Espresso Embassy

Opened in 2012 by Tibor Varady, a former environmental lawyer who left that career at thirty, Espresso Embassy is generally credited as the shop that started Budapest's third wave coffee scene. Varady went on to become a Hungarian Brewers Cup and AeroPress champion, placing sixth at the World Brewers Cup and third at the World AeroPress Championship in 2013, and now chairs the Barista Guild of Europe.

The cafe occupies a two hundred year old vaulted brick space in Lipótváros, its arched ceilings paired with a spare, modern fit out. Beans come from Budapest micro roaster Casino Mocca, roasted weekly and never blended, alongside rotating guest coffees from roasters like Square Mile and Coffee Collective, sold by the bag at the counter. On weekends and holidays, laptops are asked to stay at the communal tables rather than spread across the room. Dogs are welcome throughout, and the shop placed 17th in Europe's 100 Best Coffee Shops for 2026.