Author: Budablogger

Blogger who wrote a Budapest blog, but once it ceased to exist I moved my previously written blog posts to the Budapest Guide. In other words, these posts were not originally written for the guide, but the posts were moved here as I stopped updating the Budapest blog.
Good books about Budapest

Good books about Budapest

Posted on by Budablogger

There are lots of good books about Budapest out on the market, but it is not always so easy to find them. If you are a tourist you will probably find yourself looking for a travel guide with maps and useful information on the inside. If you are an expat living in Budapest you might be looking for historical books which will give you deeper insight in the culture, and if you love a good novel you might be looking for a good book which has a story that takes place in Budapest.

If you fit into any of the categories mentioned we have recommendations and some titles we believe might be interesting to you. You will not find all of these books in bookstores in Budapest, so therefore we add links to where you can order all the books online from Amazon.com. And do not forget to buy yourself a bottle of wine suitable to the book, because that will make the feeling even more authentic. Don’t get it? In Alexandra Bookstore in Budapest on Andrassy avenue they have a beautiful bookstore, a nice confectionery and a wine store. In the wine store they have a small booklet where they recommend wines to the different books mentioned in the booklet. So when you buy a book, you also get a bottle of wine and enjoy the two of them together. If you read this article somewhere outside Hungary it will be hard for you to get hold of Hungarian wine, but then you can either buy some local wine instead, or maybe just a good cup of coffee or some hot chocolate. Most important; enjoy your reading and enjoy the book!

Budapest Noir is a great book about Budapest
Budapest Noir is a great book about Budapest

Seven good books about Budapest

Rick Steves’ Budapest
In this travel guide you will find the thoughts of the author on Budapest and its attractions, restaurants, activities spiced up with maps, practical advices and some excursion information. There are lots of pictures added to the texts, and if you want to walk with a book in your hands as you get to know Budapest on your own, this might very well be it!

Order the book from Amazon.com: Rick Steves’ Budapest

Budapest Noir: A Novel
This is a novel written by the Hungarian writer Vilmos Kondor, born in 1954. He has studied in Paris (at Sorbonne) and after that returned to Hungary. Budapest Noir is his first novel which has been praised by both Hungarian and foreigners. In this book you will get to know Zsigmond Gordon who feels like both Clark Kent and Sherlock Holmes at the same time. The story is set to the mid 1930s, and it „offers a haunting social and political critique, empowering us not to forget the emergence of one of history’s darkest moments: the rise of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.”

Order the book from Amazon.com: Budapest Noir: A Novel

The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II
Maybe you have read many books about the Second World War, but very few of them focus on Hungary and on the battles taking place in Budapest. In this book written by Krisztian Ungvary you will get much more insight in the battle which describes one of the fiercest battles of World War II; the siege of Budapest. Both Stalin and Hitler demanded victory at all costs, and the cost was extreme: 80,000 Soviet troops, 38,000 German and Hungarian soldiers, and 38,000 Hungarian civilians perished. The book provides the first full account of this shocking battle.

Order the book from Amazon.com: The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II

Culinaria Hungary
In this book you will find 320 pages filled with information about the Hungarian gastronomy. You will get to know more about local traditions in different parts of Hungary and of course specialties and various details. But, the book does not only contain dry information. It also includes beautiful pictures and of course good recipes. If you are interested in the Hungarian cuisine, this is probably the book you are looking for. The book is written by Aniko Gergely.

Order this book from Amazon.com: Culinaria Hungary

Prague: A Novel
No, it is not a mistake. Even though the cover photo of the book feature the Charles Bridge in Prague, and the title is Prague: A Novel, the story of the book takes place in Budapest. The story is about five expats who come to Budapest in the 1990s to seek their fortune, and also get an answer to their suspicion that Prague is a bit better. This book written by Arthur Phillips is not a personal favorite, but if this sounds like something you would like to read, then why not!

Order the book from Amazon.com: Prague: A Novel

Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
October 23rd and the following days shook the world in 1956. The Hungarians stood up against the Communist rulers and impacted the world. In this book you will get to know the story of the Hungarian revolution, get to know what happened when, and also get to know the parts of the city where the most important events took place. You can say it like this that “Twelve Days adds immeasurably to our understanding of this historic event and reminds us of the unquenchable human desire for freedom.”

