Cafeography
Cukrászdák · Budapest

Cukrászdák and cake in Budapest

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

Photo: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels License

A cukrászda (confectioner’s shop) sells cake by the szelet (slice) to eat with a coffee or take home. Gerbeaud is the best known. Henrik Kugler started the business in 1858, moved it to today’s Vörösmarty tér in 1870 and in 1884 brought in Emil Gerbeaud as his associate, who took the shop over piece by piece.1

Nationalized in 1948 and renamed Vörösmarty, it got the Gerbeaud name back in 1984.1 It opens at 09:00 every day and closes at 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Since 2007 the national confectioners’ guild has chosen a Magyarország Tortája (Cake of Hungary) each year, which goes on sale from 20 August; the 2026 winner, Bíborfehér, came from Kézműves Cukrászda in Gyula.2

Local tip: Visit after 20 August, when that year’s Magyarország Tortája goes on sale; the 2026 winner is Bíborfehér from Kézműves Cukrászda in Gyula.2

Where these cafés are: Belváros-Lipótváros (V) (15), Józsefváros (VIII) (11), Újbuda (XI) (10), Erzsébetváros (VII) (10), Terézváros (VI) (10), Ferencváros (IX) (10), Zugló (XIV) (6), Széll Kálmán tér & Rózsadomb (II) (5), Hegyvidék (XII) (5), Castle District & Víziváros (I) (5), Óbuda (III) (5), Újlipótváros & Angyalföld (XIII) (5).

At a glance

97Cafés listed
62With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
00:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: 4 Street, from 07:00 (Mon–Fri 07:00–19:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–19:00).
  • Closes latest: Board Game Cafe, until 00:00 (Mon–Sat 11:00–00:00 · Sun 11:00–22:00).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (23%), outdoor seating (23%), card payment (20%).
Castle District & Víziváros (I)

Coyote Coffee & Deli

  • Markovits Iván utca 4
  • Mon–Fri 07:30–21:00 · Sat 09:00–20:00 · Sun 09:00–19:00
  • +36 20 283 6959
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Dobos torta and Eszterházy

Dobos torta is sponge layered with chocolate buttercream under a hard caramel top. József C. Dobos, a Budapest delicatessen owner, presented it at the National General Exhibition of 1885, and the caramel was meant to keep the cake from drying out.3 In 1906 he gave his recipe to the Pastry and Honey-Makers’ Guild.3

Eszterházy torta, named after the diplomat Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy, came from Budapest confectioners in the late 19th century.4 Thin nut meringue sheets, walnut rather than the original almond in Hungary, alternate with buttercream under a fondant top combed with chocolate stripes.4

Krémes and rétes

Krémes is vanilla custard set between two sheets of pastry, cut into squares and dusted with powdered sugar.5 The big change in its history came in 1932 with Elek Magyar’s krémes pite, and the method has changed little since the 1930s.5 Gerbeaud’s house krémes uses buttery puff pastry and Bourbon vanilla.6

Rétes (strudel) probably took root in Hungary in the 16th century under Turkish influence and reached its rolled, filled form around 1800.7 The name follows the filling: almás (apple), meggyes (sour cherry), túrós (curd cheese), mákos (poppy seed) or diós (walnut).7 Rétesbolt at Vas utca 1 opens at 07:00 from Monday to Saturday, and Budai Rétesvár in Balta köz, in the Castle District, opens daily 08:00–20:00.

Auguszt and the family houses

Auguszt dates from 1870, when Elek Auguszt took out a confectionery permit in Buda and opened a small shop in Tabán.8 The family’s Fény utca shop opened in 1957, and the branch at Kossuth Lajos utca 14-16 in District V, in the courtyard of a listed building, followed in 1994.8 The Kossuth Lajos utca shop opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00–18:00.8

Szamos has several cake shops in District V: Szamos Cukrászda on Párizsi utca opens daily 10:00–19:00 and Szamos Gourmet Ház on Deák Ferenc utca 10:00–20:00. In Buda, Szamos Budai Cukrászda on Böszörményi út opens at 09:00.

What a slice costs, and where to find one

Gerbeaud’s autumn 2026 menu charges 4,550 Ft for every slice, from Dobos and Esterházy to the house krémes and the Gerbeaud szelet of short pastry, apricot jam and walnut filling.6 An espresso costs 2,050 Ft, and a 15% service charge is added to food and drink.6

District V has the most cukrászdák and bakeries, ahead of Józsefváros. On József körút, Kristály Cukrászda at No. 53 opens daily 10:00–20:00, and Hámori Cukrászda is on Horváth Mihály tér. Zugló has two on Thököly út, Aranytölcsér at No. 44 and Pince Cukrászda at No. 85, and Füzes Cukrászda on Ungvár utca opens Tuesday to Sunday.

Sources

  1. Café Gerbeaud, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Magyarország tortája, Wikipedia (Hungarian), accessed October 2026
  3. Dobos torte, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Esterházy torte, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  5. Krémes, Wikipedia (Hungarian), accessed October 2026
  6. Kávéházi kínálat (café menu, autumn 2026), Gerbeaud, accessed October 2026
  7. Rétes, Wikipedia (Hungarian), accessed October 2026
  8. Auguszt Cukrászda, Auguszt, accessed October 2026
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By area: Belváros-Lipótváros (V) Terézváros (VI) Erzsébetváros (VII) Józsefváros (VIII) Ferencváros (IX) Castle District & Víziváros (I) Újlipótváros & Angyalföld (XIII) Újbuda (XI)

FAQ

Cukrászdák & bakeries in Budapest: questions

What is Dobos torta, the cake from Budapest?

Dobos torta is sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream under a hard caramel top that keeps it from drying out. József C. Dobos, a Budapest delicatessen owner, presented it at the National General Exhibition of 1885 and gave the recipe to the Pastry and Honey-Makers’ Guild in 1906.

How much is a slice of cake at Gerbeaud in Budapest?

Gerbeaud’s autumn 2026 menu charges 4,550 Ft for a slice of Dobos torta, Esterházy, the house krémes or the Gerbeaud szelet, and 2,050 Ft for an espresso. A 15% service charge is added to food and drink.

Which cukrászdák in Budapest have the longest history?

Gerbeaud goes back to 1858, when Henrik Kugler started the business, and has been on Vörösmarty tér since 1870. Auguszt dates from 1870, when Elek Auguszt opened a small shop in Tabán; its Fény utca shop opened in 1957 and the Kossuth Lajos utca branch in 1994.

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