The best shopping in Budapest
This city’s streets are filled with shops selling everything from Soviet-era furniture to Syrian chocolate that has been adopted as a Christmas treat by the locals. Here, we showcase the best of Budapest.
Budapest’s charms are twofold: the city famously consists of two distinct halves divided by the Danube river. On one side there is the quieter, more residential Buda, with its hills and soaring baroque castle. On the other there’s the bustling Pest, whose beating heart is the fifth district, which contains many of the shops listed here. Even the bridges connecting the banks – especially the Széchenyi Chain Bridge – are worth visiting. Let’s take a stroll.
1.
Pauza
Basic brilliance
In 2016 Éva Klément and husband Zóltán Nádasy (pictured) took a backpacking trip through North America and Asia before quitting their corporate jobs to set up Pauza. “That trip taught us to appreciate beautiful, functional everyday things,” says Klément. This sentiment is reflected in both the shop’s motto – “Basic but brilliant” – and its inventory: from coffee cups by Hungarian ceramicist Anett Sáfrá and minimalist enamel kettles from Japanese maker Noda Horo, to woollen blankets by Finnish brand Lapuan Kankurit. Our pick? The colourful backpacks from YKRA, a Budapest brand inspired by 1970s mountaineering gear.
Vitkovics Mihály utca 7
pauza.hu
2.
Marlou Wine Bar & Store
Fine wining
Owner Jean-Julien Ricard first started coming to Hungary 20 years ago. “I instantly fell in love with Budapest,” he says. In March 2020, Ricard opened Marlou, just behind Budapest’s Opera House. The first coronavirus lockdown began just days later but the business was a success: first as a shop and then as a bar and bistro in its own right. Part of the reason is Marlou’s selection of wines from both Hungary and France. We recommend the Atlas pinot noir from István Bencze, a natural winemaker from the hills around Lake Balaton.
Lázár utca 16
marlouwinebar.com
3.
Kalóz Records
Spin city
Five years ago, Kristóf Kürti – a sociologist by training but a DJ and record-collector by vocation – was talking to a business-minded cousin who told him that he could turn his passion (and a 30,000-odd record collection) into a business. Kürti started Kalóz (or “Pirate”) Records, which, buoyed by a global interest in vinyl, has managed to captivate both diehard enthusiasts and younger people for whom vinyl is a new format. Business has been so good that in 2021 Kürti opened a second shop in Szeged in southern Hungary.
Bródy Sándor utca 25
recordstore.hu
4.
Ghraoui Chocolate
Sugar rush
Ghraoui left its home country amid civil war in 2012. Syria’s loss was a win for Hungary. The company relaunched there in 2017; you’ll find its boutique close to the Opera House. One of its bestsellers, Szaloncukor (flavoured chocolates in foil), is a variation on a Hungarian Christmas speciality.
Andrássy út 31
ghraouichocolate.com
5.
Lúd Labor
Bound for greatness
Named after a nearby Jewish marketplace that sold poultry (“lúd” is Hungarian for goose), this paper shop is run by bookbinder Noémi Mónus and gallerist László Böröcz. “We fused [our two careers] together and opened this space in 2019 because bookbinding is a dying art in Hungary,” Mónus says. Lúd Labor’s speciality is handbound notebooks and planners made on-site by sewing pages directly onto the spine. For the festive season, Mónus also designs wrapping paper and cards.
Klauzál utca 31
ludlabor.com
6.
Írók Boltja
Food for thought
Literally “The Writers’ Shop”, Írók Boltja started in 1950 as a bookshop and a meeting place for the city’s writers, artists and intellectuals. According to staff, there’s at least one Hungarian writer shopping here on any given day. Hosting regular poetry readings and presentations, the shop specialises in contemporary literature, philosophy, psychology and art, plus translated Hungarian fiction. This season’s bestseller is Breaking Through: My Life in Science by Katalin Karikó, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Andrássy út 45
irokboltja.hu
7.