Order this book from Amazon.com: Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution (Vintage)

The Will to Survive: A History of Hungary
There are lots of books about the history of Hungary on the market, and most of them are written by Hungarians. This book is not written by a Hungarian. While some people judge the book because of that, others claim that the greatness of this book is exactly the fact that it is not written by a Hungarian. John Lukacs writes the following: “There are occasions when the sympathetic and interested eye of a foreigner may penetrate the jungle of confusing events and complicated sentiments with a clarity of vision amounting to something more than the antiseptic desideratum of “objectivity”. Such is the case with The Will to Survive. Many professional historians, including Hungarians, could learn from the judgments of this former guest in their midst.” If you want to know the Hungarian history in details that will make your tourist guide look at you with big eyes and maybe start asking you questions instead, this book might be it!

Order this book from Amazon.com: The Will to Survive: A History of Hungary (Columbia/Hurst)

Prime Steakhouse Budapest review

Posted on by Budablogger

My wife took me out for dinner by a surprise last Tuesday and she wanted to take me to a restaurant where I had not been before. That is how we ended up in Prime Steakhouse. I had seen promotion for the restaurant on Facebook earlier and hear a lot of good feedback, but I was curious whether I would enjoy the place myself, or not.

It was a day with icy roads and some snow falling from the sky so I was very happy as we arrived safely to the area, found a parking lot and got inside the restaurant. The interior is very modern and elegant with a bar area in the middle where you can sit and have a drink before, after or during your meal, or maybe instead of a meal. We sat down and the waiters were ready to serve us from the first moment on.

My wife ordered a 180g filet mignon from New Zealand while I ordered a classic hamburger. My wife likes the steak well done, but in most places the steak turns hard as iron as they prepare it. She asked the waiter what he recommended and explained that she had to have her steak well done. The waiter recommended the filet mignon from New Zealand. Next to the steak she ordered grilled vegetables and green pepper sauce.

Juicy hamburger in Prime Steakhouse

Before our main course arrived they served us some fresh bread with special butter and some sort of patee. It was so delicious that I said that if we just get some more bread, butter and patee we can skip the steak and hamburger. After a while the steak and the burger came and we ate our first bites. Did my wife enjoy her well done steak? Absolutely! She is already looking forward to her next chance to eat it again! The hamburger? Enormous and tasty. I was completely satisfied and after eating all of  it – extremely full. However I do enjoy a good dessert and so does my wife. We therefore ordered a chocolate souffle and a cottage cheese cake. The chocolate souffle was amazing and the cottage cheese cake was nice (though nothing I will remember for a long time).

Prime Steakhouse judgment

I have been a frequent visitor of Pampas Steakhouse and I have also been to La Pampa a couple of times. I enjoy both the places, but it might be that Prime Steakhouse has become my new favorite. If my wallet was to decide I would probably go for Pampas or La Pampa as they are a bit cheaper. But, if you want high quality and you are willing to pay for it, then Prime Steakhouse is the play to go as you are guaranteed great service, brilliant food in an elegant environment.

I almost forgot, but in Prime Steakhouse they introduce their desserts in a great way. They have a special plate with real life models of the desserts on the menu. In that way you can see what the potential desserts look like and listen as the waiter promote the different options. We were supposed to only have one dessert (together), but after looking at the desserts available we ordered two instead!

All in all we paid 15,000 HUF for the steak (180g), hamburger (250g) with potatoes, grilled vegetables, green pepper sauce, chocolate souffle, cottage cheese cake and drinks (one ginger ale, some water and a lemonade). The 12% service fee is included in the bill as you pay.

Prime Steakhouse has a modern and elegant interior

Prime Steakhouse information

Tlf: + 36 70 331 86 66
Address: 1051 Budapest Sas utca 18.
Opening times: 12.00-00.00 (closed on Sundays)

My top 3 Budapest winter hotels

Posted on by Budablogger

It’s January and it’s cold outside. The wind is blowing and even though the thermometer shows a temperature of 4 Celsius, it feels like minus 10 and I dream of a hot chocolate and some warm goulash soup. When life is like that and its winter, where should I stay in Budapest?

