05 Feb How To Breakfast and Coffee In Style In Budapest
While always known for its electric nightlife and stunning architecture, Budapest’s gastronomical scene has long been overlooked. For many years, your options were limited to Hungarian classics served in shabby canteens – fuel for the working masses and not much – or fancy cuisine served in stuffy restaurants.
However, in the last few years, a foodie culture has descended on the city, as a new wave of chefs mix influences from near and far in new cafes, bars, street food and restaurants that are opening up – and thriving – all over the city.
For visitors to the city, this is an exciting time, and we want to be your guide to what’s available.
Breakfast in Budapest
Photo: facebook.com/stikabudapest
Every good day starts with a good breakfast, and Budapest has lots to offer in this respect – particularly in the city’s Jewish Quarter, the veritable hub of culture and cool in Budapest.
One of our favorites is Stika, a breakfast joint that tries to emulate the hip barebones style that’s popular in NYC right now and also moonlights as a wine bar. On the menu, you’ll find breakfast classics like poached eggs with crispy bacon, as well as more lunchtime appropriate options like their “dirty love” cheeseburger.
Stika
Cafe Brunch Budapest
Photo: cafebrunchbudapest.com
As the name suggests, Cafe Brunch Budapest offers all-day breakfast & brunch already at 5 locations in the heart of the city. The Brunch restaurant chain recently opened its own bakery & patisserie workshop from where they deliver fresh bread, pastries, and cakes to all of its breakfast places. The menu is extensive, so you will surely find something to your liking.
Cafe Brunch Budapest operates in the following locations:
- Cafe Brunch Budapest – Bazilika: V district, Zrínyi u. 8-10 (see on the map)
- Cafe Brunch Budapest – Fővám tér: V district, Fővám tér 2-3 (see on the map)
- Cafe Brunch Budapest – Opera: VI district, Hajós u. 26/b (see on the map)
- Brunch Bistro Budapest: VI district, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky u. 19/b (see on the map)
- Brunch Deli – Bakery & Sandwich: VI district, Hajós u. 31 (see on the map)
Fekete
Photo: facebook.com/feketekv
Another place worth checking out is Fekete – which means black in Hungarian – and serves as a perfect escape, being secluded inside the courtyard of a charming old building. Apart from great coffee, one particularly worth-trying dish is the croque-monsieur.
Zoska
Photo: facebook.com/zoskabudapest
Meanwhile, just around the corner lies Zoska, slightly off the beaten track, and decorated to feel a little like an old English tea room. The tea is, as expected, great, as is their sumptuous selection of cakes which are made fresh daily.
Zoska
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Szimply
Photo: facebook.com/szimplyfood
Finally, no breakfast guide would be complete without an honorary mention for the new kid on the block Szimply. Following the trend of breakfast places that seclude themselves from the masses, Szimply can be found nestled down a small passageway just on the edge of the Jewish Quarter. Be sure to try their avocado toast topped with arugula, figs and goat cheese.
A stop for coffee and cakes
Budapest is a city built for wanderers. Head off in any direction – and you will – and you’ll find grand squares, charming side streets, and cute boutique stores. You’ll also find coffee shops, to which we’re devoting the next section of this guide.
New wave coffee hit Budapest hard. For a population used to being served their caffeine black and without the smile, coffee shops that looked more like bars and that served a coffee you could actually linger and enjoy were a hit.
Massolit Books and Coffee
Photo: facebook.com/MassolitBudapest
One of our favourite is Massolit, a bookshop, meets coffee, meets social hub of sorts. Come in, order a coffee and cake, grab and book and really relax. The staff is talkative and friendly and you’ll find a usual crowd of expats in there working most days. And, come summer, they open a charming garden out back.
Massolit Books and Coffee
My Little Melbourne
Photo: facebook.com/mylittlemelbourne
A few blocks away, you’ll find My Little Melbourne, one of the oldest and best of the new wave cafes in the city. A tiny space – that’s just opened a new, tinier space next door – it does great coffee, sourced from exotic locals all over the world and also sells delicious cakes and sandwiches.
My Little Melbourne Coffee
Cirkusz
Photo: sharkingforchipsanddrinks.com
Finally, there’s Cirkusz, a sort of ruin pub of cafes. Artfully decorated and noted for their great breakfasts, this is a great place to start before a day spent wandering the streets of the Jewish Quarter.
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