The most important meal of the day is Budapest style. One of the pivotal questions on holiday is where to get breakfast. Budapest is a great city, but admittedly, it hasn’t been great in the brunch and breakfast department. Until now. In recent years, breakfast in Budapest has taken off, in an effort to keep up with international trends. And as things have it, it turns out we can do some very unique gastronomical explorations in that department. Here is a short list of where to get the best breakfast in Budapest.
Mitzi
Mitzi is a café near the illustrious Gellért bathhouse. As can be expected, this is quite a fancy affair. It is a posh and elegant café, with some very inspired rethinking of Hungarian classics. Their breakfast menu is a work of art; beetroot lattes, tapas varieties, mint omelets, eggs benedict, granola, and their very own baked goods. If you are looking for a fine dining breakfast experience that is well affordable, this is the place for you.
Price range: Medium
Specialties: Home-made baked goods, fine dining fusion food, rethinking Hungarian specialties
Mood: Posh and artsy
Source: Mitzi Budapest Facebook
Á la Maison
The classic French brunch spot that Budapest has been seriously lacking. Thank God for this, now breakfast in Budapest can have that authentic French flavor. Think smoothies, breakfast platters, iced coffee, granola, and cereal galore, with lots of gluten-free and vegan options, and plenty of fruit. Croissants, pancakes, and waffles are baked on-premises, and perhaps a mimosa afterward?
Price range: Medium
Specialties: Classic French sandwiches and breakfast platters
Mood: Traditional brunch
Source: Á la Maison Facebook
Cinnamon
A small, cozy café that is run by a young couple who have their heart in creating a high-end breakfast place in Budapest. They make sweets to warm your soul, along with smoothies and freshly pressed juice, the most wonderful home-baked toast, and hot chocolate specialties, and they roast their own coffee. As matter of fact, if I had to summarize Cinnamon in one word it would be: fresh. The vegetables and the fruits, the egg platters, the coffee, the bread, it’s all just so fresh. Definitely worth checking them out.
Price range: Medium
Specialties: Homemade produce and bread, along with their coffee
Mood: Cozy and sweet
Source: Cinnamon Budapest Facebook
STIKA
The breakfast place for the party district. Loud flavors, bold pairings, alcohol in the morning, but as can be expected, using high-quality ingredients only. This was one of the first places to serve breakfast all day, and they keep their brunch up until 6 PM. This is the raunchiest and most American style brunch: pancakes smothered in maple syrup, bagels, crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, hash browns, big old watery coffee, the whole works. If you like American breakfast, head on over to STIKA.
Price range: Low
Specialties: bagels, bacon, eggs, pancakes
Mood: Little bit touristy, very much midtown
Source: Stika Budapest Facebook
Á Table
Á table is a French restaurant that specializes in pastries and French snacks like quiche or pies. It is the best place for coffee and pastries, and they have several stands, mostly in Buda. Their breakfast is refined, delicious, and very affordable. The only boulangerie in Budapest, highly recommended for fans of light, tasty breakfasts.
Price range: Low
Specialties: Cakes, quiches, and of course, croissants!
Mood: Laid back, easy-going and fun.
Source: Á Table Budapest Facebook
New York Café
Definitely the most high-profile mention on this list. The New York Café hosts an intercontinental breakfast that lasts until late. This building is a throwback to the days of cafés and Art Deco, so this is a historic place, and the atmosphere exudes the faded elegance of the roaring 20s. Imagine a real, old-school hotel breakfast, where you can feel like you are having breakfast in the last days of the Monarchy, and then hit the city, as the New York Café is located in the center of Budapest.
Price range: High end
Specialties: Continental breakfast
Mood: Art Deco; Steampunk, without the punk.
Source: New York Cafe website
Déryné
One of the first places to do brunch in Budapest, Déryné is a classy, yet unmistakably local bistro. Easy foods and a lovable atmosphere, supplying trendy ingredients, geared towards the local elite. Their breakfast menu has been making a splash recently, and you will not be too shocked to hear that they also have a claim to the best coffee in Budapest. Their Sunday brunch is the talk of the town and is served until 4 pm. But this place is also great for lunch or dinner, and they have a wide selection of steak and have their own bakery that they are very proud of.
Price range: Middle/high
Specialties: Oyster and seafood with a glass of bubbly.
Mood: Chic, metropolitan
Source: Déryné Bistro Facebook
Kuglóf
Kuglóf is a sweet and tiny spot that specializes in baked goods. Part café, part bakery, and all about your sweet tooth, this place does breakfast Italian style: awesome coffee, sweet pastries, cakes, and maybe an egg or two as well. They serve brunch until 2 PM on the weekend, but until 11:30 on the weekdays, which is quite exceptional for Budapest. Their breakfast platters are perfectly assembled and very well rounded and will have you filled up ‘till dinner.
Price range: Low/medium
Specialties: Loaded croissants. Try one, thank us later.
Mood: Sophisticated, intellectual café
Source: Kuglóf Budapest Facebook
London Coffee Society
So this one is for all you jittery caffeine addicts, who simply MUST have a cup of java before you continue your day. The London Coffee Society’s place in Budapest has filter coffee, cold drip, and pretty much every variation of the “black soup”, and is perhaps the best specialty coffee shop in Budapest. Their wise owners know that most people will only eat breakfast in a café, and they have set up accordingly, with poached eggs, eggs benedict, and special ready-to-make omelets.
Price range: Low
Specialties: Coffee, omelets
Mood: Blue bar
Source: London Coffee Society Facebook
Zoska
A very cute and typical bistro of the kind that is trending nowadays, much to everyone’s delight. Friendly, cozy, healthy, and with wide enough variety, but an emphasis on high-quality ingredients and handmade craftsman sensibilities. They do brunch on the weekend, but you can pop in for a traditional breakfast any time. Although they only have 6 breakfast options, the ambiance and wonderful selection of tea will keep them interesting.
Price range: Low
Specialties: Hungarian “french toast” (it is savory, and served with sour cream and garlic), tea
Mood: Super cute
Source: Zoska Reggeliző Kávézó
