Jégbüfé – The End Of An Era

After 63 years of deliciousness the illustrious Jégbüfé closes its doors in the Párisi Udvar at Ferenciek tere due to the upcoming renovation of the whole building. Many people love it; some might hate it, but one thing’s for sure: it is and has been the legendary place of many generations throughout these years. The 29th of August was the last day that the lovers of the confectionery could visit the place. It is a sad moment despite the fact that the other Jégbüfé in Buda will still function, because this was THE Jégbüfé.

It started its career in 1952. It got its name because they sold ice cream, ice-lolly and parfait. The name essentially means Ice Buffet. A big development started in gastronomy after the World Exhibition is Brussels is 1958. The sponge cake and the Budapest cake was made for this event for the first time and started their way towards success. The selection of desserts has always been wide, from cakes, ice cream to waffles.

The main bases of visitors were mostly older people who spent their youth in the Jégbüfé. It was kind of a gathering point of the youth a few decades ago. Naturally younger people also fancied the confectionery; you could see university students rushing in for a cup of coffee every day. The building itself gave a romantic feel to the place. The regulars loved that it seemed like time has stopped there. The furniture stayed similar to what it looked like in the years of socialism, there was no place to sit down and you could enjoy the desserts in one of the windows, though these features changed in the last couple of months.

It survived the change of regime and the economic crisis. István Dér has worked there for the last 29 years, who is the master of waffles. He is the one who made waffles popular in Hungary. His heart is breaking now that his second home has closed. He is going to miss the queue lining up to his window. He isn’t going to make more waffles at home. He is one example of how deeply the closing of the Jégbüfé affects people.

The building was bought by the Mellow Mood Group who has seven years to renovate the building. They want to build a luxury apartments, entertainment and event centres.

The neighbourhood won’t be the same without the iconic Jégbüfé. Many people will miss it, but they have to keep the memory of it in their hearts.

written by: Alexandra Béni

Photo: MTI

Source: welovebudapest.hu, origo.hu, index.hu