ICE, ICE, ICECREAM BABY

Everybody loves icecream. And nothing seems to be a better thing to do in a new city than tasting amazing icecream while strolling down the streets and looking at shop windows. 

Gelarto Rosa

If you are in Budapest, these are the icecream places that you should definitely try.

Most of them offer delicious hand crafted or home made, while some just "simply" amazing Italian icecream. 

Soooo, ready for the list? Here it is! 

(Forest fruit cup - Facebook)

AUGUSZT CONFECTIONERY

This amazing confectionery was established in 1870 and today they have 3 shops throughout Budapest. Their most popular flavours are vanilla, rice, poppy seed and cottage cheese! Obviously as a confectionery, they also sell delicious cakes as well, and you can also have lunch in their Midtown shop. 

Don't forget to check them out at the following address:

14-16 Kossuth Lajos Street in District 5, 

the shop is located between the Elisabeth bridge and Astoria. 

Opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 9 am - 9 pm
Saturday: 11 am - 6 pm

http://www.auguszt.hu/en
www.facebook.com/augusztcukraszda

(Auguszt Confectionery - downtown location - Bogart-photo)

www.levendulafagylaltozo.hu

LEVENDULA - LAVENDER HANDCRAFTED ICECREAM

This company now offers 5 franchise shops, 4 of them are in Budapest and one is in Szentendre. 

In the wintertime they have chocolate truffels, while in the summertime they sell icecream.

As the name suggests, one of the main ingredients of their delicious goods is lavender. 

They also offer both lactose and sugar free icecream in their stores. 

All together they have 80 different flavours (for example camembert cheese, chianti red wine, ginger ale), and some of them come in a really interesting colour. 

This is where you can bump into one of their stores:

• 25 Rákóczi Street (Next to Uránia Movie Theater) in District 8
• 21 Szent István krt. in District 5
• 6 Vámház krt. in Distrct 5 (Accross the street from the Big Markethall)
• Behind Mammut shopping Center in Buda
• 8 Fő tér in Szentendre (about 30 kms north from Budapest)

Opening hours:

Usually between 11 am - 10 pm, but please check each location!

http://levendulafagylaltozo.hu/

www.facebook.com/Levendula.Fagylaltozo

www.fragolafagylaltozo.hu

FRAGOLA

Fragola has been spreading like crazy  in Budapest, it is actually getting hard to keep track of where they are opening their latest store. But wherever you see these cute drawings, you can suspect that you will be seduced within minutes.

According to their description, their icecream is original hand crafted icecream that is coming all the way from Italy to your cones. 

Beside icecream, they also sell sandwiches, soups, pizzas, salads, and other sweets - however the selections are not the same in every store.

You can find them at the following addresses, but as I mentioned, they are opening new branches all the time, so it is worth checking their website and Facebook page.

7 Csévi Street in District 2

7 Nagymező Street in District 6

3/A Károly krt. in District 7

37 Katona József Street in District 13

They've just opened Fragola Beach at Római Part in District 3, where you can get your icecream from this cute Italian icecream truck:

Cute Italian icecream truck - Facebook

http://www.fragolafagylaltozo.hu/

https://www.facebook.com/fragola.fagylaltozo

Nándori icecream - nandori.hu

NÁNDORI CONFECTIONERY

Nándori was established in 1957 and is located in the pedestrian street called Ráday in District 9. This is the street, where you can find many great restaurants as well. Once you are finished with your lunch or dinner in one of these restaurants, keep some more room for dessert! It is a must to try. Simply delicious! Of course they have cakes as well! 

Address:

53 Ráday Street in District 9

Opening hours:

Monday - Saturday: 7:30 am - 7:00 pm

Sunday: closed

http://www.nandori.hu/cukraszda.php

https://www.facebook.com/nandoricukraszda

Icecream sundae - Gerbeaud.hu

GERBEAUD CONFECTIONERY

It's probably not a big surprise that one of the most famous Hungarian confectionery has one of the best icecream in Budapest. Gerbeaud also has its own cake named after him, you can read more about it in the list of food that I recommend you to try if you are visiting Hungary. 

