The history of Cluj-Napoca:
Our History

Rhédey House has a history. The history of the main square of Cluj. The walls of Rhédey House preserve the city’s past, the unique charm of each period. If they could talk, they would speak about Gábor Bethlen and whisper the secrets of Rákóczi’s fight for freedom. These walls housed László Székely, prefect of Cluj County, and were rebuilt at the end of the 17th century by Sára Bulcsesdi, a nobleman’s daughter from Muntenia. In the early 1700s, the town’s most important guests were hosted here. Ferenc Rákóczi II himself is said to have stayed here. It then became the property of Baron Mihály Rhédey and his wife Terézia Bánffy, who transformed the Rhédey House into a Baroque marvel. The old bourgeois house was transformed into a palace and Terézia Bánffy added to its value with a ballroom. These walls also preserve the memory of the plays performed by the first Hungarian theatre company. Today, the Rhédey Palace is owned by the Reformed College of Debrecen.
In 2015, Elek Nagy, businessman and son of writer György Méhes, envisioned a traditional café for this location, where, just like at the Bulgakov café, guests could talk with the waiters in Hungarian, Romanian, and English. Having dreamed it, he made it a reality, with Ferenc Kovács—who had previously demonstrated his expertise with the Bulgakov café—partnering with him to bring the project to life. The walls of the Rhédey building are full of life, and as long as they live, this story will continue. The spirits of those who have lived here over the years whisper the story of Cluj in everyone’s ears. The story we write together.
Rhédey House is our common secret.
since 2015
