Good Timing

The Csészényi Kávézó serves up a little romance and a rich cup of joe.

Csészényi Kávézó
1013 Budapest
Krisztina krt. 34.

Years ago there was this incredibly old storefront on Krisztina krt. that belonged to a watchmaker; while it had been seemingly closed for years when I saw it, the window was crammed with the paraphernalia of the watchmaking dynasty of the Brill family. I was glad I could see this fading piece of the 1st district before its complete departure.

The Csészényi Kávézó saved and included pieces of that history when it renovated the storefront - you can see some metal plaques and a funky old clock mounted on the wall which ostensibly belonged to the watchmaker. But this cozy little coffeehouse has also collected all kinds of old fashioned coffee grinders, signs and other antiquities to add to it's small-yet-cozy atmosphere.

The Csészényi uses gourmet-roasted coffee beans which offer up a much better than average kávé than most you'll find in Budapest. I had both a ristretto (HUF 340) - devilishly rocket-fuelish - as well as a 'long coffee' which was anything but watery (HUF 290). The carrot cake (HUF 380) was probably made somewhere else, but tasty.

Honestly, this is not the best place to go in summer as it can be a bit stuffy in warm weather, but it does have some booths out in front of the coffeehouse. I would recommend the Csészényi Kávézó as a great place for a business meeting or heart-to-heart with that friend you haven't seen for a long time.