Expresso Love: Your Online Guide to Coffee

Around the turn of the century, the capital of Hungary once boasted between four and six hundred coffee houses.

Known as Budapest’s golden age — when the big dreams of youth were continually plotted, argued and written about within the typical strained confines of nearly all the coffee houses in and around the city. Those days may be gone, but travelers can still get a taste of how the coffee culture so consumed many an individual’s waking hours. But first a few pointers:

The “Mélange” is the bastard cousin of the cappuccino, a black, slightly diluted coffee with frothy milk.The “Schwarzen” is a strong local blend. When you want a cup of coffee that’s going to get re-filled again and again. This is what you’ll find staring back at you in your cup.

The “Kleine Braune” and the “Grosse Braune” are variants of the “Schwarzen”, with added milk or (better) with cream.

The “Einspänner” is a strong coffee in a glass with whipped cream on top.

Iced coffee “Eiskaffee” is strong ice-cold coffee poured over vanilla ice-cream. Coffee etiquette will only get you so far. So grab a few friends and sit yourself down in any one of the following and discuss all that is right or wrong in the world.

Café Gerbeaud (V. Vörösmarty tér 7, Tel: 429 9000), The most famous of Budapest’s ‘old style’ coffee houses, the Gerbeaud has been in the business of creating mouth-watering cakes and pastries for over 140 years.

Batthyány (tér 7, Tel: 212 3784) An Elegant café housed in the former crypt of St. Anne’s Church. The building’s ornate entrance sets the scene for the fine turn-of-the-20th-century interior complete with lavish furnishings and marble flooring. Popular with Budapest’s older folk, the cakes, pastries and teas are all first-rate. The summer terrace is also a great spot to unwind after a hard day’s sightseeing.

Bécsi Kávéház  (V. Apáczai Csere János utca 12-14, Tel: 317 9111) Although to some, the upmarket setting of the Hotel InterContinental represents the more expensive side of the Budapest café scene, prices aren’t half bad. A great selection of pastries too.

Múvesz (VI. Andrássy út 29, Tel: 352 1337)  Another classic Budapest coffeehouse, this time located on the busy Andrássy boulevard (and just a short walk away from the State Opera House) A perfect spot to while away the hours with a cappuccino and conversation.

Budapest may not house 100’s of coffee houses like it once did. But it has managed to maintain at least a little bit of its coffee culture from so long ago.  

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006 at 6:19 pm and is filed under European Coffee Bars