Café Wandering: An Excursion through Budapest’s Belle Epoque

Exploring the dazzling interiors and famous confections of Budapest’s legendary coffee houses, you might think you’ve stepped back in time to Hungary’s Belle Epoque. This 3-hour tour of Budapest’s café scene explores Hungary’s traditional cakes alongside Budapest’s artists and cultural icons from the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Experience the ambiance of the decadent Fin de siècle when Budapest was on the rise as the newly-created second capital of the dual Austro-Hungarian Empire, a time when some of the most remarkable pieces of Hungarian modern literature were penned in the very cafés we will visit.

Sitting in one of Budapest’s many café houses, sipping on coffee and tasting a delicious cake or pogácsa is a journey back to Hungary’s Belle Epoque when Budapest was flourishing as a newly-created European capital, full of ambition and creativity.

This tour is a celebration of masterpieces of Hungarian architecture as well as poets, artists, and writers who forged the most remarkable pieces of Hungarian literature during the second half of the 19th century until the first half of the 20th century, many of them habitués of the cafés we visit.

Unfortunately, during the Communist regime, cafés were closed, altered or even ruined in order to prevent people from gathering and sharing anti-regime sentiment. This censorship, in turn, destroyed a whole urbane Budapest culture of social gathering, spiritual and culinary refreshment, and the lively exchange of views. Thankfully, we can see several original cafés in the city, alongside ones that were modeled after them in the past century which still offer us a rich impression of Budapest’s café esprit. 

Our 3-hour Budapest Cafe tour starts at Vörösmarty tér (or Vorosmarty Square), in the heart of the city. Our first café quickly gives us a deeper insight into the ambience of Imperial Budapest. The Gerbeaud, with its exquisite interior and more than 100 years of history, served as a central social hub for both tourists and locals during the late 19th century.

From Café Gerbeaud, we stroll along the Danube to the Central Café, a space so dignified that it epitomizes what café culture really meant during the 19th century pinnacle of the Habsburg Empire’s economic and cultural power. The scenery, the delicate decor, the delicious meals, delightful desserts, and refreshing drinks give us a full taste of the atmosphere of a bygone culture’s social rituals.

Next, we’re off to the Museum Café, in operation since 1885.  Prominent clientele were regularly entered in the guest book, now a historical document, including the names of many Members of Parliament, distinguished writers, and famous Hungarian actors. The lavish walls are covered in tiles from the world-famous Zsolnay porcelain works. The grand 19th-century Venetian mirror is another unique feature. 

After another short walk, we come to the Urania Café on Rakoczi street, which houses the oldest Film Theatre in the city. It is famous for lectures given by major intellectuals before large audiences of Budapest cosmopolitans.

From here we will walk towards Blaha Lujza tér to reach our next site, the elegant New York Café, one of the most beautiful café houses in the world. We end our walking tour sitting down for a coffee and cake in Muvesz Café on Andrassy Avenue, near the Opera House. We might even catch a glimpse of the city’s celebrity actors and actresses, who regularly patronize the venue during their rehearsal breaks from the nearby Budapest Broadway.