Cookie Beacon Budapest: Basilica or Ferenciek Tere, and What to Order
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Cookie Beacon is an all-day brunch café with two rooms in central Budapest, Hercegprímás utca 15 behind St. Stephen’s Basilica and Ferenciek tere 1 at the end of Váci utca, both open 8:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 17:00 at weekends, neither taking bookings. The menu and the prices are the same in both, apart from a 10 to 110 forint gap on the coffee, so the real choice is which one sits on your route.
The rest of this page is the practical side: which door to walk through, what the kitchen is known for, what a morning costs, and how to keep the wait short when you cannot book.
Basilica or Ferenciek tere: pick by your route
| Basilica room | Ferenciek tere room | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Hercegprímás utca 15, 1051 Budapest | Ferenciek tere 1, 1052 Budapest |
| Neighbourhood | Lipótváros, a few minutes’ walk from St. Stephen’s Basilica | Belváros, at the Elizabeth Bridge end of Váci utca, next to the Franciscan Church |
| Nearest metro | Arany János utca (M3) or Deák Ferenc tér (M1, M2, M3) | Ferenciek tere (M3), on the square itself |
| Weekdays | 8:00 to 17:00 | 8:00 to 17:00 |
| Weekends | 9:00 to 17:00 | 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Booking | Walk-in only | Walk-in only |
| Seating | Double-height ground floor with a mezzanine, a quieter upstairs room, pavement tables | Ground floor, a vaulted room upstairs, pavement terrace under straw parasols |
| Espresso / flat white | 900 HUF / 1,500 HUF | 790 HUF / 1,490 HUF |
| Typical spend a head | 4,000 to 10,000 HUF (about $12 to $30.50) | 4,000 to 12,000 HUF (about $12 to $36.50) |
The Basilica room, Hercegprímás utca 15
What is it? The original Cookie Beacon, open since 2021 on a quiet street just off Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út: a double-height ground floor with a mezzanine above it, a calmer upstairs floor, and tables out on the pavement.
Why it’s worth it: it is the natural breakfast before or after the Basilica, Andrássy út or the Opera, and the upstairs floor is the place to ask for if you want a quieter table. The trade-off is that it is the better-known of the two rooms, so a late weekend morning is when you are most likely to wait for a table.
Insider tip: the group’s separate cheesecake shop, Cheesecake by Cookie Beacon, is at Arany János utca 27, about 400 metres away. The operator says the case rotates and can sell out, so ask there what is in it that day.
The facts: Hercegprímás utca 15, 1051 Budapest · Monday to Friday 8:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday 9:00 to 17:00 · walk-in only · +36 30 688 9438 · Basilica menu
The Ferenciek tere room, Ferenciek tere 1
What is it? The second Budapest room, opened in July 2025 on Ferenciek tere (the Franciscans’ Square), where Váci utca runs out towards Elizabeth Bridge. Same kitchen and menu as the original, plus a pavement terrace under straw parasols and a vaulted room upstairs.
Why it’s worth it: it is the easier stop if you are walking Váci utca, coming up from the Danube or crossing from Buda over Elizabeth Bridge, and the metro stop is on the square. The coffee is also slightly cheaper here. The trade-off is the setting: the square is one of the old town’s crossroads, so the terrace comes with shoppers, commuters and traffic going past rather than a quiet side street.
Insider tip: if the ground floor is full, ask about the upstairs room under the vaulted ceiling before you decide to wait.
The facts: Ferenciek tere 1, 1052 Budapest · Monday to Friday 8:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday 9:00 to 17:00 · walk-in only · +36 30 688 9438 · Ferenciek tere menu
Addresses, opening hours, the booking policy, seating and the opening dates from Cookie Beacon’s own pages for Budapest, the Basilica room and Ferenciek tere, read on 6 October 2026.
What to order, and what it costs
The kitchen is known for two things: hearty brunch plates cooked to order, and the chunky cookies baked on site through the day, thick at the edge and soft in the middle. The plates that come up again and again are the eggs Benedict on cheddar scones and the cookies, and the menu leans sweet as well as savoury, so it is easy to split one of each.
| Dish | Price |
|---|---|
| Eggs Benedict on cheddar scones (add bacon 1,000 HUF, salmon 2,000 HUF) | 4,600 HUF (about $14) |
| Madrid smashed eggs with crispy potatoes | 4,500 HUF (about $13.50) |
| Crème brûlée French toast on home-baked brioche | 4,600 HUF (about $14) |
| Carrot-cake pancakes on a vegan pancake base | 4,400 HUF (about $13.50) |
| Chicken and waffles stack | 4,950 HUF (about $15) |
| Shakshuka burrata (vegan with a tofu crumble swap) | 5,100 HUF (about $15.50) |
| Philly cheese steak protein bowl, gluten-free | 5,600 HUF (about $17) |
| Yogurt and honey whipped granola bowl | 3,950 HUF (about $12) |
| Chunky cookie, any of fifteen | 1,990 HUF (about $6) |
| Signature latte or iced matcha | 1,950 HUF (about $6) |
| Mimosa | 2,100 HUF (about $6.50) |
The coffee is a light roast from Barcelona, and it is the only part of the list priced differently in the two rooms:
| Coffee | Basilica room | Ferenciek tere room |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 900 HUF (about $2.50) | 790 HUF (about $2.50) |
| Cortado | 1,200 HUF (about $3.50) | 1,190 HUF (about $3.50) |
| Cappuccino | 1,300 HUF (about $4) | 1,290 HUF (about $4) |
| Latte | 1,400 HUF (about $4.50) | 1,390 HUF (about $4) |
| Flat white (double shot) | 1,500 HUF (about $4.50) | 1,490 HUF (about $4.50) |
As a rough bill, eggs Benedict and a flat white come to 6,100 HUF (about $18.50) at the Basilica room and 6,090 HUF on Ferenciek tere; a cookie and an espresso to 2,890 HUF (about $9) and 2,780 HUF (about $8.50).
