We had the goulash soup, the house chicken dish and cakes. Our short verdict: a genuine recommendation, both for the room and for the food.
New York Café: address, hours and reservations
| Info | New York Café |
|---|---|
| Address | Erzsébet körút 9-11, 1073 Budapest, District VII |
| Opening hours | Monday to Wednesday 7:00-24:00, Thursday to Sunday 7:00-1:00 (official information, October 2026) |
| Reservations | Only for dinner after 6 pm, through the form on the café's website, confirmed within 24 hours. From 7 am to 6 pm seating is in order of arrival (official information, October 2026) |
| Groups | Table reservations up to 10 people (official information, October 2026) |
| What we ate | Goulash soup, the house chicken dish and cakes |
| Our verdict | Recommended: lovely room, good food, very attentive waiter |
| Getting there | Near Blaha Lujza tér on the M2 metro and trams 4 and 6 |
New York Café on the map: Erzsébet körút 9-11
Is New York Café worth it?
Yes. Go and eat or drink something in this room while you are in Budapest. The interior is a dazzling 19th-century decoration; the café was built as the ground floor of an insurance company's building, and in the old days you could have your shoes polished, your hair cut and your clothes pressed here.
We ordered the goulash soup and the chicken dish the house is known for, followed by cakes. We loved the goulash soup. Everything we had was tasty, and the waiter who looked after us was genuinely lovely. We had not had a bad meal since arriving in Budapest, and New York Café did not change that.
Watch in the video · 45:37 walking into New York Café and ordering
New York Café reservations and the queue
According to the café, table reservations are only available for dinner after 6 pm; fill in the form and the booking is confirmed within 24 hours. Between 7 am and 6 pm there are no reservations and guests are seated in order of arrival.
Even when the evening is fully booked, they say some tables are kept for guests without a reservation. The café takes table reservations for up to 10 people; larger groups go through the events team (official information, October 2026).
New York Café opening hours
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7:00-24:00; Thursday to Sunday 7:00-1:00 (official information, October 2026). Hours can change, so check the café's own page before you go.
New York Café menu: what we ordered
From the Hungarian side of the menu we had the goulash soup and the house chicken dish, then moved on to cakes. The current menu and prices are on the café's own website; prices change, so we do not quote them here. Where else we ate goulash and our favourite lángos are in our what to eat in Budapest guide.
The key in the Danube and the tiny bronze statue
The writer Ferenc Molnár is said to have loved the café so much that one night he threw its key into the Danube so it could never close. Inspired by the story, the Hungarian sculptor Mihály Kolodko made a tiny bronze statue of someone fishing the key out of the river, in the side street next to the café. Look for it when you leave; we showed it in the video.
Watch in the video · 47:34 the tiny statue next to the café
Where is New York Café and how to get there
The café is at Erzsébet körút 9-11 in District VII, near the Blaha Lujza tér stop of the M2 metro and trams 4 and 6.
Want to stay nearby? The café is in District VII, the area we stayed in, with the Jewish Quarter and Gozsdu Udvar within walking distance. You can see District VII hotels Ad for your dates, or compare areas in our where to stay in Budapest guide.
New York Café: your questions answered
Do you need a reservation for New York Café?
Not during the day, and none are taken then: from 7 am to 6 pm you are seated in order of arrival. Reservations are only for dinner after 6 pm, through the form on the café's website (official information, October 2026).
What time does New York Café open?
At 7:00 every day. It stays open until midnight Monday to Wednesday and until 1:00 Thursday to Sunday (official information, October 2026).
What should I eat at New York Café?
We had the goulash soup, the house chicken dish and cakes, and everything was tasty.
Why is New York Café so famous?
Its 19th-century gilded interior is why it is called the most beautiful café in the world. The writer Ferenc Molnár is said to have thrown its key into the Danube so it would never close.
Where is New York Café?
Erzsébet körút 9-11, District VII, near Blaha Lujza tér.
Address: Erzsébet körút 9-11, District VII
Hours: daily from 7:00; to midnight Mon-Wed, to 1:00 Thu-Sun
Reservations: dinner after 6 pm only
Daytime: seated in order of arrival
What we ate: goulash soup, chicken, cakes
Where next
Budapest food stops and cafés
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