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Hungary
This website is about the real Budapest, and gives very interesting background details about the history, culture and architecture of this beautiful capital which is slowly losing some of its unique features (old presszo bars, neon signs, dingy borozos) as it changes into a modern European metropolis. Written by a Hungarian speaker, the articles featured go behind the facade and into much more detail than a guide book could manage.
It has a wealth of information for people who really love Budapest and want to know the city better.
Check out the recent story on the Trabants - really interesting!
An independent cultural and nightlife website, with its ear to the ground.
If you are in town on a stag party. Please stay out of out non-tourist pubs. Everyone is getting a bit sick of your pasty-laddies in their drunken groups. Maybe you want to think about Prague. Groups of 2 or 3 are always welcome.
A reasonably priced and enjoyable restaurant on the Pest side and just south of the popular tourist areas.
Home-brewed beer, which you can have in litre sized glasses if you want (and at about £2.70 a litre at May 2007 exchange rates). Ask the band for your favourite tune.
www.kaltenberg.hu/angol.htm
Kinizsi utca 30-36.
Metro Ferenc Krt.
or short walk from the tram which runs along the banks of the Danube
The European flagship of the Four Seasons chain. Recently renovated to its glorious, Art Nouveau best.
Stunning all the way I'm sure, but I've only been in for tea, as I'm a poor student and not a millionaire, like you. I ate in the bar area, which is beautiful, and the food was good and the service impeccable.
Wish I could afford to stay there. Donations on a post card to...
Roosevelt Tér 5-6. 1051
Budapest
Hungary
Tel: 36 (1) 268-6000
Fax: 36 (1) 268-5000
Where possible I like to partake of the local tipple on my travels but rarely, if ever, have I tasted anything like Hungary's herb based spirit, Unicum. A single measure of this concoction should be more than enough for two to three people ... the first sip tastes a little of cough mixture, and the second enough to convince you that no, apologies to the good people at Benylin, this is something far nastier.
On the plus side, it does come in great globe shaped bottles - miniatures of which make ideal presents for friends back home, particularly those you don't like much.
Just about every bar in Budapest
The name is - fortunately - nothing to do with János Kádár, Hungary's last Communist leader, the surname Kádár is quite common (and means 'cooper'). Kádár Étkezde (bistro) is a fabulous little lunch venue in the heart of the historic Jewish district in central Pest. It's packed with locals enjoying the non-kosher Jewish home cooking; great matzo ball soup, crisp duck leg with spicy red cabbage or boiled beef with a range of fruit sauces (gooseberry, sour cherry, horseradish) served on a ceramic all-in-one airplane style plates. Uncle Tibi personally greets regulars from the neighbourhood as they pile in and tots up the bill at the end. The walls of the crowded room are crammed with photos (many autographed) of Hungarian actors and athletes as well as other fans of the bistro including Marcello Mastroiani. Sip málna szörp (raspberry cordial) at this non-alcoholic eaterie or help yourself from the old-fashioned soda water bottles on every table. The waitresses are the kindest and most efficient in Budapest, the menu is only in Hungarian, and you'll have to share a table but that's part of the atmosphere. The last time I ate there, the elderly lady sipping soup at my table had numbers tattooed on her arm. This was a sudden, brutal, unexpected reminder of Hungary's shocking history.
Kádár Étkezde
Klauzál tér 9
District VII
Budapest
Open Tues-Sat 11.30-15.30
Tel: (+36 1) 321 3622
To get there: Take tram 4 & 6 to Király utca stop.
Prices: Soup 300 forints, main dishes 500-800 forints, cash only, no CC.
Check costs before you order. Prices will vary greatly and seem to depend on what the staff think you are willing to pay. Upon questioning the bill they often justify the steep cost because you're from London and will therefore accept London prices. The guy beside you will pay the equivalent of £0.80 for a beer and you will get a bill of £2.90 for the same thing.
