Café Gerbeaud Budapest History: The Grand Café Since 1858

On the north side of Vörösmarty Square in central Budapest, a pastry counter has been serving cakes, chocolates and coffee since the 19th century. The Café Gerbeaud Budapest history is really two stories: a Hungarian confectioner, Henrik Kugler, who opened the business in 1858, and a Swiss chocolatier, Emil Gerbeaud, who turned it into one of the grandest coffeehouses in Central Europe and gave it his name.

Between them came world fairs, a world war, nationalization and a 36-year spell under another name. Here is the verified timeline, what makes the place special, and how to get the most out of a visit.

Key takeaways

• Henrik Kugler opened his confectionery on 14 October 1858 and moved it to today’s Vörösmarty Square in 1870.
• Emil Gerbeaud, born in Geneva, joined as Kugler’s partner in the early 1880s and later took over the business.
• After nationalization in 1948 the café was called Vörösmarty until 1984, when the Gerbeaud name returned.
• The interior dates from around 1910: marble, exotic woods, bronze and Rococo-style stucco.

In this article

1. Café Gerbeaud Budapest history: timeline
2. Henrik Kugler’s confectionery
3. Emil Gerbeaud’s era
4. The Vörösmarty years and revival
5. What to order
6. FAQ

Café Gerbeaud Budapest history: the timeline

Henrik Kugler’s confectionery (1858–1880s)

Kugler came from a family of confectioners and trained as a journeyman in a string of European capitals, Paris among them. His first shop in Pest earned a reputation as one of the best in town, known for its teas and ice creams.

In 1870 he moved to the square that is now named after the poet Mihály Vörösmarty. The café became known for chocolate coffee, liqueurs, bonbons, cakes and ice cream, and for a small but practical innovation: customers could take their cakes home on paper trays, something new at the time.

What Kugler lacked was a successor. According to the café’s own history, he asked for a recommendation through the Swiss confectionery trade and was pointed toward a young professional named Emil Gerbeaud.

Emil Gerbeaud’s era (1880s–1919)

Gerbeaud was born in Geneva and had worked in Germany, France and England before arriving in Budapest. He took over the business gradually and, tellingly, kept Kugler’s name on it for years.

New sweets

He widened the range dramatically: butter creams, Parisian creams, more than a hundred kinds of tea pastries and new ice creams. As a master chocolatier, he introduced the cat’s tongue chocolate and the cognac cherry bonbon to Hungary, and the cognac cherry is still a house signature.

A modern business

Gerbeaud also thought like an industrialist. By the end of the 1890s he employed around 150 people, mechanized the bakery and designed his own takeaway boxes. He opened a garden restaurant, the Gerbeaud Pavilion, in 1896, and judged at international exhibitions, including Paris in 1900.

The interior

Around 1910, working with Henrik Darilek, he created the rooms people still photograph today: marble, exotic woods and bronze, ceiling stucco in the Louis XV Rococo style and chandeliers inspired by the era of Maria Theresa. Some of the tables were bought at the Paris world fair.

Gerbeaud died on 8 November 1919. His widow, Eszter, kept the business going until 1940.

The Vörösmarty years and the revival

In 1948, under Hungary’s communist government, the café was nationalized and renamed Vörösmarty, after the square and its poet. It kept serving cakes and coffee under that name until March 1984, when the Gerbeaud name went back up over the door.

In 1995 German businessman Erwin Franz Müller bought the business and the café was extensively restored. Since then it has added an anniversary cake (Gerbeaud 160, in 2018), its own 71.9% dark chocolate made with Cacao Barry, savory coffeehouse dishes and, in 2025, a refreshed interior and menu that still lean on the historic rooms.

Gerbeaud belongs to the same family as other great European cafés that survived war and politics, such as Caffè Florian in Venice and Café Procope in Paris.

What to order at Café Gerbeaud

• The Gerbeaud slice (zserbó). Hungary’s classic layered pastry of walnuts and apricot jam under a chocolate glaze, a cake that carries the café’s name. The 2025 menu also offers a cherry and poppy seed version.
• Dobos cake. Sponge layers, chocolate buttercream and a crisp caramel top; the café has also created an orange version.
• Cognac cherries. The bonbon Gerbeaud introduced in 1895, a good edible souvenir.
• Coffee. An espresso or a Viennese-style coffee with whipped cream suits the cakes. Our guide to Viennese coffee drinks explains the styles you will see on Central European menus.

Visiting tips

• The café sits on Vörösmarty Square, at the start of Váci Street and with a metro stop on the square, so it is easy to combine with a walk along the Danube.
• Mid-morning on weekdays is usually calmer than weekend afternoons.
• If you only want to take sweets home, the pastry counter is quicker than waiting for a table.
• Check opening hours and prices on the café’s official website before you go, as they change.

Recreate the Gerbeaud mood at home

Rich Central European cakes need a coffee with body. A dark roast like Italian Roast, slow-roasted Arabica and Robusta with smoky, dark chocolate notes, stands up to walnut and chocolate. If you prefer a sweeter pairing, Mexican Chocolate brings cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla to the cup, a nod to Kugler’s chocolate coffee. For a crowd-pleasing espresso, 6 Bean Blend gives a thick crema. Every bag is roasted 1–5 days before delivery. For the full afternoon ritual, read about Kaffee und Kuchen.

Café Gerbeaud FAQ

When was Café Gerbeaud founded?

Henrik Kugler founded the business on 14 October 1858. It moved to Vörösmarty Square in 1870 and later took Emil Gerbeaud’s name.

Who was Emil Gerbeaud?

A Geneva-born confectioner and chocolatier who joined Kugler as a partner in the 1880s, modernized the business, introduced new chocolates and created the café’s grand interior. He died in 1919.

Was Café Gerbeaud closed under communism?

No. It was nationalized in 1948 and kept operating under the name Vörösmarty until 1984.

Is Café Gerbeaud worth visiting?

If you love historic interiors and classic Hungarian cakes, yes. Go for the rooms and the zserbó, and treat it as a sit-down experience rather than a quick coffee stop.

Which famous guests went to Gerbeaud?

Accounts of its history list Franz Liszt, the statesman Ferenc Deák and Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) among its guests.

Sources

1. Gerbeaud History, Gerbeaud Budapest (official website).
2. Café Gerbeaud, Wikipedia.

Facts checked in October 2026.

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