Part 2
I recently promised you another blog about Budapest. And one of the things that I take very seriously in life is keeping promises. And since my last blog about Budapest was a little heavy on the soul, I will keep it light this time and you may have guessed it, that usually means food. We’ll start with the coffee though, because all good things start with a coffee.
Budapest really struck me as a city that evolved around so many different influences; post-communist era chic mixed with Balkan vibes and Austrian flair. It is hard to describe really, as nothing I ever experienced really compares with Budapest. It’s humble and grandiose at the same times and glued together by the unique charm of its people and proud cuisine. Likewise, you can find all sorts of different cafés, ranging from modern hipster places to sumptuous over-the-top elegance.
A very heartfelt café recommendation I would like to share with you is Kávétársaság in the Lipótváros area. It’s cool, it’s modern, and fresh and really a great place to hang out because it just hits the right tone with its urban, minimalist vibe. While Kávétársaság was the kind of place you’d go to chill, you may, on the other hand fancy some serious kitsch and olden days charm and visit New York Café instead.
Touristy and overpriced, it is still absolutely worth the experience, but I would rather put it into the category of monument than café per se. Let’s say, it’s not where you’d go for your first coffee of the day moment.
The building itself is very extra and has an incredibly interesting history; the ambiance strongly reminiscent of the K&K days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire with its grandiose and lavish halls. It is quite a busy place as well, but don’t let that discourage you. The queues will move fast, as it is rather big.
Now, if you are more into the hearty cuisine of Hungary, you just cannot leave without savouring goulash or at least a goulash soup. I had both, obviously. The soup wasn’t bad, but I had it at a moment of the day when I was getting rather hangry, so there wasn’t really much choice involved when picking the restaurant. It was very touristic, and I didn’t really love it and thus I will not recommend it. Yet, I am a fan of goulash soup and having purchased approximately a pound of Paprika in Budapest’s market (If you want to know why, check out my earlier blog), I will undoubtedly cook some myself this winter.
The goulash I had later that evening (yes, same day, I know…), was, however, excellent and I am very happily recommending Szaletly restaurant, which is located in the somewhat quieter Istvánmező area, an area that reminded me very much of Serbia with its greenery and villas. I can’t really put my finger on it, but the vibe of the quite broad street just felt so very familiar.
In the evening, I would strongly advise you to get yourself a scenic spot on a rooftop bar overlooking the Danube. The Marriot hotel has a great rooftop bar with spectacular views. That said, you should absolutely book a table, as it isn’t very big and you may otherwise lose out on a table outside with the unobstructed views over the city skyline and all its beautiful major landmarks.
I said it before, and I will say it again: Budapest is a very beautiful and interesting city and needs to be visited again, periodically, if only for the Danube views and goulash.
None of the recommendations are sponsored in any way.
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