Are you looking for a place in Budapest where the drink is more than just a soft drink? Where the smoothie is made from real fruit, the cocktail is a bar experience even without alcohol, and you can find globally popular ingredients like blue spirulina, pink pitaya or taro?
Introducing Smúz Lab: Smúz Café's laboratory-style drinks menu at the foot of the Parliament, a minute from the Danube. Zero and low alcohol drinks, natural colors, exciting ingredients - for guests looking for conscious choices.
What makes Smúz Lab different?
Every item on the drinks list is based on real, natural ingredients. The spectacular colors are not given by artificial dyes, but by the plants themselves: blue comes from spirulina, pink from pitaya, purple from taro. The creamy texture is brought by avocado, banana and plant milks, the sweet taste is brought by fresh dates and fruit – several of our drinks are made without added sugar. On the functional side, we work with globally popular ingredients such as protein, collagen or ashwagandha.
But what exactly are these? If some of the names of the ingredients sound unfamiliar, no problem – that's why we call it Lab. Here's a quick primer.
Ingredients glossary – know what you are drinking
Blue spirulina
Spirulina is a microalgae that has long been consumed worldwide and is often mentioned among the superfoods. The blue version (phycocyanin extract) gives our drinks their electric blue color - all naturally. The Blue Spirulina Lemonade with fresh lemon and orange juice is the most photogenic member of the drinks list, while the Blue Ginger with ginger and lime is a drier, more grown-up mocktail experience.
Pink pitaya (dragon fruit)
Pitaya, or dragon fruit, is a tropical cactus fruit whose bright pink flesh is a visual highlight in itself. You can find it in our Pink Cloud light, citrus-soda refreshment and Pink Collagen Drink.
Collagen
Collagen is a type of protein that has become one of the most sought-after ingredients in international beauty and wellness drinks in recent years. Pink Collagen Drink combines it with pink pitaya and fresh citrus: a light, evening drink that is a treat for the eyes and the palate.
Protein
Protein is no longer just for the gym – more and more people are choosing protein-enriched drinks for everyday use. The Green Pro Smoothie is made with real avocado, frozen banana and mango, while the Date Shake Pro is made with banana and fresh dates for a dessert experience – with no added sugar.
Dates and bananas – a sweet treat made from fruit
In the Smúz Lab, the primary source of sweetness is the fruit itself. Fresh dates add caramel depth, bananas add creamy texture and natural sweetness – making a shake both a dessert and a conscious choice.
Beetroot
Beetroot is a well-known vegetable in Hungarian cuisine, and its distinctive, earthy flavor has made it a favorite in the international gastronomic world. In Beet Tonic, it becomes refreshing with orange juice and soda, and in Orange Root Kombucha, it is the soul of our orange-based signature tonic.
Taro
Taro is a root vegetable popular in Asia and the Pacific, with a smooth, vanilla-nutty flavor and distinctive purple color – one of the biggest international beverage trends of recent years. Taro Lab’s dessert drinks – Iced Taro Milk, spoonable Taro Cream Cup and yogurt-layered Taro Yogurt Swirl – deliver a creamy, silky experience, with plant-based milk.
Acai
The acai berry is the deep purple fruit of a South American palm tree that has become an icon of breakfast and bowl culture worldwide over the past decade. In the Cai Bowl, we serve it with banana, mango and fresh fruit – a spoonful of breakfast at the foot of Parliament.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is one of the most well-known herbs in the Ayurvedic tradition, used in India for centuries and now a common ingredient in international wellness drinks. In White Calm Ice, it meets sugar-free vanilla, strawberry and mango - a cool, smooth drink with an evening mood.
Matcha and coconut water
Matcha is a powdered Japanese green tea with natural caffeine content – it originated in the world of tea ceremonies and is now one of the most popular drinks in specialty cafes. Matcha Coco is made with coconut water and plant-based milk: green, creamy, and full of character.
Plant-based milks
Our milk-based drinks are made with plant-based milks – including creamy cashew milk – so those following lactose-free and vegan diets will also find their favorite.
Non-alcoholic cocktail in Budapest? Here's Funky Barracuda
The bar experience doesn't require alcohol. The Funky Barracuda is Smúz Lab's signature drink: a spectacular, blue, playful cocktail that is available in a classic, alcoholic version or as a citrus-soda mocktail. The perfect choice for toasting the sunset on the Danube - even without alcohol.
Who is the Smúz Lab for?
For conscious city dwellers who are looking for drinks made from real, natural ingredients instead of sugary soft drinks.
For young people, for whom drinking is an experience: color, texture, and flavor all at once – yes, you can take photos.
For tourists who would like to relax in a special, local café after visiting the Parliament – colorful drinks, Parliament view, all day.
For active lifestyles and brunch enthusiasts who like to start the day with a protein smoothie.
Where can you find it?
The full range of Smúz Lab is available at Smúz Café: 1055 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 18. – right next to the Parliament, on tram line 2, one minute from the Danube bank. Protein smoothie in the morning, blue lemonade in the afternoon, a White Calm Ice or a Funky Barracuda in the evening – the laboratory is open all day.
Come, taste the colors, and have a drink with us! Are you looking for a permanent spot near the Parliament? Discover our café next to the Parliament.