The following three hotels are great throughout the entire year, but I believe that during the winter these will work exceptionally well.

Marriott

The five star hotel located by the Danube most be an ideal place to live during winter time in Budapest. The hotel has great indoor opportunities, so you can for example visit the gym and be healthy while watching the beautiful panorama. The hotel also has SPA area where you can get treatments, relax in a sauna and take a swim. Inside the hotel you can find the great Peppers! restaurant and I do not need to say that the location is perfect. All windows look towards the Danube and as always with Marriott, this hotel also provide excellence and quality!

Homepage: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/budhu-budapest-marriott-hotel/
Book a room: booking.com

Marriott Budapest

Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal

The hotel has several years in a row been voted to be the most luxurious of all Budapest hotels. From the first minute you enter the hotel you will feel surrounded by luxury and great service. The Royal SPA will treat you as a royal guest and you might even bump into a celebrity or two if you are lucky. Inside the building you will find Szamos, a nice place for some traditional Hungarian cakes and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and you will also find an upper class Hungarian restaurant, Bock Bistro. Guaranteed luxury and if you need help with transportation from the hotel to anywhere in the city they have great service provided by taxi drivers you can trust.

Homepage: http://www.corinthia.com/en/Budapest/home/
Book a room: booking.com

Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal

Eurostars Budapest Center

The two hotels first mentioned both have five stars. In the winter time five star hotels in Budapest can get quite cheap, but if you would like a cheaper stay then Eurostars Budapest Center is a great option. It is central, modern and good breakfast. As you leave the building you will only have to walk for 4 minutes and you will find yourself surrounded by fashion stores in the shopping street Váci utca. This hotel has not got the luxury of Marriott or Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, but it is perfect for those on a lower budget who only require a hotel with nice breakfast, nice rooms and a good location!

Homepage: http://www.eurostarsbudapestcenter.com/EN/hotel.html
Book a room: booking.com

Eurostars Budapest Center

The hardest choice was whether I should pick La Prima Fashion Hotel or Eurostars Budapest Center as the one four star hotel to be featured. I ended up with Eurostars Budapest Center, but if you want to live a bit more expensive just next to the shopping street in a modern and new four star hotel, choose La Prima Fashion Hotel instead.

Have you got any favorite hotel in Budapest? Please share your thoughts and experiences!

Why (unemployed) Hungarians need to get busy blogging!

Posted on by Budablogger

Hungary is a nation where many people have problem finding jobs and once they find a job, the salaries are not the way you want them to be. Based on these two facts I believe that Hungarians need to get busy blogging.

For most people a blog will not bring an awesome income within seconds and minutes, but if you anyway look for a job, spend an hour or two a day to work on a blog. I will not get into every little detail on how this can be done (I will rather refer to other sites with information on those subjects), but here are some things that should be considered. Before you start I must say that English skills are absolutely preferred, because English speaking blogs have a greater potential both when it comes to audience and money, but if the Hungarian language is all you’ve got, go for it in Hungarian.

Why should I start blogging?

If you are a Hungarian and you believe that some extra money would come handy, then a blog might help you to do so. Not long ago I read an article named „7 reasons why unemployed should start blogging.” If you are out there looking for a job you have spare time left (while the other people work). Instead of hanging out at the local bar drinking, spend some hours a day writing a blog. To write a blog you need knowledge, so as you dig for information on articles you are to write, you will keep your brain going and grow your knowledge (instead of your stomach in the local pub). An unemployed person will often feel lack of motivation, but a blog can give you a reason to wake up in the morning again. As you go looking for a jobs it can have a positive effect that you can refer to a blog you are writing, because it proofs that you are talented and that you can get things going (employees like that).

It will take time, but in some months a blog can start to give you some income. This of course depends on the quality of your blog and amount of visitors, but if you get things going, there is for sure potential in blogging. If you consider the fact that many Hungarians earn about 300 Euro per month, with some talent and hard work you can start earning similar money with time. But patience is important. It is very easy to give up, but again – if you are unemployed and have spare time, then you have time to blog and if not for the money, then at least to keep yourself going!

