Cafeography
Hungary

Cafés in Budapest from kávéház to presszó

Coffee at the 1894 New York Café on Erzsébet körút, Dobos torte on Vörösmarty tér, presszó espresso by Bem tér and flat whites on Arany János utca.

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861Cafés listed
2Open by 6am
95Open past 10pm
18Specialty & roasters

Budapest's coffee history is written in its kávéházak (coffeehouses; singular kávéház). The first record of a coffeehouse in Pest dates from 1714, and around 1900 the capital had somewhere between 500 and 600 of them, where literature, the press, art and politics were organized.12 Petőfi Sándor, Jókai Mór and Vasvári Pál met at the Pilvax during the 1848 revolution, and Nyugat, the influential literary magazine, was founded at the Centrál on Károlyi utca in 1908.13

Nationalization after the Second World War closed most of them or replaced them with eateries, eszpresszók (espresso bars) and pastry shops.1 Gerbeaud traded as "Vörösmarty" from 1948 to March 1984, the New York Café became the Hungária in 1954 and got its name back in 1989, and the Centrál closed in 1949 and served coffee again only in 2000.456 The presszó took over everyday coffee: Bambi, by Bem tér, opened on 1 May 1961 and in 2021 still served its espresso in a small glass.7

Specialty coffee is much younger; in 2015 the news site 444 described new-wave cafés as a development of the previous few years.2 Sprudge credited Tamp and Pull, on Czuczor utca, with starting Hungary's specialty scene, and Espresso Embassy on Arany János utca was already pouring single origins from the Budapest roaster Casino Mocca in 2014.8 Today the specialty bars run from Dose Espresso on Hercegprímás utca and The Goat Herder on István utca to Goosebumps Coffee Lab on Fekete Sas utca and the Újbuda roasters in Buda.

Start with a kerület

Budapest by area

Budapest is divided into 23 kerület (districts), written in Roman numerals; in the city created in 1873, districts I to III lay on the Buda bank and IV to X in Pest.19 About three in four cafés are on the Pest side, and Buda's cluster around Széll Kálmán tér, Bartók Béla út and Castle Hill.

Belváros-Lipótváros (V)

Gerbeaud on Vörösmarty tér, the Centrál on Károlyi utca and espresso bars between Váci utca and the Parliament.

157 cafés

Terézváros (VI)

Andrássy út from the Opera to Oktogon, the theaters of Nagymező utca and late cafés on Teréz körút.

113 cafés

Erzsébetváros (VII)

The old Jewish Quarter on Kazinczy and Dob utca, Gozsdu udvar and the New York Café on Erzsébet körút.

95 cafés

Józsefváros (VIII)

The palaces behind the National Museum, Bródy Sándor utca and late cafés toward Keleti station.

68 cafés

Ferencváros (IX)

Ráday utca, the Great Market Hall at Fővám tér and espresso bars between Kálvin tér and the Danube.

86 cafés

Castle District & Víziváros (I)

Strudel and cake on Castle Hill, Víziváros cafés along Fő utca and Batthyány tér, and early espresso below the hill.

56 cafés

Újlipótváros & Angyalföld (XIII)

Pozsonyi út's interwar blocks, Szent István park by the Danube and espresso bars along Váci út.

84 cafés

Újbuda (XI)

Bartók Béla út's galleries and coffeehouses, Móricz Zsigmond körtér and the Hadik.

62 cafés
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Specialty coffee

Espresso bars from Arany János utca to Újlipótváros, Buda roasters, and flat whites for less than half the grand-café price.

18 cafés
Teraszok

Outdoor seating

Squares in District V, Ráday utca and Tűzoltó utca in District IX, Bartók Béla út in Buda, and garden cafés.

151 cafés
Cukrászdák

Cukrászdák & bakeries

Gerbeaud and Auguszt, Dobos torta and krémes, rétes shops, and neighborhood cukrászdák from Józsefváros to Zugló.

97 cafés

Wi-Fi

Grand kávéházak with Wi-Fi, book cafés in District VII, Bartók Béla út in Buda, and Wi-Fi until midnight.

98 cafés
Reggeli

Breakfast & brunch

Reggeli at Gerbeaud, egg burgers on Wesselényi utca, brunch in District V, and cafés in Buda open from 07:00.

25 cafés

Open late

Cafés open to midnight and later in Terézváros, Józsefváros and the Jewish Quarter, late tea houses and a 24-hour café.

95 cafés

New in Budapest

Recently opened and recently added

Belváros-Lipótváros (V) 157 cafés

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Terézváros (VI) 113 cafés

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Erzsébetváros (VII) 95 cafés

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Józsefváros (VIII) 68 cafés

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Ferencváros (IX) 86 cafés

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Castle District & Víziváros (I) 56 cafés

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Széll Kálmán tér & Rózsadomb (II) 68 cafés

Újlipótváros & Angyalföld (XIII) 84 cafés

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Újbuda (XI) 62 cafés

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Hegyvidék (XII) 28 cafés

Zugló (XIV) 24 cafés

Óbuda (III) 20 cafés

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Coffee chains in Budapest

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Before you sit down

How to order coffee in Budapest

The basic order is an espresso, often called a kis fekete (small black). A hosszú kávé (long coffee) is brewed with more water and a slightly coarser grind, and a tejeskávé (milky coffee) is about two parts steamed milk to one part espresso.9 Ordinary neighborhood cafés build these on Italian or Italian-style blends, while the new-wave bars favor lighter roasts and gentler brewing.2

