Pelso Café

Pelso Café stands at the end of Keszthely’s pedestrian street on Fő tér, the main square, at Kossuth Lajos utca 38, right next to the Gothic parish church. It is a two-storey café whose terrace faces the southern end of the square: from here you see the church tower, the Holy Trinity column and, in summer, guests of the weddings at the town hall. Anyone strolling through Keszthely ends up here sooner or later. Open every day, all year.

A name from the Romans

The café bears the oldest known name of Lake Balaton. The Romans called the lake Lacus Pelso; the 6th-century Ravenna geographer wrote that „the largest lake called Pelsois can be found in Pannonia”. The historian Aurelius Victor credits Emperor Galerius with draining the lake towards the Danube through a canal in the early 4th century and naming the province Valeria after his wife. A more Balaton name for a Keszthely café is hard to imagine.

The square the terrace looks onto

Fő tér is the heart of Keszthely, where roads lead off in every direction. The parish church next to Pelso is the town’s oldest building: it was built around 1390 by Palatine István Lackfi, who is said to be buried here. In 1974 Hungary’s largest continuous medieval frescoes were uncovered in its sacristy. The present neo-Gothic tower, about 60 metres high, was built in 1878 by Tasziló Festetics, incorporating a 14th-century rose window. The Holy Trinity column in the middle of the square is the town’s oldest public artwork, and weddings are held at the town hall in summer.

The town centre was renewed by 2013: Fő tér became car-free, with a promenade, a small event space and a playground. The biggest green playground in the centre is right next to Pelso, so the terrace is a favourite with families with small children. A few steps away is the Várkert, which the town’s website describes as Roman-era.

Coffee, cream cakes, lemonade

The menu is built on Italian coffee and coffee specialties, with teas from around the world. The counter holds cream cakes and tortes, some of them Szamos desserts. There are milkshakes, special lemonades and cocktails, plus wine and hookah, and a small snack menu. According to Lonely Planet, Pelso is at its best at sunset with a drink.

Twenty years, one family

Pelso is a family business, run by the same owner for more than twenty years. According to the town’s website, service is attentive and professional and the mood relaxed: business meetings, groups of friends, couples on a date and families with prams all sit down here.

Who it’s for

Anyone who wants a good seat on the main square after walking the pedestrian street. Families with small children for the playground, dog owners because dogs are welcome, and anyone looking for a reliable café open in winter in the town centre. If you are after specialty coffee or artisan pastry, Jordanics or Lady Hamilton may suit you better.

How much does it cost?

Mid-range: prices reflect the main-square location but are not excessive. Cards, forints and euros are accepted.