5 Top Alternative Ruin Pubs In Budapest

  • 8 Mar 2018 1:00 AM
5 Top Alternative Ruin Pubs In Budapest
You've been to Szimpla, Instant & Fogasház, now want to know / go where @expatsintheloop get 'ruined' refreshments? Look no further, here’s an insider guide to Budapest’s summer ruin bar scene, featuring top tips for fab food and cool drinks at venues off the well beaten path. Read on for a quick tour of Púder, Grandio, Csendes, Nyereg, and good old Pótkulcs.

Púder

At the Kálvin tér end of Ráday sits this electrifying bar. A visual artists wet dream awaits behind the elegant front entrance as well as an exquisite food & drink menu. They even have a theatre in the back for expats who would like to sample some Hungarian culture in-between cheap cocktails.

Go for: The fish & chips
Go to: 1092 Budapest, Ráday u. 8.

 

Grandio

Where party hostel meets ruin pub, Grandio in Budapest’s 7th district is filled with fascinating bleary-eyed travellers and hip / artsy locals. You might want to pack your passport / a change of clothes as once you set foot in this exhilarating establishment, you have no idea what the night or your future holds.

Go for: The epic drinking games
Go to: 1075 Budapest, Nagy Diófa u. 8.

Csendes

Sometime stifling hot on a summers day but well worth a few of your forints to cool down, Csendes is a vintage bar perfect for a chilled evening of drinks. Marvel at the mannequin and posters on the wall, and if the mood takes you have your fill of the hearty and delicious food.

Go for: Guinness on tap
Go to: 1053 Budapest, Ferenczy István u. 5.

Nyereg

Having recently joined the city’s cycling fraternity, I hopped on my beaten up cruiser and hot-tailed it out to Városliget for some Saturday afternoon refreshments. With saddles on bar stools (nyereg means saddle after all), lake side views and a great selection of Pilsners, it didn’t take long for the place to win me over. It just about fits the definition of a 'ruin pub', certainly it's a great summer venue where a quiet afternoon drink soon turns into a relaxing evening session. Food's fine here also.

Go for: The 'to die for' muffin
Go to: 1146 Budapest, Városliget krt. 2.

Pótkulcs

You’d be forgiven for thinking this place doesn’t exist, what with it being hidden behind a grey wall and a forest of vegetation, but step inside the magic black door to find a world that time forgot. Often packed to the seams on weekends, Pótkulcs is still one of Budapest’s well kept secrets, for over a decade expats in the loop have known the location of the 'Spare Key', and if you didn't already now you do too.

Go for: The local live (folk) bands.
Go to: 1067 Budapest, Csengery u. 65b.


Words by Joe McCann for Xpatloop.com

Photo: courtesy of the venues

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