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Central Café
Central Kavehaz
Central kalacs 44160.jpg
Central Cafe in Budapest, Hungary
General information
Address Károlyi utca 9
Town or city Budapest
Country Hungary
Coordinates 47°29′31.5″N 19°03′24.8″E / 47.492083°N 19.056889°E / 47.492083; 19.056889
Opened 1887

The Central Café is a very old and famous cafe in Budapest, Hungary. It is located at Károlyi street 9, in the Belváros-Lipótváros area. This cafe is not just a place to eat and drink; it's also an important historical spot. It has been a meeting place for many famous writers, artists, and thinkers for over a hundred years.

History of Central Café

The Central Café first opened its doors in 1887. It was built in the house of Lajos Erényi Ullmann. For its time, the cafe was very modern. It had new electrical lights, good air systems, and heating. This made it a very comfortable place to visit.

The famous architect Zsigmond Quittner designed the building. The cafe itself is on the ground floor. An artist named Robert Scholtz decorated the walls and ceiling. His work made the cafe look very beautiful. Even during World War II, the Central Cafe stayed open.

Announcment about the opening of Central Cafe 1887
This news clip from 1887 announced the opening of the Central Cafe.

A Place for Ideas and Fun

The Central Café quickly became a very important place for culture and ideas. It was located right next to the Budapest University Library. Because of this, many students, professors, writers, and artists met there. It was a popular spot for discussions and meetings.

Printed photo of Feriyes Karinthy, sitting at his favorite booth in the Central Cafe
Frigyes Karinthy, a famous Hungarian writer, often sat at this booth.
For the victory of Russian weapons
A newspaper article from 1904, mentioning an event at the Central Cafe.

Many groups and organizations started at the cafe or used it as their meeting spot. People would often put up notices announcing events that would happen at the Central Cafe. It was a place where people could share their thoughts and make plans for the future.

The cafe was also known for being a fun place. It was one of the first places in Budapest to have a live jazz band. This made it a popular spot for people to relax and enjoy music.

Many famous Hungarian writers spent time at the Central Café. Frigyes Karinthy, a well-known writer, even developed his "six degrees of separation" idea while sitting there. For a long time, a large photo of him sitting in his favorite spot was displayed in the cafe. Another writer, Gyula Krúdy, wrote his "Sinbad" stories while visiting the Central Café.

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