A modern day grand café with true historical background
Who are we?
Offline meeting point filled with culture and inspirational vibes, a creative, stress-free space, an oasis which is both children- and dogfriendly, a hotspot. All this a few minutes' walk from the Parialment, in a historical building, where coffee has been brewed since 1902.
History of grand cafés
In the early 1900s of Budapest, iconic grand cafés hosted many of the most well-known writers, poets, and actors. Where they set foot, beautiful women showed up, followed in turn by wealthy men. That's how the 20th century Grand Cafés became meeting points one couldn't miss, where people exchanged information, lived their social lives, and read their newspapers. Grand cafés soon became a space of arts, where modern democracy was cultivated.
History
The Strausz family opened Szabadság Grand Café in 1902. The café's name, meaning 'Freedom', was meant to pay respect to the freedom fighters of 1848-49. The newly established café soon became popular among the intellectuals of Budapest, including one of the greatest poets of his time, Endre Ady. Szabadság Grand Café managed to live through the great turmoils of the 20th century and the change of regime without switching it's core function.
Our mantras
Our mission was to create a place that resembles the old time's civic lifestyle in its spaces,ambience, gestures and pace, while adapting the convenience and tastes of today. The name "Szabadság" (Freedom) refers to an intellectual, creative freedom which is symbolized by the bird in our logo. The new concept's aim is to bring back the old times' grand café vibes by having literary events, live music and contemporary literature recommendations.
Staff
We respect each other. We use kind words and never forget to say please and thank you. We work hard, tell the truth and keep our promises. Sometimes we make mistakes. We always apologize and forgive. We love.
