Bohemian Roof Bar: Blaha Luja Ter and other Budapest, Hungary Nightlife Tips

Nightlife Spot: Corvinteto

Beginning in May, and lasting through until the end of September, the Budapest locals shun the dark cellars of winter and head out into the streets, squares and rooftops to drink.

The rooftop bar at Corvinteto is the real attraction. Climbing up the graffiti strewn staircase from the less than salubrious side-street entrance, you'd think you were entering a derelict apartment block, and not a nightclub. But there it is, at the top, on the roof of the famous old department store in Communist times, the Corvin, a rooftop bar with sensational views of the city.

It's a relaxed, ecclectic group of people. Lots of locals, but a mix of expats too. The young and the old, the beautiful and the ugly, the smartly dressed and people dressed like superheroes. The beer is cheap, but comes in plastic glasses, which is probably a good thing given that the tables have serious balance issues.

The music is not your standard Budapest fare either: don't expect dollops of 80s retro with smatterings of R&B.

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Relaxed.
Address: Blaha Luzja Ter 1
Directions: Although Corvin can be found on the square opposite the gigantic Burgerking, the entrance is down the side street called Somogyi Bela utca.
Website: http://www.corvinteto.com/

Nightlife Spot: Szimpla Kert

"Which Szimpla?" asked the taxi driver. "The one that looks like a bomb site from the outside?"

"Yep, that's the one."

Szimpla Kert isn't for everyone. It's certainly not for people who only like chart music and want to sit in plush seats drinking expensive wine. Szimpla Kert sits in the Nyocker, Budapest's roughest district, a stone throw from the infamous Blaha Luja Ter. It isn't scary, though. It's just different. It's a relaxed bohemian place with ecclectic music and people. Expect to hear electro-gypsy fusion. Don't expect Ultravox.

It gets very busy on weekends, but it's a big place with plenty of places to sit. It's not really a night club for dancing, but there is a DJ. It's set in an classic old Hungarian style apartment block, and is separated into courtyards and rooms. Each room has its own style, and you can find all kinds of interesting things, like old telephone boxes and chopped up Trabants that you can sit in.

This has quickly become probably our favourite drinking hole.

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Theme: Other
Dress Code: Relaxed.
Phone: 352-4198
Address: Kazinczy utca 14
Directions: Take M2 to Astoria. Walk up Rakoczi Utca, and take a left down Kazinczy.
Website: http://www.szimpla.hu/index_en.htm

Nightlife Spot: Jelen

This is a grotty looking back street pub that has a very good reputation with those in the know. It's small, cheap, smoky, noisy, and with horrendous toilets, but very cool and also very friendly. It's kinda jazz oriented, but you get a whole lot of different things playing in here. Generally a studenty, downbeat kind of vibe.

You can also eat here.

Highly recommended.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: Relaxed.
Address: Blaha Lujza tér 1-2
Directions: Tough to find. Take the tram or metro to Blaha Lujza Ter, and then walk down Somogyi Bela, to the left of Corvin as you approach it. It is on the first corner on your right.
Website: http://jelenbisztro.blogspot.com/

Nightlife Spot: Instant

Another "kert" style bar, similar to Simpla Kert, but more central, and amazingly, more grotty. Like Simpla, it's a former apartment block, in the traditional Hungarian court style. All the apartment have been haphazardly converted into drinking rooms, which overlook a wide courtyard.

Chairs and tables are crooked, paint peels from graffiti strewn walls, and strange old Hungarian women appear to help you through the slightly confusing pathways, seeming as if they were left over from the club's former days as an appartment block.

The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, the clientelle are friendly and chilled, and the music fits the mood perfectly. Just as an example, the laid back notes of Air's Moon Safari were the first songs I heard flowing from the somewhat overpowered speakers.

If you like your bars bohemian, then this is a great option. It's much more centrally located than similar bars, just a stone's throw from the Oktagon. Most other places like this are located out in the wilder District VIII.

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Theme: Other
Dress Code: Relaxed
Address: Nagymező utca 38
Directions: From the Oktagon, walk down towards the opera. Take a right down Nagymező utca.

Nightlife Spot: Gödör Klub

This is one of Budapest's biggest and most popular underground clubs, and it's underground both literally and metaphorically. Travelling down the steps from Deak Ferenc Ter, you find yourself underneath the azure blue waters of Erzsebet Ter's water pool. You can actually look up in the main arena and see the city through the blue water!

Inside you'll get to hear an eclectic mix of music popular with local bohemians: everything from gypsy rap to alternative rock. They put on a lot of local bands, who are surprisingly good and can really rock the house down.

We went on New Years Eve and paid a paltry 3500 forints for a great night of loud local music, friendly people and cheap beer. There was everything from Parisian chansons mixed with rock and sung in Hungarian, to a heady brew of ska, rock, and Hungarian and Russian folk.

There were also lots of quiet areas to talk and have a bite to eat.

One of the most surprising things about the club I noticed on New Year's Eve was the number of Rroma in the place. The Rroma are supposed to make up a tenth of Hungary's population, but I rarely see them in Budapest, and never in the clubs and pubs I go to, even those playing gypsy music.