What can I write about?

I have no clue, but hopefully you have a clue. What are you interested in? Write about food, write about recipes, write about public transportation, write about shopping, write about what you do as you wait for the train in the morning, write inspirational texts, write an unemployment blog… whatever! There are subjects you can write about which are worth more money than others if you consider it from a Google ad point of view (see: Earn money with your blog), but the most important is that you write about something you are interested in.

It is one thing to create a blog, but the hard work really starts once you get it going. Blogging is not easy money, so if you thought so, forget about it! Once your blog is online you need to spread the word about it and you need to keep it fresh and updated. Building relationships and networking with other bloggers might in fact require more time in the start than creation of content, but to reach success you need a mixture of both. A great place to start is with your friends on Facebook. Invite them all to check out your blog and inspire them all to regularly check out what’s going on and to share your content with their friends again. If what you write about is good it can easily spread as fire as people start sharing your content with their friends and on their social networks!

Blogging as a hobby

I have so far only mentioned blogging as a great activity for unemployed. However blogging can be a great hobby for people with good jobs as well. Blogging can be a way of doing further research on subjects you are interested in and it can be a great way of sharing your heart and thoughts with the rest of the world. Maybe in the future the blog you are about to create will make you earn more money than what your normal job does today. Who knows?

This recommendation about creating a blog is first of all there for the unemployed Hungarians. Get your buts out of the chair and start doing something, and a blog is a great way to start.

Budapest in February

Posted on by Budablogger

After January comes February and with February comes another month not listed as a favorite month among those working with tourists. And that is why February can be such a great month to visit Budapest – you will be a treasured guest in this period of the year!

First of all Budapest welcomes you with great hotel prices in February. I just checked some prices writing this article and if I would look for a five star hotel in Budapest in February I could get 4 nights in Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal Budapest (often said to be the most luxurious five star hotel in Budapest) for only 280 Euro. This is a special price, because normally other five star hotels cost about 110 Euro per night in this period, but still; you can get some amazing prices on Budapest hotels if you come in February.

Programs in Budapest in February

As you arrive to Budapest in February you should not expect loads of programs to wait for you. The traditional folklore performances have still not really started, so if you want to see some traditional Hungarian folklore you better visit a restaurant with folklore shows. An example of such a restaurant is Matyas Pince as they have folklore shows every Wednesday and Thursday. The restaurant is not at all my favorite restaurant, but if you want traditional food combined with gipsy music and folklore, it works.

There are river cruises on the Danube every day in February. If you stroll along the Danube you will find different offers. If you are going on such a cruise, make sure to do it in the evening, that is when you get the ultimate Budapest by night experience.

SPA and shopping

February is a cold month with an average temperature of 0 Celsius, so if you are freezing and want some hours with 100% relaxation, then a SPA treatment could do you well. If you book a cheap five star hotel know that you can find much cheaper treatments around than inside your hotel. You could for example consider a visit to Szechenyi Furdo to enjoy hot springs and a massage there, or you can visit one of the private SPAs around in Budapest. The city has thai massage, traditional massage and lots of beauty saloons around, so there are plenty to choose from.

February is a great month to visit one of the many shopping malls in Budapest. Inside these you can spend hour upon hour just looking around, especially if you are a girl/lady. The biggest center is Arena Plaza and here you can also grab some nice food, drink a coffee in Starbucks, buy groceries in Tesco and why not see a new film in the VIP cinema where you can eat as much popcorn and drink as much as you want, it’s included in the price. That is a perfect February activity!

Mangalica festival

Mangalitsa, mangalitza, mangalica or curly-hair hog, call it and write it whatever way you feel like, but if you want to get to know a part of Hungarian gastronomy that is important, the mangalica festival is a great place to go in February. At the festival you can of course eat a lot of mangalica sausage, salami and ham, drink a lot of Palinka and other Hungarians goodies and get to meet with other locals and tourists. The festival is arranged at the Szabadsag square (not far from the Hungarian Parliament) from February 8th – 10th in 2013. The entrance is free, so you should absolutely check it out, because this is the only large festival and event like this arranged in Budapest in February.

