | Shopping | From HUF 250000
Károly körút 1 | Central Pest
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 09:00 – 13:00

Lehel is one of Budapest busiest and most popular markets. Far from the glitter of the central-market, by Liberty bridge, where everyone will tell you to go (I admit it’s worth it, I even shop there!), Lehel is informal and 100% authentic.

Everything here is guaranteed Hungarian. No surprise actually since the market is located in the 13th district, a lively Magyar neighborhood of Budapest. Lehel is however easily reachable from the city-centre by metro 3 or on foot from Nyugati railway station.

The market hall architecture is pretty hard to define, let’s say it’s a crossing between a boat and a Greek temple in kitsch yellowish colors, with some plants for the green touch!

At Lehel, you’ll find all sorts of kolbász (spicy sausages), salamis, meat, libamaj (Hungarian goose liver) but also honey, dairies, some wines, and lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Further on, as you enter, in the middle of the market hall, you’ll find nénis (aunties) selling their own goods: you can bet all that is quite organic!

Once you’re done shopping, go to the upper level, that’s where the büfés (cafetarias) and bars are located. There is also a post office (for those who might have some postcards to drop on the way!). You can have a Hungarian lunch at Lehel ize büfé by the entrance.

For the late-comers, go there at least an hour before the official closing time, the guards are pretty unfriendly! Ah and it’s open on Sunday, which no other market-hall does in town.

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Lehel tér market-hall | Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants
Váci út 9-15 | Central Pest
Mon – Fri 06:00 – 18:00, Sat 06:00 – 14:00, Sun 06:00 – 13:00

Nobody really thinks of Budapest when it comes to fashion and design. But if you start looking around with the help of some magazines such as www.budapestnavigator.hu, Time Out, surf on the net: www.list-mag.com, www.designdistrict.hu, or if you go to Orange optika, Tisza shoes shop, Rododendron, you’ll realize how creative Hungarians can be. Of course, it’s not obvious neither massive, shops are scattered here and there in the city, nonetheless local designers can make really cool stuff!

So what is WAMP all about? It’s a design market taking place every month on Erzsébet tér (outside Gödör in from May till beginning of September and at Milenáris - B csarnok in autumn / winter). It was started a few years ago and became increasingly popular among foreigners and locals alike.

You can spend hours strolling there, shopping what you can afford (the prices are now even tagged in Euros, so if your budget is very limited it might be a good idea to take the designers’ fliers and go directly to their workshop!). You’ll find lots of jewellery, clothes, bags, shops…

If you don’t fancy buying anything, it’s still worth having a look at what Hungarian fashion is up to nowadays!

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WAMP | Art & culture, Shopping, Festivals & events | Free
Fény utca 20 | Central Pest
Once a month on Sun 10:00 – 18:00

Budapest cultural heart now beats in Ferencváros, a former industrial district of Budapest. Well at least it is true for the Pest side of the Lágymányosi bridge, where lots of things happen since the opening up of MUPA in 2005, and right in front of it, of the National Theatre (in 2000).

The district is often overlooked by visitors as it is not exactly in the centre but you should really consider going, it’s not far at all (tram 2 goes from Jászai Mari tér up to Millenáris kulturális központ, it’s a 15′ ride). Architecturally wise the two buildings belong to the modern – not to say hypermodern – genre but forget about the aesthetics and have a look at the programs instead!

MUPA means “the palace of arts” in Hungarian and indeed, that’s what it is. This enormous cultural complex is home to two concert-halls and to the Ludwig múzeum – Hungarian contemporary arts museum (highly recommended).

MUPA has a broad, exceptionally good and busy musical offer. Not only does it host operas and classical musical concerts led by world-famous conductors, it also features folk, world and jazz concerts and even dance performances. Big stars such as Cesaria Evora, Bregovic, Adam Fischer, Natacha Atlas… have been seen on stage at MUPA.

Note that with your student card you can get in for Ft 500.00 an hour before (valid for concerts played in Béla Bartók National concert hall and at the Festival Theatre). A real bargain (but you may not get a proper seat)!

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MUPA – MŰVÉSZETEK PALOTÁJA | Art & culture, Music, Shopping, Theaters | Performance from HUF 1500
Komor Marcell utca 1 | Central Pest | +3615553300
10:00 – 22:00 daily (no concerts/performances in summer)

When I was a little child, I remember slinking into my grandma’s room and trying on all her jewellery and dresses. I’m a grownup now, but if it’s about accessories for me it’s definitely: vintage, I think I love the unknown story behind the objects.

When I was a teenager I discovered Ómama Bizsuja, located nearby Margit Bridge on the Pest side, this shop is a real treasure box. Júlia Nagy, the owner opened this shop in 1991, when she realized how much women like to rummage around. Here you can find old bijou’s, antique silver jewelry from the late nineteenth century to the 1960′s, accessories such as bags, hats, gloves, clutches, and you can always find some interesting porcelain tableware, etc. The offer is fabulous, many are rare to find, and are 40 to 100 years old.

In 1999 she opened the second shop, called Ómama Antik, on the Buda side of the bridge. The assortment in this shop is mostly from 1930′s to 1990′s, not only jewellery but accessories and unique dress pieces from Hermés-Paris, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Balmain, Gianni Versace, Emanuel Ungaro, Giorgio Armani. Productions shot in Hungary borrowed dresses and accessories from Júlia (Steven Spielberg: Munich, Vincent Amorim: Good, Peter Greenaway movies). But here you can also find art deco and secession home accessories as well.

Enter Ómama’s shops and I am sure you will be lost in the past with each piece containing its own romantic history and secret.

Gozsdu udvar is a scenic Budapest passage at the heart of the Jewish district. It leads from Király utca 13 to Dob utca 16 (and the other way round of course!).

It was built at the very beginning of the 20th century by a Hungarian Romanian philanthropist, Mano Gozsdu. At the time Budapest was a bustling capital, I have absolutely no problem imagining how lively it could have been over there. The promenade connecting the six yards to each other was probably full of little shops and workshops. Unfortunately WWII came and communism followed suite. The passage was left abandoned.

And here’s the good news: Gozsdu udvar was renovated in 2008. It’s now all bright and shiny (maybe a bit too much?), slowly filling up with luxury homes, cafés and bars.

Gouba market is held there in the open-air every Sunday along the passage from early spring (end of March) till end of October. It is similar in spirit to WAMP (check the article here), the famous Budapest design market. One could argue that it’s even more pleasant as the location is quite unique and gives a feeling of a real market.

On Gouba you will find Hungarian design items (jewellery, clothes, accessories…) but also some antiques, drawings, stationary… It’s the perfect place to shop for original Hungarian presents!

The first “Gouba bazar” of 2012 will be held on March 25th and every Wednesday onwards from 10:00 to 19:00 (check their Facebook page which is more up to date than their website!). Enjoy!