Cafés come in three traditional types. A kávéház is the grand coffeehouse, meant for lingering over coffee and a slice of Dobos or Esterházy torte.10 A cukrászda is a confectioner's shop with tables; the Auguszt family has made cakes since 1870 and has run its shop on Fény utca in Buda since 1957.11 The presszó is the plainer espresso bar that spread after the war, with Socialist-era tables, majolica tiles and regulars playing dominoes at Bambi.17

Read the bill before tipping. Grand cafés add a szervizdíj (service charge), 15% at both the New York Café and Gerbeaud, and Hungarian rules require it to be shown in advance, including on the menu.121314 A tip on top is voluntary: in cafés, rounding up or leaving about 10% is usual, and if you pay by card, say so before the payment goes through.15 Prices are in forints (Ft, HUF); the few tourist places that take euros give a poor rate.15

Hours are shorter than the coffeehouse legend suggests. About a third of Budapest cafés close on Sundays and more than four in ten shut by 18:00 on weekdays, while the New York Café stays open until 24:00 from Monday to Wednesday and until 01:00 from Thursday to Sunday.16 Laptop rules vary: Espresso Embassy takes no reservations and keeps laptops to its communal tables at weekends and on holidays.17

What coffee costs in Budapest

DrinkTypical price
Eszpresszó
Espresso at a coffee chain		650–730 Ft
Café Frei, September 2026
Cappuccino / flat white
At a specialty café		1,200–1,700 Ft
Specialty cafés, 2026
Eszpresszó
Espresso at the New York Café		2,975 Ft
New York Café menu, 2026, plus 15% service
Cappuccino
24-carat gold cappuccino, New York Café		4,900 Ft
New York Café menu, 2026, plus 15% service
Szelet torta
Slice of cake at Gerbeaud		from about 3,450 Ft
Gerbeaud, 2026

Prices as of 2026. The chain espresso prices are Café Frei's two house espressos, reported by Economx in September 2026.18 Specialty and Gerbeaud figures come from a 2026 Budapest café guide.10 New York Café prices are from its 2026 menu, which adds a 15% service charge to the bill.12

Sources

  1. Kávéház, Wikipedia (Hungarian), accessed October 2026
  2. A kávé nem keserű, 444 (October 24, 2015), accessed October 2026
  3. The historical cafés of Budapest, Visit Hungary, accessed October 2026
  4. Gerbeaud, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  5. New York Café, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  6. Centrál kávéház, Wikipedia (Hungarian), accessed October 2026
  7. Happy birthday, Bambi: cult café marks 60 years of divas, discos and dominoes, We Love Budapest (Gábor Wágner, May 18, 2021), accessed October 2026
  8. Hungary Like The Wolf: A Guide to Hunting Coffee in Budapest, Sprudge (Henry Brink, December 1, 2014), accessed October 2026
  9. Tíz kávétípus, amit mindenkinek ismerni kell, Portfolio (May 14, 2018), accessed October 2026
  10. Best Coffee Houses in Budapest (2026), The Better Vacation (Jamshed V Rajan, 2026), accessed October 2026
  11. Auguszt Cukrászda: történet, Auguszt Cukrászda, accessed October 2026
  12. New York Café étlap 2026 (menu, PDF), New York Café, accessed October 2026
  13. Kávéházi kínálat, Gerbeaud, accessed October 2026
  14. The Hungarian authority's guidance on tipping awareness, GALA, Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (Anikó Keller and Dorottya Moldován, September 27, 2024), accessed October 2026
  15. FAQ: Tipping and payments in Hungary, Budapest.com (April 22, 2025), accessed October 2026
  16. New York Café, New York Café (Anantara New York Palace), accessed October 2026
  17. Espresso Embassy, Espresso Embassy, accessed October 2026
  18. Tulajdonosi változás a Café Frei-nél, már a jövőről is beszéltek, Economx (Kreivich Orsolya, September 2, 2026), accessed October 2026
  19. Budapest kerületei, Wikipedia (Hungarian), accessed October 2026
FAQ

Cafés in Budapest: common questions

How much does coffee cost in Budapest?

In September 2026 the Café Frei chain charged 650–730 Ft for an espresso. A cappuccino or flat white at a specialty café costs about 1,200–1,700 Ft as of 2026. At the New York Café, the 2026 menu lists an espresso at 2,975 Ft and a 24-carat gold cappuccino at 4,900 Ft, with a 15% service charge added to the bill.

Which neighborhood of Budapest has the most cafés?

Belváros-Lipótváros (V) and Terézváros (VI) have the most cafés, followed by Erzsébetváros (VII). Both are on the Pest side: Andrássy út, in Terézváros, has more cafés than any other street in the city, and Veres Pálné utca and Váci utca lead in district V. On the Buda bank, Széll Kálmán tér & Rózsadomb (II) has the most.

What is the difference between a kávéház, a cukrászda and a presszó in Budapest?

A kávéház is a grand coffeehouse, such as the New York Café or the Centrál, where you linger over coffee and cake. A cukrászda is a confectioner's shop with tables, such as Gerbeaud on Vörösmarty tér or Auguszt on Fény utca. A presszó is the plainer post-war espresso bar; Bambi, by Bem tér, has served since 1961.

Do you tip in Budapest cafés?

Check the bill first: grand cafés such as the New York Café and Gerbeaud add a 15% service charge, and Hungarian rules require it to be shown in advance, including on the menu. On top of that a tip is voluntary. In cafés, rounding up or leaving about 10% is usual; when paying by card, tell the staff before the transaction.

Where did specialty coffee start in Budapest?

Sprudge credited Tamp and Pull, on Czuczor utca in Ferencváros, with starting Hungary's specialty coffee scene. By 2014 Espresso Embassy on Arany János utca was serving single origins from the Budapest roaster Casino Mocca, and in 2015 the news site 444 described new-wave cafés as a development of the previous few years.

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