Budapest: A Critical Guide

Ráth György Museum (VI. Városligeti fasor 12.)

One of the nicest and least attended small museums in the rich supply of the Budapest scene. The name refers to the original owner of the villa (1828-1905), the one-time director of the Museum of Applied Arts, who left this villa and his Oriental collection to the public in his will. (Not on Monday.)

A busy place, but mainly in the ground floor. Few visitors go to the second floor, unless with a reason. Apart from meeting someone you can also enjoy the view on Grand Boulevard. If you sit to the right table, you can spot a familiar building - you are right, it is the exact copy of Palazzo Strozzi, in Firenze.

Budapest Public Library, at the model of the building (VIII. Szabó Ervin tér 1.)

In a deserted corner of the ground floor part of the newly built spiral staircase, there is a model of the new complex, out of white plaster, under glass. Yes, it consists of three parts: the original new-Baroque palace, the former residential block, recently added, and the brand-new wing. Near the lift.

Millennium Court Café (Inside the block between V. Váci utca, Régiposta utca, Galamb utca and Pesti Barnabás utca.)

A not much visited, almost secret place in the heart of Pest, where shops often change owners and character. The New York style sandwich bar, the one that operated earlier here, did not close, just moved to another part a 100 meters to the south. (The latter is far too busy for a secret mission.)

The giant underground shop floor of Pintér Antik (V. Falk Miksa utca 10.)

A small entrance and just one window: easy to miss that labyrinth, rather a universe, full of artwork and all kinds of furniture. A meeting point inside, worthy of spy movies: the luxury bathtub, covered with lacquered wood panels, one that costs 10.000 EUR. (www.pinterantik.hu/antik/hu/product.asp?ID=72)

Odeon Art Video Rental Shop, the upstairs, catalogue part (XIII. Hollán Ernő utca 7.)

A much loved Pest institution, bigger and bigger parts of a cinema from the 1930s are converted into the rental space. The venue of many (really unplanned) incidental meetings. (www.odeon.hu)

The internet counter of the bookshop in the upstairs part of Batthyány tér indoors market (I. Battyhány tér 5.)

The bookshop with probably the nicest and least known view on the river and Parliament building. Same, but much cheaper view, than from the otherwise pleasant café in the middle of the upstairs riverfront part.