Opened in 1894 on the ground floor of the New York Palace on the Grand Boulevard, it was the haunt of writers such as Karinthy, Kosztolányi and Molnár, who wrote The Paul Street Boys here; the gilded, frescoed hall with marble columns and chandeliers is often called the most beautiful café in the world.
- Address
- Erzsébet körút 9-11, 1073 Budapest
- Hours
- Mon-Wed 07:00-24:00, Thu-Sun 07:00-01:00
- Best time to go
- Morning, Late night · About 1.5 h
- Price
- Official menu (April 2026): half of the items cost HUF 4,550-8,750, and a 15% service charge is added to the bill
- Price level
- Ft Ft Ft
Details can change. Check hours and prices before you go.
Good to know
- Tables can only be booked for dinner after 18:00; before that it is first come, first served, and the queue is shortest at 07:00-09:00 and 22:00-24:00 and longest at 09:00-14:00.
- Book dinner 2-3 weeks ahead; there is no dress code, but avoid flip-flops and beachwear.
- Outside, look for Mihály Kolodko's tiny statue of a diver holding the key that legend says was thrown into the Danube so the café would never close.