Kelet Café Budapest

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Claudia from Budapest

About me Spoiled by the beauty of my native Firenze, in Italy, I recently celebrated my 10th year in Budapest, a city I couldn't have enough of, yet. I'm an official tour guide, a journalist and a writer, but most of all someone who needs to be surrounded by lively places and stunning architecture. Why Budapest Budapest never stops surprising me and this keeps...
""Kelet Café", carpeted with books and newspaper, is my favourite place on the Buda side of Budapest. Definitely try their home-made ice tea w/ real fruit."

I believe in the power of books as an object and I find that their presence can have an influence on my mood, even if I am not reading any of them. Carpeted with books and newspaper, Kelet is my favourite place in the Buda side and I have probably already given you a hint of why. Its shelves hold some five thousand volumes, mostly in Hungarian: it's a social and informal library that makes the atmosphere of this café intellectual, but welcoming -- with warm lamps decorated with kaleidoscopic oriental patterns and windows on the most appealing boulevard of the Buda side, Kelet gives me a sense of freedom, while ideas can easily ferment at the sight of the yellow streetcars in the background.

Bártok Béla Boulevard is pretty much the only street on this side of the Danube boasting the popularity of the mainstream districts of Pest and it's only a few minutes of metro or tram away from them. I host a tour that starts nearby, therefore I am often in this area and I like to arrive earlier to stop at Kelet and sip a coffee, possibly sitting outside, when the weather allows it. 

Downstairs Kelet is buzzy and busy, while upstairs there are usually designers and digital nomads working. In the summer I like to try the different home-made ice teas they have, flavoured with real fruit and not with sugar.

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Budapest Spotter Claudia

About me Spoiled by the beauty of my native Firenze, in Italy, I recently celebrated my 10th year in Budapest, a city I couldn't have enough of, yet. I'm an official tour guide, a journalist and a writer, but most of all someone who needs to be surrounded by lively places and stunning architecture. Why Budapest Budapest never stops surprising me and this keeps my love alive. The more you zoom in, the more details will entertain your eyes, while the jungle of the coffee shops and bars ensures quality entertainment and precious locations to write in and be i...

About this spot

Bartók Béla út 29

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Oct 2, 2025

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