Nor/ma announces itself long before you see it, with its sweet spicy scent of cinnamon and cardamom mixed with the dry notes of sourdough, a heavenly scent I’d only met in Nordic countries, now available in the heart of Budapest. The pastry and breads are made on the spot, behind a large glass window, so you can follow every step of the process from the mixing of the dough to the emergence of sumptuous cardamom buns, cinnamon rolls and plump rye breads. Nothing beats a morning when your bun lands on your plate straight from the oven in perfect crispy freshness.

I’m a woman of habit, and in spite of my best intentions, I always get the same pastry, but for more adventurous souls, the staff is extremely friendly and helpful and happy to run you through their offer. It’s obvious that they did not just come up with the idea of a Nordic bakery because it sounds cool, but because they are genuinely convinced that its artisanal values and focus on organic ingredients are worth promoting in other parts of the world as well.

The décor is very simple, you could call it nor/macore, there are only a few chairs along a narrow table and some plants on the wall, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the coffee lives up to the standards of the best specialty coffee shops in town. Prices may be somewhat above Budapest averages, but the attention to quality makes the extra investment very much worthwhile.