The Gerbeaud Bistro and Confectionery is a prestigious place to visit in Budapest, it was established in 1858 and is located in the very center of the city.

Address:

7-8 Vörösmarty Square in District 5

Cafe opening hours:

Mo - Su: 08.30 am - 9 pm

Bistro opening hours: 

Monday - Sunday 12-22

http://www.gerbeaud.hu/en

Rose shaped icecream - Facebook photo

GELARTO ROSA

Gelarto Rosa is not only hand crafted, but the icecream there is actually served in a rose shape. Not only kids but adults love it as well. 
The owners also admit that they can't create the same icecream twice, so don't be surprised if one flavour doesn't taste the same the next time when you stand in the 30 minutes line that is usually queuing in front of the place.

You should try their basil lemon and pistacchio flavours.

Address:

3 Szent István tér in District 5

Opening hours:

Monday - Friday: 10 am - 10 pm

https://www.facebook.com/GelartoRosa

ladelizia.hu

LA DELIZIA COOKIE MANUFACTURER

Originally a cookie place, they make delicious cookies, also gluten and sugar free ones, and in the summertime they offer amazing icecream. 

They have basil strawberry, Madagascar vanilla, and many more great flavours.

You can taste all the flavours before buying.

Address:

13 Jókai Street in District 6

http://www.ladelizia.hu/eng/

https://www.facebook.com/ladelizia.budapest

ARTIGIANI GELATI

This place is completely out of the main tourist attractions, but if you are really after the good stuff, it's worth the trip. The shop is within a couple of minutes walking from Széll Kálmán square, the exact address is 8 Csaba Street in District 12, and this is what you can choose from. Quite convincing, right? :)

If you've found this post useful, please join our Facebook page and also don't forget to like it and share with your friends! :)

Missing something from the list? Tell us in your comment!

SZIMPLA DESIGN SHOP

Szimpla has come up with something really cool. Again! Their new store called SZIMPLA DESIGN SHOP handcraft & boutique has opened recently in District 7, only a couple of steps away from Gozsdu Courtyard. 

I've been passing by it for some time but finally today I remembered taking my camera with me so I can show everything they have in their store. At the moment there is a huge construction going on in front of the shop, so it is not that easy to approach it, but believe me, it is worth the dust and noise to get there! 

Szimpla Design Shop

You only need to take a couple of steps down to the basement, and what you see there is like a completely different world. It's colorful and bright, looks just like a little jewelry box. I soon found out that the guy behind the counter is actually one of the owners, so he knows everything about all the items that can be found in the store. 

Oldschool radio turned into a lamp

He was very helpful showing me around, telling me little stories about almost every furniture. Because what you find in this store is mainly a previously owned item, usually refurbished by a designer or a very creative person. 

Yes, this is a lamp made of cassettes.

There's plenty to see, one of my favourite things was this lamp that was made of old music cassettes. As I was told, beside many other great music bands of course, you can find Spice Girls and Ricky Martin cassettes among them. I think it is just a great thing to turn some old, somehow useless things into a practical item for your home. Not to mention that this way the disco memories of our childhood can stay with us forever. 

Organic soaps and other great things

The owner is very enthusiastic about all the items that can be found in the shop. He also told me that they are searching for new items all the time, they also buy and trade old things that could use some refurbishing.
And that's not all. They are also planning to use the place for arts and crafts workshops for anybody who is interested in new ideas. For more news check out their Facebook page, their website is coming soon! 

Useful information:

Address: 

24 Síp Street in District 7

Opening hours:

Sunday, Monday: Closed

Tuesday - Friday: 12-19h

Saturday: 11-15h

I took a lot of pictures, so if you would like to see the picture gallery, please click HERE.