Cookies to take away. The cookies are sold by the piece or boxed as a mix of flavours from the counter, and the operator says they keep for a day or two. The fifteen on the list run from Classic Choco Chip and Nutella with Maldon salt to Lotus with dulce de leche, plus two keto cookies made with almond and coconut flour.
Vegan and gluten-free. The operator counts three plates that are vegan as they arrive and four more that are vegan on request. The carrot-cake pancakes are made on a vegan pancake base, the shakshuka turns vegan with a tofu crumble, and the maple chai latte is made with oat milk. Only one cookie is vegan, the Caramel Fudge, which is also gluten-free. Four plates carry a gluten-free tag on the card (the Philly bowl, the grilled-romaine Caesar and both granola bowls), and so do four cookies. It is one shared kitchen, so tell the staff about an allergy when you order.
Prices from Cookie Beacon’s online menus for the Basilica room and Ferenciek tere, read on 6 October 2026; the cookie boxes and how long they keep from its chunky cookies page, read the same day; the vegan pancake base from its brunch menu page and the count of vegan plates from its Basilica room page, also read on 6 October 2026. The operator notes that prices can change and that the printed menu in the room is the latest version.
Prices are in HUF, which is what you pay at the counter. Converted at 1 USD = 328 HUF, the ECB rate on 5 October 2026. Rates move, so treat the converted figures as indicative.
No bookings: how to keep the wait short
Neither room takes a reservation, which makes timing the whole strategy.
- Come early, or mid-week. The operator’s own advice is that mornings and mid-week are the calmest. On a weekday the door opens at 8:00, an hour before the weekend opening.
- Use the second room. Both are in District V, within walking distance of each other. If one has a queue out the door, the other is worth trying before you give up.
- Plan for a big plate. Portions are generous, and a cookie is easy to take away for later. One plate and one cookie between two is a sensible opening order.
- Bring the dog. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in both rooms, with a water bowl on request.
Booking policy, the timing advice and the dog policy from Cookie Beacon’s own menu page and store pages, read on 6 October 2026.
Good to know before you go
- Cookies. The cookies travel well, so it is easy to take one away.
- Portions. Brunch plates are generous.
- Timing. The operator’s advice is that mornings and mid-week are the calmest; there are no bookings, so arriving early is the easy way to a table.
- Vegan cookie. The Caramel Fudge is the only vegan cookie on the list.
From Cookie Beacon’s own pages, read on 6 October 2026: the cookies keeping for a day or two from its chunky cookies page, the Caramel Fudge as the one cookie tagged vegan from the menus for the Basilica room and Ferenciek tere, “generous brunch plates” from its menu page, and the calmest times from its menu page FAQ.
Where it fits in a Budapest morning
Cookie Beacon works best as the first stop of a day in the centre of Pest. From the Basilica room, the Basilica’s dome, Andrássy út and the Opera are all a short walk; from Ferenciek tere you are a few minutes from the Danube promenade and Elizabeth Bridge, with Váci utca running north to Vörösmarty tér. If you care about the coffee more than the brunch, our specialty coffee guide covers the roasters. For other breakfast places, including the ones that will hold you a table, see more breakfast options in Budapest.
Good to know
Does Cookie Beacon Budapest take reservations?
No. Both Budapest rooms, Hercegprímás utca 15 and Ferenciek tere 1, are walk-in only, with no bookings at either. The operator says mornings and mid-week are the calmest times to turn up.
What are Cookie Beacon's opening hours in Budapest?
Both rooms keep the same hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday 9:00 to 17:00. Brunch is served all day, to the 17:00 close.
How much does brunch at Cookie Beacon cost?
Most brunch plates sit between 3,950 HUF (about $12) and 5,600 HUF (about $17). Eggs Benedict on cheddar scones is 4,600 HUF (about $14), a chunky cookie 1,990 HUF (about $6) and a mimosa 2,100 HUF (about $6.50). The operator puts a typical spend at 4,000 to 10,000 HUF a head at the Basilica room and 4,000 to 12,000 HUF on Ferenciek tere.
Is the Cookie Beacon menu the same at both Budapest branches?
Yes, the food, cookies, smoothies, mimosas and signature lattes are identical and identically priced. Only the classic coffees (espresso, cortado, cappuccino, latte, flat white) differ, by 10 to 110 HUF: an espresso is 790 HUF on Ferenciek tere and 900 HUF at the Basilica room, a flat white 1,490 HUF against 1,500 HUF.
Does Cookie Beacon have vegan and gluten-free options?
Yes. The carrot-cake pancakes are made on a vegan pancake base, the shakshuka can be made vegan with a tofu crumble, and the Caramel Fudge cookie is vegan and gluten-free. Four brunch plates and four cookies carry a gluten-free tag. Everything comes out of one shared kitchen, so mention an allergy when you order.
Can I bring my dog to Cookie Beacon?
Yes. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in both Budapest rooms, and staff will bring a water bowl if you ask.