Cafehaz 101, Budapest

In a world saturated with Starbucks and take-away, the fine arts of coffee, sweet treats, and the pleasures of a friendly visit have been all but destroyed. In a world where paper cups transport watered-down, excessively hot jolts of caffeine to be sucked down whilst running to one’s next appointment, the pleasure of a warm mug and a slow pace is all but forgotten.

Until one happens upon the upstairs café at Alexandra, that is.

I discovered this Baroque delight myself one recent icy afternoon. After braving the chill of Andrassy Street in hopes of finding a relaxing place away from the cold, looking to enjoy a hot beverage and my book away from the confines of my oft occupied apartment, I stumbled into one of Budapest’s main bookstores.

What for all intents and purposes appears to be a typical bookseller hides a gem within its walls. Located in the upper confines of the recently renovated Paris Department Store (1909), the café looks more like the inside of the State Opera House than a part of one of Hungary’s largest chains.

Floor-to-ceiling mirrors reflect the gilded scene of angelic creatures engaged in some form of heavenly sport, oblivious to the contemporary chatter taking place below. A resident pianist, schooled in the art of soothing ambient noise, harmonizes his vessel with the thirty foot ceilings within which it resides. The waiters and fine china present a final departure from the hurried outside world.

In a gilded age and a gilded time, surely there were those who craved the ease and passing nature of our modern conveniences. But in the days of drive-thru coffee windows and conversations via keyboards, taking the time every now and then to enjoy the taste, experience, and company of an old-fashioned café can be a refreshing breath of Baroque air.

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by Olivia Holcombe
Gloobbi Travel

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