The coffee shop crowned the most beautiful café in the world is a breathtaking feat of eclectic architecture. But the stunningly ornate coffee house isn’t just aesthetically pleasing. An iconic Hungarian landmark in Budapest, almost 130 years of rich and colorful history live within its splendid walls.
The café was born in 1894, as part of a highly ambitious building project. The New York Palace building was created in the center of the city to house the Hungarian branch of the New York Insurance Company. Designed in grandiose Italian Renaissance style, it features a dazzling array of ornamentation that serves to transport customers to a world of opulence.
Housed inside New York Palace, New York Café’s high ceilings adorned with frescoes and sparkling Venetian chandeliers, twisting marble columns, and gilded balustrades captivated its very first visitors, rapidly becoming a hotspot for Budapest’s creative set. Writers, artists, and poets gathered to relax, mingle, think, and work; many iconic pieces of literature were produced by authors inspired by the café’s unique atmosphere and surroundings.
The interior of New York Café in Budapest. Juliano Galvao Gomes/Shutterstock
Décor inside New York Café, one of the most beautiful coffee shops in the world, in Budapest. Martchan/Shutterstock
Patrons and staff inside the famous New York Café in Budapest, Hungary. Kit Leong/Shutterstock
It wasn’t just the haunt of the successful and famous. A heady mix of all kinds of artists, writers, actors, and musicians frequented the sublime space, sitting alongside key literary figures and high society. According to Daily News Hungary, since many writers and poets of the time could not afford to order from the regular menu, the café came up with a plate called the “small literary”: a simple, inexpensive selection of ham, salami, and cheese, often offered free of charge.
One devotee, writer Jenő Heltai, described the scene:
“In the glamorous New York, they cleaned your shoes, ironed your clothes, shaved and cut your hair even late in the evening. The café was a workshop, a writing desk and a night’s lodging in harder times, as you could stay until dawn.
“With all of its elegance, it was a democratic café. No one could resist its charm. Everyone knew everyone inside. The waiter served you immediately without ordering.”
A grand piano inside New York Café in Budapest. Martchan/Shutterstock
New York Café, in Budapest, viewed from the second-floor balcony. Dignity100/Shutterstock
An ornate balcony banister inside the famous New York Café in Budapest, Hungary. Kit Leong/Shutterstock
Additionally, those intending to put pen to paper were presented with the “kutyanyelv,” meaning “dog’s tongue”: an elongated piece of paper, a pot of ink, and a cup of black coffee. New York Café legend has it that the custom was only stopped when one famous writer, Karinthy, spilled ink on one of the plush sofas.
Caring waiters would even hand out aspirins to hungover artists, and one head waiter in particular, Gyula Reisz, formed strong relationships with regulars.
In later years, one notable character working at the lavish café demonstrated similar affection for its creative clientele. Irénke Rózsáné maintained the cleanliness of the restrooms, never charging the editors of her favorite magazine to use them. In exchange, she was given the latest copy of “Nyugat,” or “West.”
Interior view of the famous New York Café in Budapest, Hungary. Kit Leong/Shutterstock
Ornate ceiling decorations inside the famous New York Café in Budapest, Hungary. lindasky76/Shutterstock
A view of an ornamental ceiling and fresco inside New York Café. Dave Z/Shutterstock
The ornamental ceiling inside New York Café. Dave Z/Shutterstock
The interior of New York Café, one of the most beautiful coffee shops in the world, in Budapest. Left: Paula Uuskula/Shutterstock; Right: Martchan/Shutterstock
By the early 1900s, New York Cafe was firmly established as the literary café in Budapest. This golden period continued throughout the ‘20s and ’30s before the Art Nouveau building on the city’s Grand Boulevard sadly suffered damage during the Second World War. In a drastic turn of fate, the space was used for selling horse meat and molasses.
After the war, a sporting goods business moved in, accompanied by a travel agency, and it wasn’t until the ‘50s that the building was reborn as a café. Hungarian regime change in 1989 sparked discussion over what the beautiful building ought to be; ideas included a cultural center or the home of the National Theatre. After years of languishing without clear direction, it was bought by an Italian luxury hotel group, and work began to restore it to its former glory.
Patrons enjoy relaxing inside New York Café in downtown Budapest. posztos/Shutterstock
The interior of New York Café viewed from the second-floor balcony. Dignity100/Shutterstock
Tourists are seen photographing on the second-floor balcony inside New York Café. Dave Z/Shutterstock
Today, 129 years after first opening its doors, the New York Palace building and New York Cafe are a major draw to both Budapest inhabitants and visitors. The experience of going to this landmark address is regularly likened to dining in a palace. A serene ambiance is cultivated by a pianist and string quartet, and literary events are held in homage to history.
There were hundreds of coffee houses in Budapest at the turn of the century, but none quite so glorious as the New York. Indeed, Hungarian folklore states that writer Ferenc Molnár and his friends threw the café’s key into the River Danube one day so that its door would remain forever open.
Anna Mason is a writer based in England. She majored in literature and specializes in human interest, travel, lifestyle and content marketing. Anna enjoys storytelling, adventures, the Balearic sunshine and the Yorkshire rain.
