A content creator and her friends were impressed by the palatial decor when they visited a café often praised as ‘the most beautiful in the world’, but there was one drawback
A content creator who went to one of the most beautiful cafés in the world loved her experience at the famous venue, but couldn’t believe the prices on the menu, especially after discovering how much a bottle of water would set her back.
Posting her financial ordeal on TikTok, Claudia Sierra and her friends revealed to her 45,000 followers on the platform the eye-popping price tags at the New York Café in the Antara New York Palace Hotel, Budapest.
The café is considered one of the most historic and luxurious cafés in the world and is beloved for its interior decoration, featuring chandeliers and frescoes. It was also a meeting point for Hungarian artists.
Discussing what she observed before she went in, Claudia said of the stunning restaurant: “Look at the coffee shop where we stopped for a cup of coffee. They can take my ribs out right here, I don’t care.
“All I see is people flipping through the menu on repeat, trying to find something reasonably priced.”
Upon flicking through the menu themselves, Claudia and her friends became shocked when they saw how much a bottle of San Pellegrino water cost, €12.50 (£10.91), a figure reflected in an online version of the menu.
A friend of Claudia’s said: “The water bottle costs 12.50 euros.”
Instead, the group opted for tap water to save a little bit of money.
Another friend added: “Oh, we’re going to have such a good breakfast! I’m crying. Thank goodness they gave us a little bit of tap water to wash down the biscuit.”
The water isn’t the only pricey item on the menu, with a cappuccino costing €11 (£9.59) and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with sour cream flavoured salad priced at €16 (£13.95).
Claudia and her friends aren’t the first people to note how high prices can be in popular restaurants. Luxurious eateries have long been alluring for the experience of being in them, and being able to say you’ve visited.
Earlier this year, another content creator visited Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane in London, a venue which has just 13 seats at the sushi counter and is one of the UK’s most expensive restaurants.
The restaurant, which launched in 2023 and was masterminded by Shinji Kanesaka, charges around £420 per person for its set menu. So impressive is the experience, that one visitor described it as ethereal.
They wrote on Google: “The most amazing sushi I’ve ever had outside Japan. Awesome food, service and atmosphere. Only 13 sushi bar seats in entire restaurant, 9 in main and a more private 4 seater. Pricey but ethereal.”
On the expense, one diner wrote: “Yes it is expensive, however the experience is extremely intimate with only a few small sittings each night. Further to this the ingredients used are absolutely the best on offer.
“I have honestly never been served a blue lobster and the Kobe beef was certainly as good as the best wagu I have previously tried in Japan.
“The whole team was extremely professional and very attentive. The Sake pairing was again exceptional with the sommelier describing each in amazing detail.”