12 February 1999 – We were both desperate for a coffee, so we went to Gerbeaud’s – an old traditional coffeehouse that has been privatized and now a bit costly for Budapest. Jim visited during Communist ownership and said the service, building and food are much improved now. The kaffee milche was one of the best I’d tasted on the trip, thick steamed milk with very, very strong coffee.

We then headed back toward our hotel, hoping to find local Hungarian food. We found an English and Irish pub nearby, but when in Budapest, who wants English and Irish food? After more walking, we found a couple of local establishments that did not take credit cards, so we left since we were short on local currency. Once we finally found a Hungarian café that would take credit cards, we ate goulash soup, a crepe with minced chicken (one of my all time favorites) and stuffed cabbage, which tasted strong and sour. Of course, we drank Hungarian beer.