Gerbeaud Cafe

The famous Gerbeaud Cafe on Vörösmarty Square in downtown Budapest looks back to more than 150 years of history.

It’s rather touristy, crowded and slightly overpriced but it’s worth a visit for the classic coffee house ambience.

The cakes and desserts, including some Hungarian classics like

• the Dobos torte,
• Gerbeaud pastry,
• Eszterházy torte are delicious, made with care, but they’re quite pricey.

Henrik Kugler established the coffee house in 1858 on today’s Vörösmarty tér in the heart of Pest. Since Kugler didn’t have a heir, he sold the cafe to Emil Gerbeaud descendant of a talented Swiss confectioner family.

Gerbeaud expanded the cafe and developed into one of Europe’s finest coffee house and pastry shop. He added new cakes to the menu and introduced modern confectionery techniques.

Gerbeaud even founded a small chocolate factory where the legendary pralines and other sweets were made.

Coffee house culture thrived in 19th-century Budapest, with almost every street having its own cafe. Gerbeaud stood out from them by elegant decor, and by offering a wide choice of delicious cakes.

The silk-carpeted walls, the crystal chandeliers, gilded tables exuded style that drew people from the highest social stratas.

Everyone who counted at that time visited the place, including the Habsburg royal family and many foreigners.

Sissy, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph and Queen of Hungary always dropped in the Gerbeaud cafe when she was in Budapest.

Unfortunately the two world wars ruined the coffee house culture including the Gerbeaud. After Emil Gerbeaud died in 1919, his wife managed the establishment until her death 1940.

The two son-in-laws inherited the business who left the country in 1945.

The state took over the ownership of the cafe during the communist era and renamed it Vörösmarty Cafe after the square where it stands.

After the II. World War the Gerbeaud cafe continued to be the most exclusive coffee house and confectionery in Budapest though lots some of its old grandeur.

In 1984 the Gerbeaud family managed to buy back the cafe and its original name.

• Mon – Thurs: 09.00 – 20.00
• Fri, Sat: 09.00 – 21.00
• Sun: 09.00 – 20.00

During summer the terrace facing Vörösmarty square and Váci utca is a great place to while away with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

Gerbeaud’s specialties include famous cakes, such as Esterházy and Dobos cakes, as well as all kinds of cream cakes, extravagant bakery goods

They used to have exquisite ice-cream too offered from a counter outside the cafe, now you can only choose from a menu card).

A scoop – 50 g – costs 990 HUF.

The wide selection of handmade bonbons in decorative boxes can be wonderful presents to anyone with a sweet tooth.

The cake selection is not too wide but all are prepared from the highest quality, natural ingredients.

Slices of cakes are availble for take-away at 50 % discount (just like in all other confectioneries in Hungary).

• Dobos cake (3 450 HUF a slice)
• Eszterházy cake (3 450 HUF),
• Gerbeaud pastry (3 450 HUF) and,
• Sacher torte (3 450 HUF).
• Mille feuille/cream cake: puff pastry layered with rich vanilla cream (3 450 HUF)

Try the Hungarian Classics On One Plate ( 5 390 HUF): a slice of Dobos torte, Gerbeaud cake, Eszterházy cake, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

There are some scrumptious desserts and sundaes too.

The Somló sponge cake is many locals’ favourite: vanilla and chocolate sponge with Valrhona chocolate sauce, whipped cream, walnut linzer crumbles and raisins soaked in Tokaj aszú wine, (price: 4 150 HUF).

The coffee is great too (freshly roasted specialty beans are used).

You can have all sorts of concoctions with or without alcohol and they have superb hot chocolates.

They also serve breakfast

• Croissants (1 050 HUF), brioche (1 050 HUF) pogácsa (traditional savory scone with cheese on top): 1 050 HUF
• Tapioca Pudding with Coconut Milk 5 490 HUF: Homemade granola, tapioca pearls, fresh and dried fruits, honey Tea or coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice (0,2 L)
• English Breakfast (6 990 HUF): Fried egg, beans in tomato sauce, mini sausage, crispy bacon, hash browns, baby spinach, roasted mushrooms, Tea or coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice (0,2 L)
• French breakfast (5 290 HUF): Homemade croissant or brioche, French butter, blueberry jam Tea or coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice (0,2 L)
• Breakfast for two (7 950 HUF): Scrambled eggs, cold cuts, candied bacon, cheese, butter, Hungarian cottage cheese spread, chicken rillette, seasonal vegetables, twisted bread, tapioca pudding with homemade granola, Tea or coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice (0,2 L)

You can also have wines, sparkling wines by the glass, beer, homemade lemondes and various other soft drinks.

Besides pastries, cakes and breakfast, today you can have lunch from 11.30, or dinner in Gerbeaud Cafe

The menu ranges from

• Classic Hungarian dishes like goulash ( 4 590 HUF), or chicken broth made from free range farm chicken to
• Street food offers: burger, pulled pork sandwich or tortilla.

Nice selection of Hungarian wines, is also available by the glass.