I imagine a Matrioska. Here’s one of Budapest’s biggest districts, number 8, which hosts a gorgeous portion named “The Palace Quarter” (Palota Negyed). Within this up-and-coming area flooded with students and artsy locations, there’s a cute street with a hard-to-pronounce name. Every time I give a tour of the area, guests spontaneously stop to take pictures.

Let’s get back inside the Matrioska, to its core. Where it lays a yellow courtyard and garden covered with ivy, decorated by baroque statues and covered by a cobblestone pavement, resides the Chamber of Architects.

Since 1954 the headquarters of the Association of Hungarian Architects, this structure, called Almássy Palace, was built in 1877 and designed by Antal Gottgéb. It’s described as “an open house” where different branches of art can meet architecture & where architects can meet the society – they also organize expositions.

In the place of a former canteen, in 2022 a tapas bar opened, with the cute name of Arquitecto Pitpit, recalling the birds that often chirp in this leafy court. There is quite a buzz around this place! Benedict Cumberbatch had dinner here, and Johnny Deep tried to do the same, but the location was reserved for a private event, a wedding. Regrettably, the owners had to deny Johnny a table, but he took it with sportsmanship and joined the party for a group photo.

There is a guest who is always there: Ödön Lechner (1845-1914) in a relief dedicated to him as the founder of the Hungarian Art Nouveau style (Secession).