Best of Budapest & Hungary

The % Arabica Japanese café chain has opened a new unit in the Hungarian capital. The café has been given an extremely clean design.

    The Budapest store has beens designed by the renowned French architectural studio Ciguë, which points outs that % Arabica Budapest is housed in a historic building designed by József Hild in 1844, featuring narrow and tall windows and a captivating brick vault structure. The store’s design ethos revolves around preserving the raw beauty of this vaulted space, leaving it untouched to showcase its inherent charm and character.

    The seating elements, developed with the Zsolnay factory for % Arabica, evoke the cozy warmth of Budapest’s traditional thermal baths. These bespoke features invite guests to an elegant and comfortable atmosphere. The counter continues this theme. Cladded in white tiles with rich reflections, it contrasts beautifully with the raw brick vault. A suspended tisoffio lamp, designed by ciguë, further highlights the presence of the counter, adding to the store’s engaging ambiance.

    The % Arabica does not follow the Italian style, as it uses Seattle Slayer coffee machines, which allow for a fine-tuned coffee. The drinks menu includes classic espressos, macchiatos, lattes and americanos, as well as speciality drinks such as a condensed milk Kyoto coffee and a chocolate dark version.

   One of % Arabica's biggest specialties in Budapest is that it roasts its beans on site. The shop offers a choice of ten different coffees from Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia and other coffee growing regions. They are brewed to suit the way coffee is made at home, whether it's a brew, espresso machine or drip system.

    The company's philosophy is to always offer a darker-roasted Arabica, as well as a special selection that is updated annually and sourced by the franchise's experts from plantations around the world.