A good advice in general is to use the opportunity as you visit Budapest in February to eat in a lot of restaurants and to taste a whole lot of Hungarian specialties. Why not go to a wine tasting or Palinka tasting? Another trendy activity are cooking schools. There are quite a lot of them around in Budapest as of know and in these you get to prepare Hungarian food together with an experienced cook. As the food is prepared you can of course eat it together with your friends.

Maybe you have a secret wish to know more about how the Hungarians live and what they eat? If so I just noticed a great program named family visit.” The family invite you to their home where they prepare traditional food for you, chat with you (as best as they can) and you can see what a normal Hungarian home looks like.

Thoughts on the weather in February

It can be very cold, but if you are lucky you can catch days with 5-10 Celsius. Check out the weather forecast before your arrival, and a good advice is to have a warm jacket in your suitcase. If it gets cold, it can get really cold!

Three restaurants I would visit in Budapest as a tourist

Posted on by Budablogger

Yesterday I received a question on Facebook from one of the many Budapest blog followers on Facebook. She is coming to Budapest with her boyfriend in February and wondered if I could recommend 2-3 bars/restaurants worth visiting.

I have not selected these three restaurants because I believe them to be the best three of Budapest (except from the last restaurant listed), but because I believe they will give any tourist an experience they will remember for a long time.

Trofea Grill

I would for sure visit Trófea Grill if I came to Budapest for the first time. The restaurant gives you an experience you will remember for a long time as you can eat and drink as much as you want, for a set price. I have now eaten in Trófea Grill at least 25-30 times so it is not that great experience anymore, but I still remember the feeling the first time I visited the restaurant.

Sir Lancelot

I am not really sure about this one, but I still decide to mention it. I am not a personal fan of Sir Lancelot, however I have spoken to hundreds of tourists who simply love the place. I have even read tourist guides mentioned Sir Lancelot not only as a restaurant, but as an attraction worth visiting in Budapest. Here you can enjoy a medieval atmosphere and large plates with lots of food. Yet another experience you will remember for a long time, maybe not because of the food, but because of the overall atmosphere.

MAK Bistro

Trofea Grill and Sir Lancelot have good food, but if you want awesome food I would go for MAK Bistro. It is for sure among the top 5 restaurants in Budapest, but it is still easier to get a table here than if you would want to visit Onyx or Costes. The price level is also better. The ingredients used are excellent and you will always be surprised as you visit the place. Even though the food is fantastic make sure to leave space for the dessert, because those are simply stunning in MAK Bistro.

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If any of our readers want to come with other advices or maybe disagree with my advices, feel free to do so as you write a comment!

Il Basilico review

Posted on by Budablogger

Not far from St Stephen’s Basilica the Italian restaurant Il Basilico can be found. It has a nice terrace outside on warmer days and a somewhat Italian atmosphere on the inside. What about the food?

I visited Il Basilico recently and we ordered a Bruschetta (starter), a pizza with ham and mushroom and a lasagne (main course) and for dessert a Panna Cotta and a Millefoglie. We sat down on the inside (it is cold in Budapest in January) and the waiter politely came and asked all the normal questions. Food was served quickly, but while waiting we had some time to take a closer look at the interior. It had an Italian feeling to it, but it was not a 100% Italian feeling, and if I had to choose an Italian restaurant in Budapest based on interior, I would probably never choose Il Basilico. But again, what about the food?

Il Basilico – Bruschetta: An okay starter, but nothing special

The Bruschetta turned out to be a fine starter. It didn’t really taste anything special (worth remembering), but it was okay. I love pizza so I ordered the Prosciutto e Funghi pizza, while my wife tried the Lasagne. Il Basilico wants to be an Italian restaurant and therefore the pizza is served in a traditional Italian way; thin bottom and quite strong tomato sauce feeling. I am picky when it comes to pizza and I must admit that visiting Italy I did not really enjoy the pizzas I ate there either, so I guess I might be the problem myself (not Il Basilico). Personally I have many places in Budapest where I’d rather eat a pizza than in Il Basilico.

