There are cocoa shavings in my hair, there’s foam on my nose, and my lips and chin are smeared with hot chocolate. Sitting out at the charming Darjeeling Teahouse and Cafe in Budapest, I realise I am not the most glamorous sight, especially when there are handsome, blue-eyed men walking down the street, throwing a disarming smile or two in my direction.
Anyway, there are far more important things to worry about… like the generous glass of steaming, After Eight hot chocolate on my table. Scooping off a fat blob of cream that’s landed on my jacket and surreptitiously putting it into my mouth, I continue with the heavy layer of frothy cream that’s sprinkled with gooey mint and chocolate. Despite the nip in the air, I decide to sit out with a bunch of lovely red flowers for company. “They aren’t real,” a chirpy passer-by informs me, grinning as he waves past. The interiors are bathed in dim red light with red carpets, fluffy cushions, low tables, cane chairs, beaded curtains — there is an oriental feel about it.
The Hungarians may be beer drinkers, but what’s interesting is that Budapest has a host of tea houses offering special teas. Situated at the popular Grand Boulevard, the eight-year-old Darjeeling Teahouse is just a hop, skip and jump away from the ruin pubs that are quite the phenomenon in Budapest. Since most watering holes in the city don’t list food on the menu, this is the perfect spot to binge on some croissants, sandwiches and snacks before drowning yourselves in fragrant local liquor.
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Apart from a variety of teas, there are 21 types of hot chocolate to make decisions harder: choose from Amaretto, coconut, chilli, ginger, rum, caramel or marzipan-almond. Maybe I could try the gingerbread one after this. That’s just being overambitious. The hot chocolate is rich, thick and flavourful, and after 45 minutes of making my way through it, the glass is still half full. Ah well, at least that’s making me sound like an optimist.