“Life happens, coffee helps”, but finding a really good coffee when you travel can be challenging. In the city centre you are in luck, because some of the best specialty coffee shops of Budapest are right there. Whether you prefer a creamy flat white, a cortado or a filter coffee, let me show you my favourites around the Central Market Hall.
A tour guide who is also a barista
Specialty coffee means carefully sourced, freshly roasted beans, prepared by baristas who really care about what ends up in your cup. I can say this first hand, because I’m not only your tour guide, I have become a barista too. Now I see even more of what makes a really good coffee, from bean to cup, so these are the places I would take a friend to myself.
Ohana - the coffee family
1053 Budapest, Kálvin square 3.
Ohana means family in Hawaiian, and that’s exactly the feeling of this cheerful coffee shop on Kálvin square, a short walk from the Market Hall. It belongs to a friend of mine, and they are a really professional team. They have their own coffee roasted, and I love their names too: Apo means hug in Hawaiian, Mahalo means thank you, and of course there is Aloha. These are high quality specialty beans, area-selected, hand-picked and roasted in small batches for filter coffee or espresso. You can enjoy them with cakes, pastries and sandwiches, and you can choose plant-based milk too. It’s a perfect stop to take a break in this busy part of the city.
MERON - Specialty Coffee & Brunch
1053 Budapest, Kecskeméti street 8.
I really love Meron, just a few steps from Kálvin square. You can have great conversations here, the team is so kind and the brunch menu is really good too. This specialty coffee shop started in Cluj, Romania, and has its own roastery, with coffees coming directly from the farms. The filter coffee lab is the star of the place, where every coffee has its own recipe, and rare coffees like a Panamanian Geisha can also appear on the menu. Scan the QR code on your cup to see where your coffee comes from. The interior is calm and Scandinavian, so it’s a lovely place to slow down.
Csupor
1052 Budapest, Galamb street 4.
“Csupor” is an old Hungarian word for a mug, and this little coffee shop feels like home. It’s run by Hungarian Olympic swimmers Boglárka Telegdy-Kapás and Ádám Telegdy, just off Vigadó square and the Danube promenade. It’s a bright, white, minimalist place where you can really slow down. Try a specialty coffee with a toasted sourdough sandwich, a pistachio sweet or a tiramisu. One funny detail: you won’t find any sugar here, if you would like your coffee a bit sweeter, they offer honey instead.
Madal Cafe
1053 Budapest, Ferenciek square 3.
Just off the bustling Ferenciek square, Madal is waiting for you with a small island of peace and a super coffee. “Good coffee. Good karma”, as their motto says. Madal roasts its own coffee, and the seasonal selection changes regularly, so there is always something new to try. The two-storey coffee shop is much more spacious than most specialty places in the city, so it’s a good choice if you would like to sit down for a while, inside or on the terrace.
Apricot Coffee
1088 Budapest, Bródy Sándor street 17.
In the charming Palace Quarter, close to the Hungarian National Museum, you’ll find Apricot Coffee, serving the neighbourhood since 2016. Choose an espresso-based coffee or try an AeroPress or a V60, with plant-based milk if you like. It’s also a lovely place for breakfast, with vegan and paleo desserts. Sitting outside on a sunny day, you will feel far from the crowds of the Market Hall, even though you are so close.
Good to know
Specialty coffee shops often close earlier than you might expect. Csupor and Apricot Coffee close around 4-5 PM, and Apricot Coffee is closed on Sundays, so plan your coffee break for the morning or early afternoon. Opening hours checked in November 2026.
Budapest offers many amazing coffee shops all around the city, and these are my favourites around the Central Market Hall. So after you have tasted your way through the Market Hall, treat yourself to a really good coffee. Enjoy!
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