Best Budapest Cafes For Digital Nomads & Freelancers

When I first arrived in Budapest, Hungary, I had some trouble locating good cafes to work out of. A good portion were coffee-bar cafes that really aren’t spots to sit down, open up your laptop, and get a full day’s worth of work in. But, as I began to explore the city more, I found that Budapest’s work-friendly cafe scene was actually more bustling than I thought. In fact, Budapest was filled with trendy, hip, and even cozy cafes to get your hours in at. 

I’ve compiled a list of some of the best Budapest cafes for digital nomads and freelancers that I found during my month-plus stint in the Pearl of the Danube. 

Flow Specialty Coffee Bar & Bistro

Courtesy of Flow Specialty Coffee’s Facebook page.

There’s a good chance you already knew Flow Specialty Coffee Bar and Bistro would be first on my list if you had already checked out my post on two must-hit vegan spots in Budapest. Flow is not only a great spot for vegan food (I recommend their vegan mac and cheese or baba ganoush), but a digital nomad and freelancer’s dream. 

I’ve spent far too many hours cramped up in small windowless cafes wondering if it was night or day outside, and mentally beaten down from the overall lack of light. Flow Specialty Coffee Bar and Bistro is a literal lux in tenebris (light in darkness), in more ways than just one. With its high ceilings, spacious courtyard, and large arch shaped windows in the main dining room, there’s no shortage of light here. It might seem odd that I’m fixating on light, but I think those who consistently work by themselves agree that it is important to work out of an environment that does not make you feel isolated.

Flow boasts outlets off the wazoo, and there is no shortage of seating. WiFi is the strongest of any cafe I have worked out of (that I can remember), with speeds well over 6 Mbps. Because of how laptop-friendly Flow Specialty Coffee Bar and Bistro is, there is a 100% chance that you will not be the only one working from your laptop.   

As I noted in my post on two great vegan spots to check out in Budapest, I ventured out of my comfort zone and tried an oat milk latte for the first time. And, I even ordered it more than once. But if oat milk isn’t exactly up your alley, don’t worry. Flow also sports non-vegan options for coffee. All of their food however is vegan. 

Plus, at the end of a long work day, it is pretty darn cool to make the trek back home down the historic Andrassy Avenue, which was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 2002. 

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/flowcoffeeandbistro/ 

Hours: M-F 7:30AM – 8PM | Saturday & Sunday 9AM – 5PM

Location: Budapest, Andrássy út 66, 1062 Hungary

Massolit Books & Cafe

Courtesy of Massolit’s Facebook page.

Massolit Books and Cafe is a cozy English-language bookstore tucked away on Nagy Diófa utca (street) in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter (7th District). Not only does it have quite the collection of English-language books that you are free to grab from the shelves, but it boasts its fair share of tables to work from. When I first showed up in Budapest (mid-October), the weather was still quite nice (at least for a New Hampshire boy), so I took advantage of Massolit’s outdoor garden with tables and worked from there. 

If you are in Budapest in the summer, I strongly recommend heading to Massolit, grabbing an espresso, and posting up outside in the garden (which is surrounded by fig trees). The coffee is strong, they have bagels, and it’s even a good spot to strike up conversation with fellow professionals or students.  

WiFi is not the strongest at Massolit, so I recommend tethering if possible, but it is still one of the best cafes I have worked out of in Budapest. A quick tip though. This is an absolute hotspot for students and other professionals, so I recommend getting there right at open if you want to snag yourself a table. About 50% of the days I showed up to Massolit, I had to turn around and march myself right out the door due to there being no available seating, so make sure you get there early!

Do make sure to sample their wide array of cakes and pastries – specifically their coffee apple cake. 

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/MassolitBudapest/ 

Hours: M-F 8:30AM – 7:30PM | Saturday & Sunday 10AM – 7:30PM

Location: Budapest, Nagy Diófa u. 30, 1072 Hungary

Magvető Café

Courtesy of Magveto Cafe’s Facebook page.

Magveto Cafe took a little bit for me to warm up to it, because of its ever-changing schedule of events – which can make for some unpredictable closing times. However, once I finally pulled myself together and started waking up at a reasonable hour, like a reasonable person, I quickly became pro-Magveto. 

The interior reminds me of a miniature coworking space, with copious amounts of tables, quirky seating arrangements, and a kind of wooden Aggro Crag (shout-out to Nickelodeon) that catches your eye immediately upon entering (yes, you can sit up there!). 

Outlets and charging ports are plenty, so do not worry about having that battery run dry. I actually started writing this article back after my first few times working out of Magveto, where their WiFi left much to be desired. However, after this one guy came up and complained about the WiFi, they reset the router, and I didn’t have any problems from there. 

Magvető is much more than just a cafe though, and has become a popular literary center for Hungarian writers to gather and present, theatrical performances, and slam poetry sessions. So, I would recommend lining up your day to head to Magveto when there is an event you’d especially like to check out, get some work done, and then kick back with a wine and one of their delicious cheesecakes.  

