May 2012 - Budapest Hungary
More than a bookstore........
If you visit Budapest you must save some room to stop by the Alexandra Bookstore for a coffee and pastry.
Bookcafé is located on the second floor of the former Paris Department Store, which currently houses the Alexandra bookstore. The café is decorated with beautiful chandeliers and a fresco-style ceiling, painted by Károly Lotz. His paintings also decorate the rooms of the Parliament building.
The grandiose, palace-like interior makes visitors feel like they are in the residence of an aristocrat who once used to live on Andrássy Avenue. What makes Alexandra Bookcafé particularly interesting is that both the building and its interior are fine examples of Art Nouveau, while the café is reminiscent of a renaissance-style ballroom.
The menu contains small, gourmet meals, like salmon on a bagel or cheese platter and a large selection of pastries at reasonable prices. Free WiFi.