Három Holló

Budapest has excellent specialty coffee shops but its historical coffeehouses have vanished or become pricey tourist attractions to which locals rarely go. But I’m here to report that Három Holló, which opened in 2017, has started to fill this gaping void. The owners set about reviving Budapest’s coffeehouse culture and so appeared marble-topped tables, Thonet chairs, multilingual papers and magazines under the soaring ceiling. It didn’t hurt that the cafe’s enormous windows overlook downtown’s Elizabeth Bridge, the Gellért Hill, and the neighboring Gothic cathedral.

Today, Három Holló is a lively hub for culturally minded locals of all ages. The affordable menu features pretzels, toasted sandwiches, Frankfurters, vegetarian lunch specials, and Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes). Every evening, there’s a music concert or a book event in the below-ground auditorium. As all self-respecting coffeehouses in days of yore, Három Holló is open until midnight every day of the week.