Vass shoes
Lace space
Launched 45 years ago as a maker of fine women’s footwear, Vass switched to men’s and now makes ready-to-wear and made-to-measure shoes using calf-leather from France and Italy. Founder László Vass manages the production while his daughter, Éva, can often be seen in the shop. Its upper floor – visible from both outside and inside – contains rows upon rows of red shoe boxes marked with customers’ names. Expect great service from two shop assistants (Judit and Gábor) and leave time for a made-to-measure order; they’re popular at this time of year.
Haris köz 6
vass-shoes.com
8.
Budapest Poster Gallery
Wall furniture
Ádám Várkonyi has been collecting vintage posters for 20 years, a passion that led him to open this gallery in 2010. “We deal in posters from other countries too but our focus is on 20th-century Hungarian poster art,” says Várkonyi. Visits are by appointment.
Paulay Ede utca 20
budapestposter.com
9.
Printa Concept Store
Screen scene
Printa is a design shop, art gallery, screen-printing studio and café under one roof. True to its name, it focuses on artistic prints, mostly designed and produced in-house by employees including shop manager Anna Szabó. The space also boasts an array of upcycled clothing, the preserve of founder Majoros Zita, who also makes ceramics and homeware. All products are produced sustainably and visitors with extra time to spare can take part in screen-printing workshops. Printa always leaves an impression.
Rumbach Sebestyén utca 10
printa.hu
10.
Fabrika
Mid-century marvels
Not to be confused with a similarly named Italian restaurant, Fabrika sells restored mid-century furniture and lamps, including desk and ceiling lamps from Hungarian designer Tamás Borsfay. Highlights include armchairs by Czech designers Jaroslav Smidek and Jindrich Halabala. Owner Mariann Kollár started as a customer and says that the shop is as much about community as it is about retail. “Every few months, I organise exhibitions and get-togethers for like-minded people,” she tells Monocle on a tour. Currently on display? Rugs by Hungarian designers Anna Katalin Lovrity and Eszter Révész.
Szondi utca 94
studiofabrika.com
11.
Tipton Eyeworks
In the groove
Created by entrepreneurs Zachary “Tipton” Milaskey and Yulia Tishchenko (pictured below), Tipton Eyeworks makes its glasses frames from vinyl records (the first one was reportedly a Creedence Clearwater Revival LP). It has an ongoing collaboration with AC/DC, mostly made from copies of the band’s Back in Black album. Depending on how busy things are at the time, customers can also bring beloved records to be made into a Tipton frame (there are 100 designs to choose from). The shop doubles as a workshop and an optician.
Erkel utca 6
tiptoneyeworks.com
12.
Tisza Shoes
Retro kicks
In 2002, while on a walk in central Budapest, entrepreneur László Vidák spotted a man wearing a pair of communist-era Hungarian trainers. He liked their retro look and knew the brand: “Tisza”, named after a river that flows through most of Hungary before joining the Danube. The following year he took over the brand, which was then all but dead, and quickly made it into a cultural phenomenon. All shoes are made in a small town on the Tisza in eastern Hungary. We recommend the classic Martfü model named after the brand’s original factory.
Károly körút 1
13.
Omorovicza Boutique & Spa
Treat yourself
The Omoroviczas were a noble Hungarian family who, in the early 19th century, built a thermal bath on the Buda bank of the Danube. Two centuries on, scion Stephen Omorovicza met young US diplomat Margaret de Heinrich; they married and launched what quickly became one of Hungary’s premier luxury beauty brands. Book a spa appointment well in advance if you want a treat. If there are no slots available, get Omorovisza’s bestseller: Queen of Hungary facial mist.
Andrássy út 45
omorovicza.com
14.
Medence Concept Store
Waste not
Medence has been making bags, backpacks and baskets using old advertising and construction netting since 2006. “If one of us sees an interesting net at a building site, we’ll ask the workers to give it to us afterwards,” says team member Réka Kozalek. Most of the time, however, advertising and construction companies donate unprompted. The shop, in the Bartók Quarter, also offers workshops where visitors can make their own bags. Among the existing stock, our favourite is the Bob bag – compact yet big enough for a laptop and daily essentials.