Pizza in Il Basilico in Budapest

The lasagne often turns out to be a great challenge in restaurants. Often it only taste tomatoes, so we were both skeptical before tasting. Surprisingly the lasagne was good and my wife enjoyed it to the last bite.

We were both full after eating our main courses, but even though you are full, there is still space for dessert. We ordered a Panna Cotta with raspberrysauce and a Millefoglia. The Panna Cotta tasted the way it is supposed to taste… the Millefoglia became the surprise of the day. It first looked like whipped cream, but upon tasting it reminded me of cottage cheese. It was a giant portion, so after tasting and eating both desserts no space was left for anything.

The final bill was about 7000 HUF and that also included two drinks.

I would gladly eat this dessert once more!

Il Basilico information

Address: 1065 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 31.
Telephone: +36 30 280 2400
Website: http://www.facebook.com/ilbasilicobudapest

Budapest Bisztro review

Posted on by Budablogger

It is a strange phenomena in Budapest. Either you visit a traditional Hungarian restaurant with giant portions and average quality or you visit a gourmet Hungarian restaurant who alter the traditional courses and make something completely else out of them. Can Budapest Bisztro change this phenomena?

Last week I finally got to visit Budapest Bisztro with my wife. I had been looking forward to visit the place for a while as I had seen the ads on Facebook and they have made me curious about whether the legendary goulash soup really is as legendary as they claim.

Budapest Bisztró is located between the Liberty Square and the Hungarian Parliament, a very nice location, even though it is a bit outside the main tourist area. The interior of the restaurant is highly modern and it should absolutely be listed as one of the nicer restaurants in Budapest based on its look. Upon arrival they at once showed us our table and from our table we could even look at the chefs as they were cooking… cool!

The food at Budapest Bisztró

The first impression was good, but a restaurant should first of all be known for its food. What did we order? We ordered a portion of the legen — (wait for it) –- dary (if you have seen How I Met Your Mother you know what I mean) goulash soup as a starter, followed by two traditional Hungarian courses, chicken paprika with dumplings (Chicken paprika stew with Hungarian style homemade egg dumpling brulee) and bakonyi (Sous-vide method countryside chicken breast in its own skin, served with vegetables finished with a forest mushroom sauce). Next to one of the main courses we ordered a cucumber salad. For dessert we ordered a classic cottage cheese ball.

The goulash soup was served with home made strong paprika. The portion of soup was nice and it was really tasty. It might not be the best goulash soup I have tasted ever, but it was for sure a good one and can be warmly recommended.

I had high expectations for the main courses. Chicken paprika is one of my personal favorites, and I was not let down in Budapest Bisztro. This was not the giant portion like in many traditional Hungarian restaurants, but it was not the super small portion either, like in many gourmet restaurants. It was just perfect and an interesting thing was that you got to taste different kinds of chicken (both liver, leg and breast) together with the delicious paprika sauce. The dumplings were brilliant!

Both meals had the same in common that the chicken itself was really tasty (even without the sauces), so all honor to the chefs for their job. The mushroom sauce that came with the other meal was brilliant, though I would have enjoyed a bit more of it on my plate. Maybe next time?

The dessert was the way it is supposed to be, and my wife who is a really big fan of a sweet and tasty cottage cheese ball for dessert enjoyed it. She said it was just perfect (normally the cottage cheese or the sour cream is not sweet enough, but this time she did not say a word).

My wife loved these cottage cheese balls

Final judgment

We finally got to visit Budapest Bisztro and we are very glad we did so. For those looking for a place in Budapest to eat the traditional Hungarian dishes in an authentic way, but still with focus on high quality, Budapest Bisztro is the place. For the dishes described in this article and two drinks we paid totally 12,000 HUF (10% service fee was included in the price). Not the cheapest, but I guess you have to pay for the quality. If you have the money and want to eat traditional Hungarian courses at its best, check out this place.

Ps: The restaurant is open from 7.30 in the morning until 24.00. In the morning you can enjoy a solid breakfast in the restaurant. During lunch time you can get good lunch offers costing about 1250 HUF and after lunch time you simply order from the menu, just like we did.

