Best cafes in Budapest: no need to be hungry in Hungary

budapestYou can get hopelessly messed up looking for the right kind of café in a strange city. Budapest isn’t all that strange, but the Hungarian language is, and I wish I’d had this list with me when I went there. Instead, I wasted far too much time traipsing from one place to another, trying to gauge, from a glimpse through door or window, whether or not the coffee was great, the food good and the prices reasonable. As a matter of fact, I never did find exactly what I was looking for. I was alone and feeling particularly undaring at the time; don’t ask me why, but these things happen when you’re travelling. And it’s a great shame, as Budapest is crawling with cafes. Really, really good ones. New and old.

Photo by Sjors Provoost

This is probably because it inherited a wonderfully indulgent coffee-and-cake culture from the Viennese, who certainly know a thing or two about both. Many of the old cafés are famous; the clientele probably aren’t worrying too much about the cost, unlike most travellers of my ilk. But it’d be good to treat yourself to an outing to at least one of them, if you’re in Budapest with a companion. My problem was, I wasn’t. And I was broke. And I don’t speak a word of Hungarian. cafeWell, maybe one. No, make that two – but don’t, under any circumstances ask me to spell them. 

Photo by perhapstoopink 

Anyway, thanks to the link above, I am now better informed. When I go back, there’ll be no shortage of places to try. Here’s another site that’s pretty useful too. Take it from me: it’s good to have the gen on these places before you go. It’ll save you a heap of time that could otherwise be spent exploring a fantastically beautiful old city.

And now, it's time to say viszontlátásra…(yes, yes, I had to look that up; it wasn’t in my two-word Hungarian repertoire).

 


 

Published Friday, October 03, 2008 5:12 PM by Sally

Comments

# re: Best cafes in Budapest: no need to be hungry in Hungary

Sunday, January 25, 2009 4:15 AM by Katie84

Budapest is great! There are a lot of sights of the city,kindly people,very good restaurants,where you can eat traditional hungarian dishes. We found a good accomodation here

# re: Best cafes in Budapest: no need to be hungry in Hungary

Monday, June 22, 2009 8:35 PM by Beijinger

yes .I know Budapest is really a gorgeous city with beautiful scenery and friendly, warmly-welcomed people .

As we come to the food of Budapest it is needlessly to say because as far as i know ,there are numerous exquisite and well-decorated restaurants at that place where you can easily find it tasty and delicious...  

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