These are listed on the US Embassy's website as bars/clubs where tourists are often presented with ridiculously expensive bills (100 dollars for a ½ litre of beer), and physically intimidated if they refuse to pay:
- Városközpont (accessible by outside elevator) Budapest V district, Váci utca 16
- La Dolce Vita Budapest V district, Október 6. utca 8
- Nirvana Night Club Budapest V district, Szent István krt.13
- Ti'Amo Bar Budapest IX district, Ferenc körút 19-21
- Diamond Club Budapest II district, Bimbó út 3
- Pigalle Night Club Budapest VIII district, Kiss József utca 1-3
This branch of the Four Seasons opened about a year ago in the recently renovated Gresham Palace. The renovation is spectacular, and its one of the most impressive buildings in Budapest both inside and out. You don’t have to be staying there to enjoy the wonderful bar, café and restaurant. It is a great place to have a nice cup of tea and sit down after exploring the castle district and Chain Bridge.
Roosevelt Tér 5-6
www.fourseasons.com/budapest/index.html
In spring and summer, various buildings throughout the city due for either demolition or renovation are turned into makeshift outside bars. You generally don’t know where they will be, but keep a look out in the local press and you should find one or two. Szimpla mozi kert on Kazinczy utca 14 is open all year, or check out the web site of this kert bar for its opening date: www.tuzraktar.hu/eng.html
For those of you who venture to the edge of the the Pest inner circle, you'll find a reward in the form of Stex, a cafe/bar/pub/restaurant.
Open from 8am till 6am you can get a good breakfast there, there's a cheap daily lunch menu and it's good for a coffee any time of the day.
But it's in the evening that Stex really comes into its own. There's good, cheap beer and a friendly, bustling atmosphere. A full menu of hearty Hungarian-esque food makes this ideal for a pub-type supper. The wooden plate of mixed grill, to be shared between two, is a rewarding challenge. Good wine menu too (with some Hungarian wines: definitely worth trying), if you fancy splashing out a bit. And, if you're feeling really classy, there's a cigar menu.
A curious thing about Stex is that it's very big, but still intimate. It's almost always getting along towards full, but you can still always find a table.
You can watch the football - but the place is big enough that you don't have to. You can play snooker or darts, and there’s a casino attached
And, by the way, remember to pronounce it “Shtecks”.
Corner of József krt and Baross utca (Tram 4-6, Baross utca stop)
Cool courtyard bar that stays open all winter thanks to a pre-fab roof and loads of garden heaters. Szimpla is full of people at the weekend although it never gets too busy and it manages to retain a relaxed but lively atmosphere. The decor is sparse but fun. Old cinema chairs and dusty sofas, along with the crumbling stonework lend it a decadent air. Cheapish booze but don't try the wine! In summer check out Szimpla kis kért (Szimpla's little brother) and loads of other Pest courtyards.
Kazinczy ut 14; nearest metro station is Astoria
Cyrano is a sophisticated restaurant in the heart of Budapest. With an interior that wouldn't look out of place in Wallpaper*, it sets the scene for an elegant dining experience. The food is superb, with an emphasis on seasonal market produce cooked in a classic style. Good value.
Kristóf tér 7-8, District V; tel: 1 266 3096
What have come to be known as the “kerts” are a series of ad hoc pubs assembled in the courtyards of once grand, now ramshackle, buildings. There is a very boho vibe to them and they have become a Budapest alternative institution since emerging from the rubble a couple of years ago.
To find the kerts, go to any of above mentioned bars and ask where the nearest kert is
It's a late-night bar. Everyone goes there when other places close, though it's lively earlier in the night too. You can dance, there's good live music (piano, chansons). It rocked.
Nagymezõ utca 25
Raday utca, close to the Kalvin Tér metro, is a popular spot for both tourists and young locals, it has a lot of restaurants and bars. At the far end is a personal favourite of mine. It’s a lively bar/restaurant called Castro (recently closed, but rumoured to be reopening on on Madach Ter, VII district) serving Serbian specialties and is almost always busy, which can make it difficult for groups exceeding six. Castro has internet access, which is great for when you're having discussion about something over a pint and no-one knows the answer.
This is a great online guide to what’s hot and what’s not in Budapest. The restaurants and bars recommended on this site are Budapest’s best, not like the ones advertised in guide books which are generally over priced tourist traps, and don’t reflect well on the city.
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