3 Yummy Coffee & Food Spots in Budapest

For some reason, the winter cold feels so much colder in Budapest.

I didn’t expect the cold to be so piercing, to cut right through your skin and sneak into your bones… ok, I’m taking this too far, but still. It was freezing and being dressed for a milder kind of cold was not helping either.

I’ve been to the vibrant capital of Hungary many times already and I’ve seen its face in all seasons. In my opinion, the best time to visit Budapest is mid-autumn (October), when the weather is still warm enough to take a walk, the sun throws a gorgeous golden light (perfect for photography!) and the city is coated in the beautiful autumnal colours.

But this time we were there in November and it was already freezing, plus there was a lot of mist hiding the streets. So instead of spending all our time walking around the city, we opted for staying inside in cute venues (we may or may not have ended the first night at a crazy reggaeton fiesta…).

Ok, we did brave the low temperatures with a climb up to the castle and to Gellért Hill to admire the city from above – this has become almost a tradition for when in Budapest: combining a workout kind of walk with the gorgeous view of the Danube winding through the city spreading beneath your feet.

Oh, and we happily discovered that the ongoing site works around the castle were finished since my last visit. I’m especially in love with the modern metallic additions – particularly the Corten structures; they give a contemporary feel to the area without competing with the historic buildings and surroundings.

My only regret for this one visit is that we didn’t get enough time to check out the famous thermal baths (there are various awesome options) and warm our bones with a hot swim. If you’re in town, check them out and let me know how’s the experience!

But if you happen to find yourself in Hungary’s capital in similarly cold times as I was so ‘lucky’ to experience, fear not, because you can still find plenty to see and do.

Here’s a list with a selection of yummy coffee & food spots where you can warm yourself up while visiting Budapest!

Coyote Coffee & Deli

Fantastic coffee with plenty of options to order from (they had cortado on the menu! It was nice to find a tiny piece of my dear Spain so far away) and so many foodie goodies to pick from! The forest fruits cake was the one that won my heart.

The ambience inside Coyote Coffee & Deli was warm and the staff was kind and smiling – we ended up spending a couple of hours here, instead of the quick coffee we had planned.

This place was recommended to me by a friend and truth be told I don’t think we would have found it otherwise. It’s not close to the most popular areas and we had to go a bit out of our way to get there. But I’m glad we did, as it was well worth it – I recommend it whole-heartedly.

Budapest Bagel

Another recommendation from a friend, this place – Budapest Bagel – turned to be the perfect location for a late breakfast. We had – what else? – bagels and they were so, so good. Avocado and egg and cream cheese and.. oh my, I’m trying really hard to not look at the picture and feel hunger.

I paired it with a fresh peach juice instead of coffee, so unfortunately I can’t vouch for their coffee, but the juice was amazing.

The only problem here is that the place is super tiny, with just a few spots to sit inside and outside. It got very crammed inside while waiting for our bagels so, despite the piercing cold I mentioned earlier, we decided to sit outdoors. By the time I finished my bagel, my hands were frozen, but my stomach was happy.

Cafe Csiga

We found Cafe Csiga randomly while searching for a place to have breakfast before leaving Budapest and I’m not sorry at all for the turns we took to find a parking spot close by.

It’s a very cute spot, quirky with a warm, peaceful interior and lots of plants.

And most importantly, the food was so good! It was hard to pick something from the menu so I went for the classical option – scrambled eggs. However, I felt bad ass that day and chose the option with bacon. #NoRegrets! The coffee was not as delicious as the one we had at Coyote, but it was still good.

Unfortunately, no proof photos from this place as I was too busy to stuff my face with food to remember to also take some captures…

Have you already visited any of these? Do you have other favourite places in Budapest? Share in a comment below!