Best cafes to work/study in Budapest

1) Starbucks at Kiraly Utca

Address: Budapest, Erzsébet krt. 53, 1073

I feel so basic writing Starbucks as the first option but I swear it gets more interesting after this. It's just that this Starbucks is right next to my house and it’s the first thing that came to my mind. Starbucks are generally really popular within the younger generations as a place to study. Given they have free access to Wi-Fi and arguably some of the best coffee drinks; people are attracted to it like magnets. Starbucks is more a lifestyle than a coffee shop. I’m not that big of a fan when it comes to Starbucks, even though the drinks are tasty, they are kind of expensive and I feel like it’s just too basic. This definitely does not stop me from making use of their free Wi-Fi all the time.

The Starbucks in Kiraly Utca is a student hub. It has a study area and two floors. It is open from 7 am to 10 pm every day including the weekend. The extended opening hours also attract many students like me. The place is always packed with students; you can see it from their study bundles and colored highlighters. During the examination period, you can see students there from 7 am until 2 minutes before they close for the night.

I definitely think it’s a good place to go; the noise is usually minimized as everyone is busy doing their own thing; that’s what I like the most. It’s usually not the case with other Starbucks but this one is mostly dominated by students.

2) Massolit Books and café

Address: Budapest, Nagy Diófa u. 30, 1072

I have written an entire piece on this place before; I used to be obsessed with it. It used to be the place for us to hang out in or study in. I have so far, taken all of my friends here and they all really liked it. I came across Massolit one day when I was searching for a place to chill in and came across this place on Google. I went once and soon I became a regular. Massolit isn’t only a café but a book store too! Take your time to check out all the different books they have and purchase one for half the actual price that you’d have to pay in an actual bookstore.

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The baristas in Massolit are super nice and friendly. I often sit around and talk to them; they’re all fluent in English and fun to be around. As for the drinks and the coffees there, I’d honestly say it’s not the greatest and it could be much better. The drinks and the menu in general is very basic and it doesn’t have anything special. I think their best drink would be the “dirty hippie” which is a chai latte with a shot of Espresso (if I'm not mistaken).

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The café itself is undoubtedly one of the coziest places I've been to in Budapest. It’s moderately well-lit and there is this sense of peace when you’re surrounded by that many books. It is usually crowded around the afternoons and it's not so spacious so I’d say go early. The noise is usually minimum, definitely quieter than a Starbucks and much more comfortable. The only problem is that you can’t guarantee that you’ll have a spot.

If you’re in the neighborhood, go here. I definitely think it's worth a visit and I can guarantee that you’ll get some work done.

3) Mozaik Tea house and café

I went here on a really cold Tuesday afternoon. I remember that it was Tuesday because I ditched my salsa class to go here. The tea house is tiny but very cozy. It's so tiny that when other people wanted to move we had to move as well but it added to its coziness. They have a diverse tea collection with medium ranged prices; the teas cost about 700 forints or so for a teapot. As a tea enthusiast I took my time with that menu and I had a hard time wanting to choose one. I ended up drinking some sort of vanilla tea which wasn’t the best tea I’ve had but it wasn’t half as bad.

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The good thing about this place is the location. It’s located in Kiraly Street which is in the city center and so I always find myself here because it’s convenient. So the next time you’re in need of a place to go, don’t forget about this place. Oh and they have Wi-Fi.

4) Big Ben Tea house

Address: Budapest, Veres Pálné u. 10, 1053

I’m not sure if this was named after London’s Big Ben or if it’s just a coincidence. Nonetheless it doesn’t matter; what matters is that this place is one of my favorite tea houses across the town. It’s so picturesque and exquisite that I feel like I'm in a 1960s movie. The tea selection is so vast that I always take more than half an hour to read through it. You can ask the staff for their opinion and they will always give you great advice. I'm so indecisive that I always ask them what I should try this time and they guide me the right way every time.

The prices are just, there is Wi-Fi in the shop and you can even purchase cute souvenirs. The only thing about it is that the lighting is minimized and it can be gloomy at times. But that’s just me since I'm obsessed with sunlight; I'm like the opposite of a vampire.

Head down here in you’re in the mood for some good tea and some quiet time with your thoughts to get work done.

Oh and their carrot cakes are so soft that they melt inside your mouth.

5) Magveto Café

Address: Budapest, Dohány u. 13, 1074

This is the place to get some studying done. This café is also nearby the city center as it is near Astoria and so it's easily accessible. Magveto is also a bookstore alongside being a café but the books are all in Hungarian. As a matter of fact, they have a lot of literary events being held in this café and a lot of the time they close for the evening to have these events.

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The menu isn’t so diverse, they have it written by chalk on their counter wall and the prices are mid-range. I usually drink the same thing which is my infamous chai latte so I wouldn’t know much about the coffees there.

Magveto is also a pet friendly café so don’t be surprised when someone else’s pet ends up curled up next to you. The entire café is decorated by books and so it motivates me even further to dig deep into my own books. I would definitely suggest this place if you’re serious about getting some work done.

6) Madal Cafe

Address: Budapest, Ferenciek tere 3, 1053

Madal has made a name of itself as the "IT" place for people to study or work in. I even had a friend that her favorite place to do anything was Madal. She would wake up and go here to study and leave late in the afternoons. Although I don't share her devotion for the cafe, I do still think it's a pretty good place. It's very tranquil and aesthetic. I can easily focus here during the day and that's a big plus point for me.

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Madal also serves fantastic coffees but given I don't drink coffee I haven't tried them. I just always hear my friends raving about them so I'm just passing on the information. I don't dislike coffee, it's just that the caffeine makes me agitated so that's why I try to avoid it.

7) The bite Bakery and Cafe

Address: Budapest, Teréz krt. 62, 1066

There are several branches of Bite across town but the one I'm talking about is the one in front of Nyugati's tram station. It’s right next to the box donut. This place isn't so aesthetically pleasing, in fact there is nothing special about the place itself. But the truth is Bite has some of the best pastries I have ever had in Budapest. Their pastries are so freshly made and delicious that whenever I have a craving I head down here and well I do a thing or two while I'm devouring the pastries.

So far these cafes are the ones that made it to my list, as we go on I'm going to include a few more; because you can never have way too many cafes.

For now, this is it!

Using my code you can get 25 Euros off on your first trip. Treat yourself with that money! You’re welcome J

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