Ménesi út 1
medencebag.com
15.
Artkraft
Treasure trove
Buried deep in an industrial zone next to the disused art deco Kelenföld Power Station (worth a visit for design buffs), Artkraft isn’t easy to find. Be ready to lose yourself in its enormous showroom overhung by vast, salvaged industrial lamps. Here, design magazines and used books are scattered around mid-century desks, tables, chair sets and wardrobes. There’s little in the way of organisation or categorisation but it’s worth the journey and the rummage – a little effort will unearth some gems.
Budafoki út 70
loftdesign.hu
16.
Palmetta Design & Textile Art Gallery
Design classics
Run by Itsván and Anna Regos, whose textiles, pillowcases and bags form a core part of the selection, Palmetta is the sole Hungarian distributor of German homeware brand Remember, plus a wide range of Alessi kitchenware.
Bartók Béla út 30
palmettadesign.hu
17.
Plante
Green space
Located on the glass-fronted first floor of an impressive 1940s building – part of the listed Madách Imre Square housing project – Plante is full of lively flora. Not to mention that everything that goes into raising and maintaining it, from soil to watering cans and books. Co-founder Katalin Tóth (pictured) has a background in economics and design, not botany. Plante’s biggest sellers are pots by ceramicist Viktor Erdei, made for the shop near the southern city of Pécs.
Madách Imre utca 8
plantebudapest.com
18.
Prezent
Touching treats
Dea Bilau (pictured) has co-run Prezent since 2018 and her brand Touch Me Not Clothing is a top seller. Every piece comes with a card that names all of those who were involved in its production. Prezent’s other speciality is its own backpack brand, Blind Chic. The bags are made on the first floor by seamstress Sára Orbán, who goes by “Saci” and is always happy to receive visitors and explain her process and work. Ask the staff first, though, and don’t be spooked by the sewing-machine noise upstairs.
Döbrentei utca 16
prezentbudapest.hu
19.
Ajka Crystal
Glass menagerie
A glassware manufacturer whose history dates back to 1878, Ajka Crystal is well-known for its wine and champagne glass sets decorated with intricate motifs. Ajka also makes vases, decanters and Christmas-tree decorations, displayed in a shop whose vast interior stretches into the dazzling distance.
Kossuth Lajos utca 10
ajka-crystal.com
20.
Massolit Bookstore & Café
Turning the page
One of Budapest’s first dedicated English-language bookshops, Massolit (an acronym for a literary organisation featured in the novel The Master and Margarita by Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov) stocks some 4,000 titles – new and used – with a focus on translations of Hungarian authors. Make it your first stop if you’re in the market for a Budapest guidebook. Visitors can hand in their own books in exchange for credit or coffee (both good options here).
Nagy Diófa utca 30
massolitbudapest.com
21.
Bomo Art
Elegant stationery
This cheerful stationery shop on the Pest side of the Danube (with a further outlet on the Buda bank) is beloved for its leatherbound notebooks and journals, whose cover designs are made by in-house illustrator Éva Hollósi. Boom Art also collaborates with contemporary artists and designers such as Zsófi Barabás, who created limited-edition notebooks for the brand’s 20th anniversary a few years ago. Children might like Bomo Art’s kaleidoscopes or praxinoscopes (versions of early animation devices invented in the 1870s).
Régi posta utca 14
bomoart.com
22.
Nanushka
Indie Threads
Now one of the best-established independent fashion labels in Hungary, Nanushka (a childhood nickname of founder Sandra Sándor) started in 2006. It quickly became a household name in Budapest and then, increasingly, in other cities across Europe and beyond. Its flagship shop is a few steps away from fellow fashion store Aeron (see entry six); both belong to the same group, Vanguards, that also owns Milan-based brand Sunnei. The shop features both men’s and women’s collections, all of which lean towards big silhouettes and long forms.
Bécsi utca 3
nanushka.com
23.
