Address: Semmelweis u. 2., 1052, Budapest, Hungary
Find them on Foursquare here.

We first stumbled unto Gourmand Cafe back in 2011. It was then called Cairo Cafe. And we loved it because it had free wi-fi which worked, good coffee, decent prices and it was warm inside.

Since we discovered this place, we’ve came back to it. For coffee and wi-fi, mostly. But for sweets as well. However, now we were faced with no breakfast at the hostel, didn’t want to buy food from the grocery store either, so we wanted to eat somewhere. We tried Bali cafe in May 2014 – and we love them – but we wanted something low key. So we went to Gourmand Cafe. Two breakfasts and one dinner.

Grilled chicken breast with garlicky mashed potatoes

Grilled salmon with rice and spinach

Coffee and croissant

Scrambled eggs with mushrooms

Hungarian-style scrambled eggs

As you guys know I am pescaterian; that means I eat fish but not other meat (very seldom I each chicken, but that’s only when I cannot find other options). Typically for breakfast I prefer protein based food but since Italy 2013 we got used to croissant and coffee. So one morning we each got eggs (scrambled with something in them) , croissant and coffee. The next morning Alex got eggs and ham, while I got another scrambled eggs with cheese. For dinner I went for salmon with rice & spinach ; while Alex opted for mashed potatoes and grilled chicken breakfast.

I loved that there was an open kitchen but it didn’t smell of food in the cafe. Big plus.

The food was super fresh (and since I cook a lot at home, I know what fresh food looks like). And it was cooked from scratch, on the spot. Another big plus.

One day we went for breakfast and dinner; we got a lovely surprise in the form of a discount for next day’s breakfast. Sure 10% off is not a lot but…it is something.

We did decide to spoil ourselves so we didn’t care much about the prices – which, by the way, are decent. The serving sizes are a bit small but you are supposed to order appetizers, soup and main . I cannot eat all three, so I go for main always. The sweets are to die for and so is the cappuccino.

Overall, this is a good place for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. The free wi-fi (working well) and ok bathrooms are also big pluses. The staff speaks great English!

Our rating

March 2017 update: when we visit Budapest on Mar 11, 2017, Gourmand Cafe was closed and the place was open for rental. I have not checked if they moved elsewhere.