Old World Meets Third Wave: Explore Budapest's Evolving Coffee Culture with Local Expert Szabolcs Temesvári

Run by Hungarian barista champion Tibor Varady, whom many credit with having sparked Budapest’s interest in third-wave coffee, Espresso Embassy is a popular coffee shop in downtown Budapest. This is, according to Temesvári, “the successor of the first third-wave café in Budapest; one of the most visited speciality coffee places, and also one of the busiest of all”. Its interior is all exposed brick and industrial-style furniture, while the coffee menu features options such as batch-brew or single brew filter coffee, and includes beans from Casino Mocca alongside local cakes and pastries. With its central location, a coffee at Espresso Embassy can easily be combined with visiting popular sights such as St Stephen’s Basilica and the Chain Bridge.

Located in Budapest’s VI district, Cube is a cosy coffee shop overlooking Hunyadi tér, a quaint green square that is also home to a local food market. Opened in 2017, Cube serves a selection of speciality coffees alongside a menu of light snacks and meals. “The owner, Anikó, is Canadian-Hungarian – so expect to see many international regulars here when Anikó is behind the counter!” says Temesvári. There are themed brunches every Sunday, while if you’re looking for something sweet to go alongside your filter coffee, Temesvári recommends the homemade pastries – “Lemon squares are a must!” Cube is tucked away off the beaten track on Hunyadi tér, but within easy distance of attractions such as the House of Terror museum, which tells the story of the Budapest’s time under Fascist and Communist regimes.

Tucked away in a peaceful courtyard just off a bustling boulevard in Budapest’s V district, Fekete is a popular place to grab a filter coffee or a flat white while exploring the city. The Hungarian National Museum is just down the street, while the Great Synagogue is just a few steps away. It’s frequented by both tourists and locals, and as Temesvári says, “Fekete is one of the very first speciality cafés in Budapest.” As well as coffee, there’s a food menu featuring all-day breakfasts and Hungarian/Scandinavian pastries.

As its name suggests, My Little Melbourne is an Australian-inspired café, and can be found in Budapest’s Jewish quarter. Opened in 2012, it was one of the city’s first speciality coffee shops, and as such has a reputation for an excellent brew, as well as a cult following. This popular café is split into two halves: My Little Melbourne and My Little Brew Bar. The former serves coffees from lattes to flat whites, alongside light bites such as sandwiches and pastries; the latter is the first of its kind in Hungary, and serves exclusively filter coffees, including V60, Chemex and Aeropress. As an indication of how seriously they take their coffee, their motto is, “Life is too short for bad coffee.”

Kontakt takes coffee very seriously: you won’t find any sugar here, and there are no americanos – instead, long black coffees are exclusively served filter-style, alongside a concise menu of espresso-based options. The focus is very much on coffee, and no food is served; however, their sister café, Szimply, is just across the courtyard and serves a creative all-day brunch menu. Nitro cold-brew coffee is also available on tap, which is a rarity in Budapest. Kontakt’s downtown location, just a few steps from the bustling Vorosmarty tér and on the border of the Jewish Quarter, makes it a practical option for coffee enthusiasts exploring the key sights of the Hungarian capital.

If luxury and grandeur are on the agenda, New York Café is the place to go. This opulent coffee house, located on the busy Erzsebet Korut, is known more for its awe-inspiring interiors and rich history than it is for its coffee. Statues by Hungarian sculptor Károly Senyei adorn the exterior, while inside you’ll find marble columns, impressive frescoes and intricate gold detailing. Opened in 1894, the New York Café once played host to famous Hungarian writers including Zsigmond Móricz and Sandor Marai; a ‘writers’ bowl’ was even available on the menu, offering a cheaper dish for writers who otherwise couldn’t afford to eat here. Today, New York Café is more popular with visitors to Budapest, who come for a taste of a past era.

Opened by Henrik Kugler in 1858, in its heyday this luxurious café on Vorosmarty tér welcomed guests such as the Empress Elisabeth of Austria and the composer Franz Liszt. It was taken over by confectioner Emile Gerbeaud in the late 1800s and gained a reputation as one of Europe’s finest coffee houses, known for its takeaway cakes and grand interior. This 19th-century café survived two world wars and a period of nationalisation under Communist rule (during which time it was renamed Vorosmarty), before being restored to its former glory in the 1990s. Today, it stands as a reminder of a bygone era, and still serves the patisserie and confectionery it was once known for. This includes the trademark Gerbeaud cake, made with layers of pastry sandwiched with ground walnuts and homemade apricot jam beneath a decadent chocolate topping.

A popular literary hangout in the early 20th century, Buda-based Hadik Café had little of the splendour displayed by its counterparts across the Danube, such as Gerbeaud and the New York Café. However, its run-down interior didn’t put intellectuals off, and Hadik was often visited by writers such as Frigyes Karinthy and Zsigmond Móricz. After a prolonged closure between 1940 and 2009, Hadik reopened with a stripped back interior combining old world with modern touches, along with a menu featuring their own speciality coffee blend. The café has even managed to retain its literary following: there’s a regular programme of cultural events, while Hungarian director László Nemes wrote the script for the Oscar-winning Son of Saul (2015) here.

One of Budapest’s oldest coffee houses, Centrál Kávéház first opened its doors in 1887, and quickly became a hub for the intellectual minds of the 19th century. Writers, poets, artists, scientists and composers could often be found sipping coffee here, as could the founders of the progressive literary journal Nyugat. During the Communist era, the Art Nouveau café became a canteen for students of the nearby ELTE University, before being restored and reopened in 2000. Its classic interior, featuring dark wood, leather and chandeliers, is slightly more understated than that of its peers.