Cookie Beacon has two brunch spots in central Budapest, and one airport bus plus one metro line gets you to either. From Liszt Ferenc International Airport, take BKK’s 100E Airport Express to its last stop, Deák Ferenc tér; the special airport ticket is 2,500 Ft, BKK puts the ride at 40 minutes, and the bus runs around the clock. Our Basilica brunch spot at Hercegprímás u. 15 is a few minutes’ walk from there, as is Arany János utca on the M3 metro. For Ferenciek tere 1, ride the blue M3 one stop south from Deák Ferenc tér to Ferenciek tere; the station is under the square. Both cafés open at 08:00 on weekdays and 09:00 at weekends, close at 17:00, and take walk-ins only.
From Budapest Airport on the 100E
The 100E stops on the arrivals level, between the two terminals, according to Budapest Airport. BKK runs it every day and through the night: every 6–10 minutes during the day on Mondays and Fridays, every 7–10 minutes during the day on the other days, every 10–15 minutes in the mornings and evenings, and every 30–40 minutes on average at night. BKK gives the journey to the city centre as 40 minutes.
On the way in, the bus drops passengers at three metro stations, in this order: Kálvin tér, Astoria and Deák Ferenc tér, the last stop. Which one to get off at depends on which café you want; the next two sections cover both.
The ticket. BKK is clear that the 100E takes only its own fare:
- the airport shuttle bus single ticket, 2,500 Ft, which you can buy and validate in one go by tapping a bank card on the Budapest Pay&GO reader on board, or buy in the BudapestGO app, at BKK ticket machines and at BKK customer service centres;
- or the add-on airport ticket, 1,000 Ft, in the BudapestGO app only, if you already hold a valid Budapest-pass (not the 15-day one), Pest County Pass or Hungary Pass.
Ordinary Budapest single tickets are not valid on the 100E. Boarding is through the front door only, and BKK says the buses are low-floor, air-conditioned articulated buses with plenty of room for suitcases. The airport ticket covers that one ride, so if you change to the metro, buy a separate ticket for it. On BKK’s price list a single ticket is 500 Ft, a 30-minute ticket 600 Ft, a 90-minute ticket 850 Ft and a 24-hour Budapest travelcard 2,750 Ft.
To the Basilica brunch spot, Hercegprímás u. 15
Stay on the 100E to the end. Deák Ferenc tér is the transfer station for the M1, M2 and M3 metro lines, so it’s also where you arrive if you come by metro from elsewhere in the city. Hercegprímás utca is a few minutes’ walk from the square, just off Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, and the café is about three minutes from the front square of St. Stephen’s Basilica. Head for the dome.
The other close metro stop is Arany János utca on the M3, one stop north of Deák Ferenc tér. It sits under Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, its single entrance is on Podmaniczky Frigyes tér, and the Basilica is a block south of it.
From the railway stations:
- Nyugati pályaudvar is on the M3, and Arany János utca is the next stop south (Wikipedia, M3 line).
- Keleti pályaudvar is on the M2: ride towards Déli pályaudvar through Blaha Lujza tér and Astoria to Deák Ferenc tér (Wikipedia, M2 line).
- Déli pályaudvar is at the other end of the M2: ride across the Danube, through Széll Kálmán tér, Batthyány tér and Kossuth Lajos tér, to Deák Ferenc tér.
To Ferenciek tere 1
Ferenciek tere station is under the square, and the café is at number 1, at the Váci utca end by the Franciscan Church. On the M3 the order runs Arany János utca, Deák Ferenc tér, Ferenciek tere, Kálvin tér, so from the airport you have two easy options:
- Get off the 100E at Kálvin tér and take the M3 one stop north to Ferenciek tere.
- Ride the 100E to Deák Ferenc tér and take the M3 one stop south.
Either way, buy a metro ticket as well as the airport one.
All three central M3 stations reopened in 2023 after the line’s rebuild (Deák Ferenc tér and Ferenciek tere on 23 January, Arany János utca on 20 March), and Wikipedia’s M3 station table marks each of them as accessible. That matters with a suitcase.
Between the two cafés, and the cheesecake shop
The two brunch spots are two M3 stops apart, Arany János utca to Ferenciek tere, with Deák Ferenc tér in between. Both serve the same menu all day, so pick whichever is closer to where you’re staying; the Basilica menu and the Ferenciek tere menu are online.
Cheesecake by Cookie Beacon, our Basque cheesecake shop, is at Arany János utca 27, a short walk from the Basilica brunch spot. It’s open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 8pm, or until the cheesecakes sell out.
Coming by car
Both cafés are in District V, Budapest’s inner city, and we’d take the metro. If you do drive, park in a public garage and walk the last stretch, and check the garage operator’s own site for current rates before you go.
At a glance
| Detail | Cookie Beacon Brunch Basilica | Cookie Beacon Brunch Ferenciek Tere |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Hercegprímás u. 15, 1051 Budapest | Ferenciek tere 1, 1052 Budapest |
| Metro | Arany János utca (M3) and Deák Ferenc tér (M1, M2, M3), a few minutes’ walk each | Ferenciek tere (M3), under the square |
| From the airport | 100E to Deák Ferenc tér, then walk | 100E to Kálvin tér, then M3 one stop north; or 100E to Deák Ferenc tér, then M3 one stop south |
| Airport bus ticket | 2,500 Ft (100E only) | 2,500 Ft (100E only), plus a metro ticket |
| Hours | Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00 | Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00 |
| Bookings | Walk-ins only | Walk-ins only |
| Phone | +36 30 688 9438 | +36 30 688 9438 |
Once you’re here
Our first day in Budapest itinerary picks up from the airport bus and plans the rest of the day around a brunch at one of the two cafés. If it’s your first Hungarian morning, what Hungarians eat for breakfast puts the local plate next to ours, and the Budapest brunch page has the map and both café pages.
Sources, checked 14 October 2026: BKK, 100E Airport Express; BKK, ticket and pass prices; Budapest Airport, public transportation by bus; Wikipedia: M3 line, M2 line, Deák Ferenc tér station, Arany János utca station, Ferenciek tere station. Addresses, hours and the cheesecake shop’s hours come from our own listings.
