Opened in 1858, Café Gerbeaud is Budapest’s oldest coffee house, famed for its Esterházy torta — a Hungarian cake named after Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy de Galántha which consists of layers of almond meringue and buttercream spiced with cognac or vanilla. Nearby, Central Grand Café and Bar serves strudel, lavish palacsinta (stuffed crêpes) and hearty meals in a grand Art Nouveau dining room, often accompanied by calming chamber music. For something more intimate, Café Zsivágó near the Opera House is a glorious nook where people play chess, nibble on caviar rye bread and murmur in cosy corners.