Looking for a place to enjoy a coffee and engage in an intellectual discussion? Have a desire to evoke the feeling of Budapest at the height of its literary buzz? Here’s a selection of some of the best literary cafes, still popular today.
Pilvax Restaurant
This is a historically important restaurant, as in its former days as a café and meeting point of intellectuals it played an important role in the 1848 revolution. Today it is a first class restaurant offering modern Hungarian and international food, right in the center of town (just off Váci). The elegant décor welcomes visitors and nightly live music helps set a relaxed, but celebratory mood after a day of sightseeing. The food is tasty and filling, and there is an extensive drink list to choose from including a great wine list that features a top Hungarian selection. Open daily from noon to midnight.
1052 Budapest, Pilvax köz 1-3.
Tel: +36.1.266.7660
Centrál K
áveh
áz
Centrál Káveház embodies the ideals of an era when intellectuals gathered in the city’s major coffee houses for lively discussions. Having preserved the original atmosphere with beautifully decorated rooms and furniture that is equally elegant and comfortable, Centrál invites you in to stay a while and enjoy a good meal, a glass of wine or a coffee and sweet while watching the world go by outside its huge windows. Offering everything from breakfast to dinner to desserts, the food is excellent. Through both food and atmosphere, you’ll find a bit of Hungarian culture mixing the best of the past and present. Open daily from 7am to midnight.
1053 Budapest, Károly Mihály u. 9.
+36.1.266.2110
Godot Café
A favorite Budapest café, bar and gallery, Godot makes a great starting point. It is located downtown across from Deák tér and near to the design shops of Király utca at the back of Madach tér. It’s casual and funky and is the kind of place where you can sit and have a drink with friends. They serve up tasty hot sandwiches and plenty of snack foods to munch on next to a coffee or beer. For those interested in the local art scene, they’ve opened up a gallery next door, and for a good laugh they’ve got stand-up comedy nights as well. Open weekdays from 9am to 11pm and weekends 6pm to 11pm.
1075 Budapest, Madách út 8.
Tel.: +36.322.5274
Firkász Coffeehouse & Restaurant
With walls plastered in old articles and photos and lined with wine bottles, this little place has real character. Keeping tradition alive is there thing, and the numerous regulars perched at the bar or enjoying a meal are a sign that they do it right. The restaurant serves up very good, hearty Hungarian food, but the real gem is their strong collection of Hungarian wines. With 60-80 to choose from at any time, there is no shortage of selection. Sit back, watch the people come and go and listen to the accordion player and you’ll feel the “old world charm.” Open daily from noon to midnight.
1136 Budapest, Tátra u. 18.
Tel.: +36.1.450.1119
