Callas is a beautiful, art deco restaurant and café which is situated on Andrássy Avenue which is a World Heritage Site. Its building was designed in neo-renaissance style and was completed in 1883, just a year before the neighbouring Hungarian Royal Opera House was opened. The café was originally called Szecesszió. Since then this space has evolved many times. It was only in 2006 that it gained its current form. It was designed by David Collins, who also worked on the restaurants Gordon Ramsay and The Wolseley in London, as well as Madonna’s flat. This light interior with white walls has elegant gold decorations which are a good example of the strict geometric secession style with sharp edges and angles. The location’s most special element is its elegant, copper, art deco chandelier. Another special feature is the sweet, slightly wavy, white and green floor mosaics and the black grand piano which is there because there is often live salon music. The quaint café tables outside overlook the cobblestone side streets next to the iconic Opera House which create a truly idyllic European atmosphere, making this café a perfect location for doubling Paris.
Photo gallery
Filmed at this location
This café has inspired many filmmakers, like the creators of Spy (2015) starring Jude Law, who shot a scene here. Red Sparrow, the blockbuster movie featuring Jennifer Lawrence was also shot here in 2018, using it to double as Cold War Russia. The café is still open to productions, so we too have had the opportunity to do a catalogue photo shoot for the German fashion brand Brax here.