Magveto Cafe also introduced me to Fritz-kola and seltzer water with homemade syrup. The seltzer water with homemade syrup and berries felt like such an obvious answer to my love of two favorite types of drinks – juice and sparkling water. And, for those looking to get those creative juices flowing while catching a buzz, Magveto boasts an absolute arsenal of beers, wines, and hard alcohol. 

Website, Address, & Details: http://cafe.magveto.hu/ 

Hours: Monday – Saturday 9AM – 10PM (However, make sure to check their Facebook page to see whether there is an event). 

Location: Budapest, Dohány u. 13, 1074 Hungary

Dorado Cafe

Courtesy of Dorado Cafe’s Facebook page.

Dorado Cafe is 1000% the most underrated cafe on this list. In fact, I did not find Dorado Cafe listed on any other lists breaking down the best laptop friendly cafes for freelancers and digital nomads. This is the Mary-Jane from Spiderman cafe – the cafe next door. Lucky for me, both Dorado Cafe and Massolit were a stone’s throw away from my apartment (Dorado was actually on the same street – Klauzal utca).

Dorado cafe is extremely study and work-friendly, sporting a sizable communal table that holds about 10 people. There are also these individual little “half-tables” bolted to the wall, that make for a great spot to kick back and get some work done. I’m not sure which is stronger at Dorado Cafe, their coffee or their WiFi – both thoroughly impressed. 

Specifically, I need to mention just how flavorful Dorado’s batch brew was. I’m no coffee expert by any means, so I really am not sure exactly what the batch brew was. But it made me think of what a coffee would taste like if it was mixed with a flavorful tea, where neither overpowered one another and worked in harmony to find that perfect middle ground.   

From what I know, Dorado is family run (correct me if I’m wrong on this), and very much as that vibe. Warm smiles, freshly baked goods (the lemon poppy seed cake is an absolute must), and great service – these are all a given at Dorado Cafe, and one of the main reasons I kept returning. 

Website, Address, & Details: https://dorado-cafe.business.site/ 

Hours: M-F 8:30AM – 6PM | Saturday & Sunday 9AM – 4:30PM

Location: Budapest, Klauzál u. 35, 1072 Hungary

Csendes Létterem – Vintage Bar & Café

Courtesy of Csendes Letterem’s Facebook page.

You didn’t think I would write a best-of list in Budapest without including a ruin bar, did you? Well, I’ve got you covered. Introducing Csendes Letterem (just a block away from Astoria metro station), a quirky ruin pub filled with graffiti and memorabilia (including some very creepy dolls and a bicycle or two hanging from the ceiling) that was a popular coffee house during the Austro-Hungarian Empire (formerly, Cafe Fiume). Csendes makes me think of walking into your grandmother’s attic that she had decorated and arranged while on LSD. 

Csendes Letterem is the perfect ruin bar and cafe for those who are seeking out a more laid back vibe than what Szimpla Kert, Mazel Tov, or Instant-Fogas provide. Also, I wouldn’t feel comfortable trying to work out of any of those, and imagine it would not be very welcome.  

Csendes Letterem’s interior is visually breathtaking and overwhelming at that (in a good way). You can’t help but feel that you’ve been lifted into a ruin pub Narnia of sorts, or dare I say, Fear and Loathing-esque atmosphere. Unlike other ruin pubs and bars in Budapest, Csendes Letterem opens at 10AM for breakfast, and then slowly evolves as the day progresses, gearing up for a night-time program of jazz, funk, and soul (often a hotspot for popular DJs). 

This was my spot to work in Budapest if I wanted to have a few beers while working and gearing up for the night ahead. It provided the perfect balance between a work-friendly environment and energetic going-out spot. Do remember to charge your laptop before heading to Csendes, as I can’t recall it being as outlet friendly as the other cafes on this list.   

As someone who uses their credit card a lot, it is worth noting that Csendes Letterem is cash only, so make sure to plan accordingly. 

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/csendesvintagebar/ 

Hours: M-F 10AM – 12AM | Saturday 12PM – 2AM | Sunday 12PM – 12AM

Location: Budapest, Ferenczy István u. 5, 1053 Hungary

Final Thoughts on Laptop-Friendly Cafes in Budapest

There you have it! Five of my favorite laptop-friendly cafes in Budapest, Hungary that are perfect for digital nomads and freelancers looking for a reliable (or quirky) spot to pump out a blog post, write some code, or check off some basic admin. While it did take me a little to find several cafes that were laptop-friendly, once I found the first (Massolit), a whole flood came in. Budapest is a city of both aesthetic and hidden beauty, and their laptop friendly cafes to work at are very much the latter.

So, if you head to Budapest and are having trouble finding a great cafe to work from, know that it takes some digging. Also, make sure to use these recommendations so you don’t get to that point! 

Have you been to Budapest? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments about any laptop friendly cafes that you think are worth checking out and what you love about them! 

Best,

-Big Body