Readers digest

“In order to enjoy the true taste of our coffee, try it without sugar.” You can read this in italics on the menu card of Kelet Kávézó és Galéria. When you examine the card in more detail you will clearly see – they know what good coffee is.

Photos: Nóra Halász

In addition to the classic filtered coffee and cappuccino, even guests looking for specialities should be able to find their favourites. And the specialities of the house, such as “New wave Turkish coffee”, are curiosities that you cannot find anywhere else in Budapest.
Kelet Kávézó uses the so-called “New wave” trend for preparation, which represents a new method of roasting coffee beans. In addition, the modern coffee only uses milk from cows kept in open fields and coffee beans coming from a small roasting workshop in Budapest.
If you like to flip through a book or two with your coffee, you will be at home here. The 7000 volumes on the wooden shelves along the walls include many literary delicacies and specialities. Sitting in a room cosily illuminated with lamps, you feel much more like being in a mysterious library than a city café.
Customers who do not speak Hungarian will find a shelf with international books just by the door. There are mainly English, German and Dutch. Of course you can’t read a whole book over a cup of coffee, and they aren’t for sale, but you can take it home if you bring another book in exchange.
If all that reading about heroes or science lectures makes you hungry, there are sandwiches and salads on hand.
Plus for a change of scene the upper level has seats among a picture gallery. Exhibitions by local artists are held here and these items are for sale.
Kelet Kávézó offers a range of culinary delights. Besides the different salads there are sandwiches layered with fish in coriander sauce or eggs with oriental peanut butter, which may sound like strange combinations at first glance but taste surprisingly well and leave you longing for more.
If you would like to nibble or try several different things at the same time, the Indian dip-plate is a good choice. It’s very difficult to choose a favourite from the many different dips.
Even a cosy café such as Kelet Kávézó knows that people like to spend their Saturday nights with a cool beer and good live music, so bands and singers make for a well-spent evening in a casual atmosphere with relaxing jazz or tranquil acoustic covers.

Kelet Kávézó és Galéria

Address:
Bartók Béla út 29, District XI
Open Monday to Friday 7am-11pm,
Saturday and Sunday 9am-11pm
(+36) 20 456-5507