Chez Dodo is a dream come true, Dodo (Dora Szalai, one of the owners) has been a big fan of macarons for years but was not fully satisfied with the supply in Budapest. After numerous failed attempts at creating them at home, she attended an advanced class in Paris to learn all the tricks and turns of the elaborate process. With the knowledge in her pocket she started baking them for friends and colleagues, being an account manager at an ad agency during the day and a self-made pastry chef by night. The instant success and growing demand pushed her to a hard decision - quitting her day job and partner with an old friend, Peter Vary to open Chez Dodo.
Chez Dodo Artisan Macarons and Cafe opened just before Christmas in 2014 in downtown Budapest, in a cosy street close to the Basilica, one of the major sights of the city.
The macarons are made on the spot - in the shopwindow - guests are invited to witness the beautiful process of the creation while sipping on hot coffee and testing new flavours.
The design of the shop is romantic yet minimalistic, work of interior architects Andras Hitka and Gabor Szego and designer Eszter Laki. The wall behind the counter is covered with matte pastel tiles and the furniture is made of pale beech wood.
The beautiful hand painted aquarell hummingbirds reflect the fragility and sophistication of the dessert and can be found not only on one wall of the shop, but also on gift boxes and bags, they became the lovely symbol of the shop. The shop is small yet cosy, during warmer seasons an inviting outdoor terrace adds extra seats, a perfect place to absorb the vibes of busy downtown Budapest.
The different variations are the result of Dodo’s continuous experimentation with different ingredients, an average of 20 different flavours can be found in the counter. The highest quality of ingredients are used to guarantee a superior gourmet experience. The ganache of the macarons is made exclusively of Valrhona chocolate, with no sugar or artificial flavours added. The fruity macarons are made exclusively from fresh fruits and Boiron purées.
The flavours are very characteristic, each one bears a French first name to express its personality. The flavours range from fruity, lighter variations like Soleil (passion fruit - red currant), Élise (lychee - rose - raspberry), Noel (spicy vanilla - orange) and Philippe (pistacchio) to more complex and unusual ones like Pierre (piemonte hazelnut - truffle), Christian (dark chocolate - whiskey - bacon) and Georges (gorgonzola cheese - quince jelly).
Besides macarons, a few, carefully selected pastries are also made at Chez Dodo, like the beloved and unique canelé. The canelés are made according to the original recipe from Bordeaux in handmade copper molds.
FASHION
Our successful co-operation with Hungary’s top fashion designers dates back to years now. Chez Dodo has been supporting the fashion scene’s most important events with limited edition special box collections featuring signature elements of the designers’ upcoming collections.
2016: Mercedes-Benz Central Europe Fashion Week
2017: Mercedes-Benz Central Europe Fashion Week
2018: Marie Claire Fashion Days
THE LITTLE PRINCE
In 2017, in co-operation with the Hungarian kids book publisher, Móra Könyvkiadó, a very special Christmas box collection featured Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince’s original illustrations and graphics, along with a namesake macaron, Petit Prince with an irresistible rose and strawberry flavour and a whole blanched almond in the middle.
THE MOOMINS
Hungarian publisher Geopen re-published Tove Jansson’s heart-capturing stories of these tolerant hippo-like creatures, and Chez Dodo celebrated their long-awaited arrival to Budapest by releasing a Moomin x Chez Dodo gift box collection.
Almost from the very beginning Chez Dodo has been committed to give back and do good. We do believe that a small business can still be a great contributor, so each year we pick a good cause to mobilize the great and caring community around us.
MOSOLY FOUNDATION
In 2016 we launched a charity box collection in partnership with Mosoly Foundation to raise funds for their mission of helping children recovering from serious disease or psychological trauma by using art, fairytale and experience therapy in children's hospitals. The box design featured drawings by recovered children.
AUTISTIC ART
In 2017 Chez Dodo partnered with Autistic Art Foundation for Macaron Day. A special box design created by an autistic artist raised funds and drew awareness to their mission to support autistic young adults through the creation and maintenance of full-supply homes where their sometimes very special needs can be met and they can live their lives with dignity.
UNICEF
In 2018 Chez Dodo has participated in Unicef Hungary’s Champion program to support children in need around the globe. The special design of the charity box collection featured crops indigenous to sub-saharan Africa and raised funds to fight children malnutrition.