Daken Studio
Restored Wonders
In the decades after the collapse of communism in 1989, many Hungarians threw out their Soviet-era armchairs and sideboards as symbols of the system. Mid-century furniture and homeware has since flooded the market and Daken Studio’s sister-brother founders, Zsófia and Dániel Koma, took advantage. Their love of 20th-century Czechoslovak, Polish and Hungarian design stems from their grandparents, who were celebrated artists during the communist period. Whatever comes their way is lovingly restored and displayed in their shop near the city’s Jewish quarter.
Horánszky utca 5
daken.hu
24.
Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé
Sweet deal
Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, this chocolate shop is worth a visit for its interiors alone. Part of the magnificent 19th-century arcade at the Párisi Udvar Hotel, Rózsavölgyi turns cocoa beans from Africa and the Americas into delicious bars adorned with traditional Hungarian patterns. During the colder months, try the hot chocolate, which comes in delightfully designed paper cones.
Petőfi Sándor utca 2-4
rozsavolgyi.com
25.
Zsolnay
Fired up
Porcelain has long been a prized craft in Hungary and Zsolnay has been one of the country’s most treasured brands for more than 160 years. Founded by the Zsolnay family in the southern city of Pécs, where the label’s historic factory is now a cultural quarter, it is known for its eosin glaze, which gives its art nouveau pieces an iridescent, metallic finish. The precise recipe remains a closely guarded secret.
Durable pyrogranite tiles – another Zsolnay innovation – adorn many of Budapest’s public façades. The maker has three shops in the capital; we recommend the flagship on the city’s grand boulevard, Andrássy út.
Andrássy út 8
zsolnay.hu
26.
Ruszkai Jewellery
Second nature
Founder Orsolya Ruszkai grew up in rural Hungary, where she developed an appreciation of central European artistry and the natural world in all its organic forms. Her jewellery brand offers both ready-to-wear and bespoke pieces. “I am drawn to unexpected combinations, the meeting of clean and organic forms, and the subtle tension created by carefully chosen contrasts,” says Ruszkai. Her approach has won her admirers all over the world, each of whom Ruszkai welcomes personally to her appointment-only studio.
Kék Golyó utca 2b
+36 70 300 8005
27.
Tomcsanyi
True colours
The first thing that strikes you about Tomcsanyi pieces are their bold colours and playful motifs. Graduate of (and long-time lecturer at) the country’s renowned Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Dora Tomcsanyi draws inspiration from the world around her in Budapest, be it lingering traces of Eastern bloc socialism or the national heritage of csikósok, the horse herders of the Great Hungarian Plain. Other prints depict crowds on the metro or pay tribute to women’s domestic labour. All pieces are handcrafted in Budapest.
Király utca 110
tomcsanyi.eu
Address book
Where to stay and eat in Budapest
Stay
On the Pest side: Párisi Udvar opened in 2019 in a glorious art nouveau arcade that formerly housed the Central Savings Bank.
Petofi Sandor utca 2-4
On the Buda side: Hotel Clark offers a clean and clear modern design that honours the engineer behind the nearby Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Scotsman Adam Clark.
Clark Ádám tér 1
Breakfast
Lui: An artisanal bakery next to the postcard-pretty parliament building with some of the city’s best pastries.
Aulich utca 7
Lunch
Menza: From Tisza shoes owner László Vidák, it reimagines Hungarian favourites such as goulash and galuska (egg noodles), in retro-inspired surroundings.
Liszt Ferenc tér 2
Dinner
Onyx: A Michelin-starred minimalist affair, which offers great food and wine tastings. Beware the odd opening times and reserve well in advance.
Vörösmarty tér 7-8
Coffee
Gerlóczy Café: Looking onto a quiet square, this Parisian-style café on the ground floor of a grand building that houses a boutique hotel boasts some of Budapest’s best coffee.
Gerlóczy utca 1
Getting here
The Ferenc Liszt International Airport is 25km southeast of the city centre. A taxi, shuttle bus or train will get you to town in less than an hour. If you are travelling by rail, the chances are that you will arrive at the Keleti, or Eastern, train station, a late-19th-century masterpiece of glass and iron.
