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.