It’s coffee time! Time for coffee at espresso embassy Budapest that is. After arriving into Budapest onboard our river cruise ship, Viking Atla, we were bound and determined to sit back and enjoy some really good coffee. Looking for the perfect cup of coffee requires research and my research brought Karla and I to espresso embassy. Opened by former environmental lawyer Tibor Várady (World Aeropress 3rd place, World Brewers Cup 6th place, 2013), espresso embassy is often listed as having the best coffee in Budapest.
Outside espresso embassy are a few small tables and chairs, but additional seating is available inside the 200-year-old building that houses the café. The decor is minimalist from the flooring to the counter area that’s wrapped in metal to the industrial type lighting overhead. After looking over the menu board, I placed my order. Since neither of us spoke Hungarian, we were glad that the champion baristas behind the bar spoke English. espresso embassy brews beans from a local micro roaster, Casino Mocca as well as international roasters like Drop Coffee Roasters beans, the same roaster used by Flat White, a café I recently visited in London.
Now onto the good stuff and the main reason I decided to visit espresso embassy: the coffee! I ordered a flat white, which was hot, rich, and strong — exactly the way I prefer, especially with a velvety micro-foam finish. espresso embassy ranks super high on TripAdvisor and was awarded their Certificate of Excellence and this was no mistake. If I lived anywhere near this place, they would see me day and night. In addition to the coffee, you can also order pastries, croissants, and sandwiches to have with your coffee as well as coffee brewing equipment on the shelves by the bar to take home.
But the absolute best part of visiting espresso embassy, at least for me, was the dogs! As a huge dog lover, nothing is better than a good cup of coffee and knowing you can bring your dog with you or if you don’t have a dog, being able to visit with someone else’s dog. Forget those crazy cat cafés – dogs are the way to go. Need to get some work done, but don’t want to sit at home? Bring your laptop, a ball for your dog, and enjoy a cup of Budapest’s best coffee. Doesn’t hurt that they have free WiFi, too.
Don’t limit yourself to watery or weak coffee from a restaurant or coffee chain where the baristas take pride in acting snobbish and work the assembly line of coffee making. Small independent cafés around the globe can offer your taste buds something you didn’t even know you were missing. If you’re in Budapest and looking for great coffee, don’t bother going anywhere else and head straight to espresso embassy.
You can head over to the virtual cafe, Full Moon Cafe, now to read how to make espresso yourself without the need for an espresso machine.
espresso embassy
1051 Budapest, Arany János utca 15.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +36 20 445 0063
