One Of The Most Famed Cafés In The World Is A Well-Loved Architectural Wonder In Budapest

Often touted as the "most beautiful café in the world," the New York Café is a relic of a bygone era. Located not in New York but in Budapest, Hungary, and opened in 1894, this revered spot to sit and sip started as just that — a café where artists, poets, and writers once gathered. Originally the first floor of the New York Life Insurance Company building, the building fell into disrepair during WWII. After the war, Hungary was occupied by Soviet communism, and the café went through several iterations before finally being restored to its former glory and reopened in 2006.

Step inside to reveal a magical space dazzling with gilded light fixtures, sparkling chandeliers, grand staircases, and ornate, frescoed ceilings. Gold trim, marble, and crown molding fit for a palace seem to ooze from the walls while carved figures gaze at you from every corner. Designed in a mixture of styles from Neo-Renaissance to Belle-Époque, the architecture harkens to the Palace of Versailles. Being able to experience this café much as it was at the turn of the century is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

While some guests might find the café a bit overrated (and touristy), the real draw is the chance to enjoy a beverage, people-watch, and ponder inside a remarkable historical building. Sipping overpriced tea or coffee and imagining legendary creatives finding their muse is worth the splurge alone. If you're someone who appreciates architecture and romanticizes the past, you'll probably be able to look beyond the throngs of other travelers. This certainly isn't one of Hungary's hidden gems, but Budapest is a city you must visit if you love Paris, and this iconic café is not to be missed. Here's everything you need to know.

Visiting the New York Café in Budapest isn't as straightforward as it looks. This is one of, if not the most popular attraction in the entire city. For better or worse, it's difficult to get in. Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. daily. Reservations can only be made for dinner, which starts at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Before 6:00 p.m., you'll need to wait in line to enjoy breakfast or lunch in this gilded café. Make sure you arrive ahead of when you think you'd like to eat. The line typically goes out the door and well down the sidewalk. Although Budapest is typically considered a European vacation destination where the American dollar goes further, prices are much higher here than you'll find in any other café in the city.

Despite its "café" moniker, New York Café actually serves much more than just coffee and pastries. The dinner menu highlights Hungarian favorites like chicken paprikash and breaded pork loin (similar to Austria's wiener schnitzel) while also, a bit oddly, serving global fare like ramen and Indian lentils. They also offer several different versions of afternoon tea, including the Franz Josef, which includes goulash soup, a variety of pies, cakes, and a selection of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea. Of course, no visit to the New York café would be complete without trying one of their signature cakes, like the traditional somloi sponge cake or the valrhona chocolate cake.