Despite only being number 4 in our special series on Budapest’s best places to get great coffee, Fekete was actually the first one where I got a coffee when I visited the city during a recent weekend trip. But when I popped in on a that sunny Saturday morning, I literally had no time to stay and chat so I just picked up an expertly made flat white and ran off to catch a train. Two days later I returned for a more relaxed encounter with the peeps at one of Budapest’s finest but smallest specialty coffee outlets.
Located half way between busy Deak ter. and Kalvin ter., Fekete is exactly the kind of place where you pop in, grab a coffee to go and get on your way. It’s so tiny in fact that you get a perfect view of the barista at work, because both face the left wall. Limited seating outside provide a wee bit of room to linger but Fekete really is little more than a hole-in-the-wall.
While you might think that Fekete is the name of a funky barista or something along those lines, it is actually the Hungarian word for black. I love strange languages and their quirky words. Indeed, the guys at Fekete keep everything in relative duo-tone. The walls and floors are white while the shelves and other selected elements in the shop are black. It’s simple and tasteful.
Gabor, who is the head barista here also helped with the design of the store. As it so happens this tiny venue used to be an actual design store, although their range must have been quite limited, given the space. Fekete doesn’t just offer great coffees. Next to their range of coffee you can find a range of dried fruits, hand made candies, which are produced next door and come from the same owner as Fekete, and a number of other products such as juices made from syrups and locally made chocolates. All in all, quite a selection for a shop the size of a tiny kitchen.
Bence was on duty on both of my visit and skillfully prepared a delicious flat white every time. While I waited for my coffee to slide down the bar, I took a seat on one of the stools to get a better idea of what drinks other people were ordering here. Flat white. Flat white. Flat white. So much for that.
Unfortunately these guys don’t offer any slow coffee but given the lack of space, it is totally ok. Their Espresso based drinks, which are currently being prepared using Alchemy and Casino Mocca beans, are banging enough and Gabor and Bence will go out of their way to be great hosts.
