Csendes Létterem - Vintage Bar & Café — Restaurant in Budapest

🚀🛁 Csendes Vintage Bar & Cafe: A Sparkling Ode to Bathtubs, Cassette Tapes, and the Legend of Shatner 🚀🛁

Tucked away like a secret whispered by Budapest itself, Csendes Vintage Bar & Cafe isn’t just a spot for drinks — it’s a portal. A whimsical, eccentric, gloriously mismatched portal where the furniture tells stories and nostalgia hums through the air like a half-remembered dream.

Right now, I’m lounging in what can only be described as the most regal bathtub this side of the Danube — sliced neatly in half and reimagined into the perfectly strange chair. Sturdy, sleek ceramic — the kind your grandparents might’ve scrubbed up in, now reborn as an artistic throne for sipping sparkling water and contemplating life.

A lamp glows nearby, filled — yes, filled — with cassette tapes. Not ironic. Not fake. Actual magnetic tape relics that would confuse half the clientele in the best way. It's not décor, it's a shrine to the analog gods.

And then, like a blessing from above, Elton John comes on. “Crocodile Rock.” Followed by “Rocket Man.” Not the Shatner version, but let's be clear:

The William Shatner version of Rocket Man deserves praise.

He didn’t perform it — he transcended it. Shatner transformed that song into something operatic, haunting, and wildly, gloriously unhinged. It’s not just performance — it’s cosmic performance art. If Csendes had a shrine in the back dedicated to that version alone, I’d light a candle.

And speaking of praise — shoutout to the staff here. I ordered a sparkling water and nobody blinked. No judgment, no weird looks — just patient, genuinely friendly service that made me feel welcome, hydrated, and very much not alone in my sober curiosity.

Csendes is where you go when you want a drink — not necessarily an alcoholic one — and a vibe so rich in soul and strangeness it feels like sitting in a David Lynch dream scored by Elton John.

Come for the bathtub. Stay for the playlist. And always, always...

*update: when the different server was taking away our plates she inquired about how we liked the food. I said it was a bit disappointing (not being able to order two items and also the bland chicken) and she said they are actually getting a new menu tomorrow and she could comp our drinks for the issues. Very impressed with the resolution and the explanation (which could have been avoided if it had been communicated first and if the ketchup chicken is described as such on the menu). Anyways really appreciated her understanding our concerns and taking action. She even came over after we left, clarifying we had left 700 more money than necessary (it was 10%tip) saying we didn't need to leave a tip. But we insisted.

Original: The food was decent, the decor is certainly interesting, but the service was the worst (even by European standards). We were ignored and treated rudely, we got there at 1230, didn't get to order meal until 1250 and was told I was unable to get French toast (menu says breakfast available until 1300), ordered a chicken with dill instead, but was told that was also not available. Got the 'spicy chicken', which came as 3 pieces of chicken covered in cereal (corn flakes) and deep-fried. No spices at all. Asked a different server if it was correct, and she said that they put the spicy sauce on the side because people have different tastes. The 'spicy ' sauce on the side is ketchup, so not sure how that works. So many places to go to in Budapest. Not...

I'm a regular customer there, and recently the prices have gone up while the service has stayed the same. I had to pay almost 7 euros for a glass of wine, which is really exaggerated considering the quality. Update: after owner's response: Thank you for your response. If the portion and pricing had been clearly explained at the time, I wouldn’t have needed to call afterwards for clarification.

While I understand that 200ml was mentioned, I still believe the price — nearly 7 euros for a glass of wine — was excessive considering the quality. Being told the portion size doesn't automatically make the pricing feel fair or transparent, especially when the value doesn’t match expectations.

Yes, the phone call was polite, but it didn’t resolve my concerns. As a regular customer, I simply wanted to share honest feedback. I hope it’s taken...