Budapest Bisztro seen from the outside

Budapest Bisztro information

1054 Budapest, Vécsey utca 3.
Tel: +36 1 783 0788

Bookstore Cafés and Cinema Coffee Houses in Budapest

Posted on by Budablogger

As a fanatic reader and tea lover I love the bookstores in Budapest that have a café inside. One of my favorite activities on a Saturday afternoon is to pull up a chair and to start reading a good book while enjoying my cup of tea with a slice of cake in one of the bookstore cafés. These are a few of my favorite bookstore cafés that I would like to share with you:

Massolit ( Nagy Diófa utca 30): This café and English bookstore café offers interesting books in the area of politics, history and Jewish studies and has a great selection of non-fiction books as well. Besides that they serve delicious cookies and tea and coffee in various seasonal blends. Massolit has a cozy and antique interior with turquoise wooden windows and black and granite tiles.

Litea (Hess András tér 4): It is pretty large with big bookshelves containing a lot of books to choose from! The books are available in many foreign languages. You can end up spending hours at this place, sitting down to write postcards to your loved ones (they have these lovely arty Budapest postcards), reading a book and enjoying many cups of tea or coffee.

Treehugger Dan’s (Csengery utca 48): This is a little but cozy bookstore. Here you can enjoy tasty Fair Trade teas and coffees while you already start to read the book that you would like to buy. This bookstore café does not give you the feeling that you have to buy a book. It is fine to sit down and to wind down after a busy workday by enjoying a good book and a cup of tea.


Cinema Coffee Houses in Budapest

If you are a movie lover instead of a bookworm (or both) then Budapest has a lot to offer for you as well. You can of course visit the many cinemas in Budapest (foreign movies are subtitled, so you can enjoy the latest movies here). However, you can also go to the following cinema coffee houses where you can besides enjoying your drinks also watch a movie with your friends.

Toldi Mozi cinema and coffee house (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 36-38): Many times they show movies in English. It has a laid-back atmosphere and the colorful couches bring a touch of happiness into the room.

Kino Art cinema and coffee house (Szent István körút 16) : This cinema and coffee house is located next to the Víg Theatre on Szent István Avenue. Here you can watch the latest independent movies. They bake delicious homemade cakes and tarts in the café that are definitely worth a try once you are there. It is a nice place to drop by, to watch a movie and to discuss it with your friends over a glass of wine, cup of coffee or a beer. It has a friendly atmosphere and once you have visited this place you will never stop going there.


Chocobar for the chocoholics

Chocobar Noir (Csengery utca 48): If you are not a tea or coffee lover but you love chocolate then you definitely have to go to Café Noir! You will love it! It has all sorts of chocolates and chocolate drinks. So if you are a chocoholic, what more do I need to say? Let’s go!

 

These were my recommendations. Now I will make a nice cup of tea for myself, because writing about tea makes me want to drink a good cup of tea! If you have other favorite bookstore cafés or cinema coffee houses, please share your recommendations by commenting on this article.

 

 

 

 

Identity Thief in Budapest cinemas

Posted on by Budablogger

Last Thursday Identity Thief had its premiere in Budapest cinemas. This is a comedy which has the potential in it to bring a smile to your face, so if you are ready to laugh and to relax for 110 minutes, you could consider watching this film.

Recently we have written about films such as the Hobbit, James Bond and Die Hard in Budapest cinemas. Identity Thief is something completely different! This is a comedy with Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy as the main characters. The main character, a nice family guy, gets his identity stolen by a crazy lady who later spends all his money. Due to bureaucracy and a slow police he decides to go after the lady himself and that is what the film is about.

Nowadays I somehow feel as if it is very hard to produce a good comedy. That is why I personally enjoyed Identity Thief a whole lot. It was not a new favorite, but still I had a very good time watching the film and in fact the entire story of the film was enjoyable.

If I had to choose between watching Die Hard 5 and Identity Thief for the second time I am quite sure I would choose the latter. Not sure which film to watch? Take a look at the Identity Thief trailer to see if the film might be something for you.

Have you seen it? What do you think?