We visitedBudapest’s wildest new cafe,
where you can snugglewith a snake as
you eat some tasty cake
I’m sitting sipping a cappuccinowhen,
unannounced, a yellow-crested cockatoo soars
through the air and lands onmy companion’s
shoulder. Shewaits amoment before nibbling
at the button on his shirt. “Kali is such a
flirt – she loves the boys,” laughs Krisztina
Balotay, owner of Budapest’s ZooCafe.
Chatting to Krisztina over squawking,
purring animals, she explains that she
opened this unusual venue in September. An
FeedingTimeattheZoo
extension of the cat-cafe concept springing
up across Europe, Krisztina’s locale is
home to awhole host of unusual critters. As
well as parrots, Kali the cockatoo and six
cats, there are hamsters, cats, hedgehogs,
snakes, lizards, spiders and an aquarium
filledwith fish. Customers can get up-close-
and-personal withmost of the animals, as
long as they are respectful, and don’t try
to feed them. “We have a full-time animal
caretaker here who keeps awatchful eye on
all goings-on,” says Krisztinawhile Kázmér
the chameleon clings round her neck.
Krisztina used tobe the owner of the first
BUDAPEST
cat cafe in Budapest, but decided that she
could do something evenmore unusual. She
hunted around and found a large building
(123m
2
), and then set it up as the animals’
new home, allowing them a fewmonths to get
used to the space before the grand opening.
The animals are very friendly and the cafe
is a huge hit with kids. “The snakes came
from a school, so they’re used to children
holding them,” says Krisztina. “We serve
paninis, wraps and cakes. Although food is
made off-site, the cafe kitchen is the only
place the animals aren’t allowed!”
zoocafebudapest.hu
TheBuzz
WIZZ MAGAZINE
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PHOTO BY JONATHANMINSTER