If you've found this post useful, please join our Facebook page and also don't forget to like it and share with your friends! :)

LIVING HISTORY THROUGH AMAZING PICTURES

A selfie way before it was cool (1920)

The other night we just had a discussion about Fortepan with a friend over a bottle of wine and some snack, and she suggested that the founders of this site should deserve a Nobel price for creating such an amazing thing for the world. And I really think she is right. I’d known Fortepan for some time and I actually found it pretty amazing even when I first saw it, but I never really took the time to browse its pictures thoroughly enough, and to be honest, I also didn’t think that so many more pictures have been uploaded to it recently. But why is Fortepan so precious to us? Not only because it was created by Hungarians, there's so much more to the story. 

So let me tell you a bit about it!

Fortepan started as a private collection of photographs that were taken between 1910 and 1990 mainly in Hungary and the pictures were uploaded by the two founders. They started with 500 pictures that they found either at home or among household junks. As words had spread, more and more people scanned and sent their pictures to the founders and also in the meantime several libraries and institutions contacted them offering their archives, so today it has over 33.000 pictures and this number is increasing day by day. 

Soldiers in World War I

The site is very simple to use, you can read all about it by clicking here. 

But if you think that you would only find pictures of Hungary, then think again! I’ve just realized that there’s a lot of pictures uploaded from all over the world. 

Do you live in New York City, in Switzerland or in a small village of Germany? Check out the site, as you might be surprised, they might have pictures from your neighborhood from your grandparen's childhood as well.

Women in Coney Island in 1915

Check out their site and take the time to browse for either amazing pictures of Hungary in the 20th century or maybe you also have some great pictures that you would like to send to Fortepan so everybody around the world can see it. 

The 1956 Revolution in Budapest

Believe me, it's amazing to see pictures of times that you only heard about from your grandparents, or I think it is also funny to see pictures from my childhood realizing that everybody else looked exactly the same in the 1980s in Hungary.

The Berlin Wall in 1988

It’s like recreating the world in pictures that existed before this whole online social craziness took over. Enjoy what you see there, and if you like it, please spread the word to the world!
For more about Hungary, join us on Facebook! 

IN THIS SURGERY ROOM EVERYTHING IS EDIBLE

Are you stressed, exhausted, have mental problems? They can help! 

How about drinking a shot from a doctor's needle as an appetizer? Then you should eat the food that comes out from the surgery room. If you wish, you can sit in a wheelchair while eating, and feel free to use the lab if you need to go to the restroom. 

Confused? Don't be! I'm only talking about the latest and probably one of the craziest restaurants that has opened recently near the Blahaz Lujza square in Budapest. It is called Rendelő in Hungarian, which can be translated as the doctor's office or a clinic.

Upstairs interior

If you've ever wondered, what a real socialist doctor's office must have looked like, then you've found it. Everywhere you look, you will see surgical lamps, wheelchairs, infusion holders and all other medical equipments that otherwise could only be seen at the doctor's.

The brain and its parts as wallpaper

Just like at the doctor's

But let's keep in mind that it is actually a restaurant and a bar, so let me tell you a bit about the food as well.

They serve Hungarian and international food, and they also have fish & chips! It's worth stopping by on a weekday, as they offer lunch menus between noon and 5 pm. You can get a two course meal for 890 FUF, while a 3 course meal cost 1090 HUF. Very good food for very good price.

A three course meal cost 1090 HUF (ca. 3,50 EUR)

If you are around some other time, you can try their pastas for an average price of 1700 HUF or main dishes for about 2000 HUF.

The staff is very kind, they speak English, and it is just something that you can not miss if you are in Budapest!

Streetview, just a couple of steps away from Blaha Lujza square

Contact details:

Rendelő resto & bar

1085 Budapest, 8 Somogyi Béla Street

Opening hours: Monday - Wednesday: 11:00-24:00, Thursday - Saturday: 11:00-01:00, Sunday: 12:00-22:00