Budapest: A Critical Guide

Hotel Gresham Palace Four Seasons - The Café In a building named after the founder of the London Exchange, (see his portrait on the middle of the façade, in gold), the café has a phenomenal riverfront view. Possibly the glitziest hotel between Vienna and San Francisco. (V. Roosevelt tér 5., www.greshampalace.com)

The View from upstairs, Batthány tér Market Hall Right before and after 1900 Budapest built six Paris-style market halls. The renovation of this one made it a chic place to shop, and ideal to have a rest, in a trendy café space, with a fantastic view on Parliament, on the other side of the river. (I. Batthyány tér 5.)

The Balcony of József Pécsi Library of Photography The fanciest building of the "Broadway of Pest" was built by a photographer in 1894. You can only see the balconies, if you pretend to be interested in the library, on Floor III. Fantastic paintings that represent the six, fictitious Muses of Photography. (VI. Nagymező utca 20., www.mainamo.hu)

Uránia Cinema Partly Venetian Gothic, partly Oriental Moorish, completed prob ably in 1894. VIII. Rákóczi út 21. www.urania-nf.hu) 

The Tower of the Elephant House As part of an exotic diplomatic story, the tower of the Elephant House was pulled down in 1917, since Turkey saw it as a parody of a minaret, and protested. In the late1990s Hungarian Landmark authority had it. (XIV. Állatkerti körút 6. www.zoobudapest.com)

Tom-George A very trendy and expensive place, to see and bee seen, a perfect place for "applied peoplewatching": early career business people, artsy folks with some of the most beautiful women in town. (V. Budapest, Október 6. utca 8.)

Underground Furniture Empire Hidden from the uninitiated, there are only two modest windows overlooking the street front. Downstairs there is a varied and original, vast space: paintings, chandeliers, furniture, even modern art, in a separate section. (Pin­tér Antik, V. Falk Miksa utca 10. www.pinterantik.hu)

Café New York, opened Just for Her Its story began in 1894, an Italian hotel chain has decided to give it back the original splendour. The café part is ready, if some strings are pulled, you are shown around. (VII. Erzsbet körút 9-11.)

Box of the General Director, State Opera House His large box, for eight persons, is to the right of the stage, on stage level. Opposite there is a similar one, at the disposal of the Minister of Culture. One of the greatest opera spaces of Europe. (VI. Andrássy út 22., www.opera.hu)

Restaurant Gundel and the paintings around the walls. Possible remark: my favourite is the Rippl-Rónai... (to find out which it is, you can consult the last page of the menu, there is a list of pictures complete with aground plan. XIV. Állatkerti út 3. www.gundel.hu)