Akácfa Street in Budapest's party district is best known for Fogas ruin bar, but recently new places have popped up at a head-spinning pace. One of my favorites is Kaptafa, a hip breakfast-all-day restaurant. The high-ceilinged space used to be home to a shoe repair shop, hence "kaptafa," which means shoe tree in Hungarian. Yes, you could take issue with the cliched design elements chipped walls and Edison bulbs but effortlessly cool vibes suffuse the place nonetheless.

Of the breakfast sandwiches, try the "defibrillator/CPR," a savory French toast layered with bacon and oozing melted cheese (the name alludes to its hangover-curing powers). Also good is the Mrs. Molnár, a playful riff on the croque madame, made with a Hungarian roll named molnárka and swapping the ham for crisped-up bacon. Hungarian wines and draft beers are also available.

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