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Theme: Live Music
Dress Code: Very relaxed.
Address: Erzsebet Ter
Directions: Take the tram or metro to Deak Ter and head towards the steps down underneath Erzsebet Ter.
Website: http://www.godorklub.hu/

Nightlife Spot: Szóda Kávézó & Mulató

If you are looking for a bar that's a little bit different to the standard Budapest fare, the Szoda bar eschews gold chains, fake tans and retro to focus on off-beat people, music and tastes. It's very relaxed, except for the surly bouncers, and very popular with artists, students, and other bohemian hipsters.

There's a narrow bar upstairs, and a cramped (or cosy) dancing area downstairs in the cellar.

Expect manga posters on the wall, noisy csocso tables, and free soda water.

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Theme: Other
Dress Code: Relaxed.
Address: Wesselényi utca 18
Directions: M1, M2, M3 to Deák Ferenc tér. Walk down Karoly Korut, bearing left and taking a left turn up Wesselényi utca.
Website: www.szoda.com
Other Contact: szoda@vnet.hu

Nightlife Spot: Potkulcs

The "Spare Key" is a popular drinking den hidden away on a quiet sidestreet between the furiously busy areas of Nyugati station and the Oktagon. It attracts an interesting mix of expats, locals, and young travellers from the hostel on the same street. There's regular live music, often jazz or rock. I went there to see my friend's band, Caracas Underpop, a kind of Latin accoustic rock set doing a mix of originals and interesting reworks of oddball classics like the Passion of Lovers by Bauhaus.

One pleasantly surprising aspect of this bar is that it has a non-smoking section - a true rarity in Hungarian bars (so unusual in fact that a few locals just ignore the big sign and lack of ashtrays). But combined with the pleasant courtyard out front, it means you can avoid the stench of stale cigarette smoke come rain or shine.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: Relaxed.
Address: Csengery utca 65/b
Directions: Take the metro or tram to Oktagon, and walk up Andrassy Utca towards Heroes Square. Take the second left down Csengery Utca. It is there, you will find it, tucked away on the right side of this dimly lit street.
Website: www.potkulcs.hu

Nightlife Spot: Szilvuplé

Pronounced like the French for please (s'il vous plait), this nightclub has a indie/alt-rock vibe on the weekends, but it's not too hardcore. It's nothing special, but the people are friendly, and it's more relaxing than some alternative places.

On weeknights (Monday - Wednesday) they have Salsa dancing, which people take very seriously. We turned up by accident one night, to find the whole place shaking to latin tunes. These people really knew how to dance (and live it up).

Drinking and smoking on or near the dance floor was frowned upon, as was dancing like an idiot, although if you took the hand of a more experienced dancer you might find they will show you a few moves.

Find it on the street with the shortest name in Hungary: O Street :).

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Relaxed, but not grunge.
Address: Ó utca 33
Directions: M3 to Arany János utca and walk up Zichy.
Website: www.szilvuple.hu

Nightlife Spot: Negro Cafe

It was a kind of a strange night that led me to Negro Cafe. Having eaten in a bar that only had one beer, we then ended up drinking at a cafe where nobody ate. Not only that, but the Negro Cafe has a name that would be too offensive to be accepted anywhere in the English speaking world, but belongs to what is considered by many to be Budapest's best cocktail bar. It's described as "swanky" by the local expat rag, with "fancy ass drinks for fancy ass people." The prices match its reputation.

It's hard to top its location. Sitting outside in St. Stephen's Square, under the grand St. Stephen's basilica, is awe inspiring for first time visitors. They also don't mess about with their cocktails. It took just one Long Island Ice Tea to send me from sober to drunk.

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Theme: People Watching
Dress Code: No dress code, but people really dress up for this place. It's one of the smartest venues in town.
Address: Szent István tér 11
Directions: Right in front of St. Stephen's basilica.

Nightlife Spot: Morrisons 2

Sharing its name with a low brow British supermarket, this place is such a popular spot that there are now two of them, and you can expect to find queues outside into the wee hours of the morning. It's popular with all sorts and all ages, and has something for everyone in each of the small rooms in its meandering underground cavern. There's a room for Karaoke, where Hungarian teenagers screech along to English and Hungarian hits. There's a 80s retro room popular with the older crowd, and a techno room with hits from the 90s and noughties. There's also a quiet bar area where you can actually have a conversation.

There's a British theme to the joint, with adverts for Woodbines and a red telephone box, but the only beer you can buy is either Hungarian or Czech. Prices for beer are around 650 forints (2.5 euros) with shots of the harder stuff around 1000 forints (3.5 euros). Entrance is 1000 forints with a 200 cloak room charge.

To finish off a classic night of alcoholic excess, there's a giant late night kebab restaurant opposite, which is open and busy until at least 5am. The place is huge and clean, with food and service which is adequate for something catering for the post-binge crowd.

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Relaxed.
Address: Honved Utca 40, District V
Directions: Take the metro to Nyugati, then take tram six (direction Moscow Square) for a couple of stops until you reach the theatre at Honved Utca.
Website: http://www.morrisons.hu/