Nightlife in Budapest

Our Local Expert Says:

A slice of Berlin in Budapest. Look for the crowds and follow them, then party in this deserted building under the stars. Run down and atmospheric, a visit here is a must for any visitor to the city, it doesn’t disappoint.

Description:

For cultural experiences, you cannot pass up Szimpla Kert. It is a beer garden, alternative culture Mecca. Located in an abandoned apartment courtyard that has not seen the wrecking ball, Szimpla Kert mixes junkyard aesthetics with such modernisms as Wi-Fi, a daytime cafe, and evenings of live music and indie film screenings. Dimly lit, couch-packed, with little open to the sky rooms off of the courtyard, it is a relaxing, pleasant place to unwind. Check your reality at the door. Open weekdays 10am to 2am and weekends noon to 2am.

Our Local Expert Says:

Upscale with a beautiful crowd: dress to impress and come party down at this divine institution. Noteworthy kitchen serves wonderful hot food until very, very late. Gay friendly.

Description:

Enjoy the rich Budapest nightlife with a visit to this favorite bar, restaurant, cabaret, dance and music joint that is open till the wee hours of the morning. As most places are closed on Wednesdays, it is rush hour for Moulin Rouge with free entry before 11p. The theatrical decor emanating a red and gold hue will transfer you to a different world of indulgence. With a well-defined dress code, this nightclub is a good place for sophisticated entertainment.

Our Local Expert Says:

One of a new generation of “shabby-chic” places in the Jewish Quarter, this one is better than most. Great atmosphere - worth a peek!

Description:

Kuplung, the clutch, is housed in a former car repair hall, though you'd never be able to tell. It serves as an art workshop for theaters, movies, and many other performances. Come nightfall it converts into one of the most crowded underground bars in town. The warehouse-like space is fully utilized as a concert hall, an exhibition area, and a beautiful bar where, despite the live DJs, you will feel like you are in an enclosed market. Don't be disappointed when you find a normal house at number 46. Simply enter through the black door and be amazed by the scenery!

Description:

The street named after Pal Kiralyi is long, narrow and unexceptional. However, it is home to no less than seven places to eat and drink (at last count). This shrine to Janis Joplin has been here longer than most and still remains a popular place for a night out in the ever-changing Budapest nightlife scene. Although the decor is supposed to have an American theme, the place feels more like a trendy English pub, with plenty of space to sit and sup a beer and congenial service at the bar. On the way downstairs you will spot a mannequin of the famous Southern Comfort-swilling singer, but don't let that frighten you away. Live music entertains the folks in the cellar where the decor has an incongruous sailing theme with canoes suspended from the ceiling and other paraphernalia. Menu items are chalked up on the blackboard in Hungarian and English. Select how much pork knuckle you think you can eat. Chicken breast, chilli beans, steak and sandwiches can all be washed down with a selection of draught beers.

Description:

Champions is a friendly sports bar situated in a fairly rough part of town - near the Eastern (Keleti) Railway Station. It was originally set up by a Hungarian-American, with a decidedly American tone and clientele. However, it has now reverted to a more Hungarian-style menu and clientele. The cellar bar is lined with slats of light pine wood and is more reminiscent of a Swedish sauna than a bar. The atmosphere can get pretty hot and steamy too - especially when they show Champions League football matches, beamed in on German satellite. The extensive menu offers a plethora of pork dishes. The Greek salad is substantial but uninspired and there are some pizza and pasta dishes. Most people come here for the beer and the football. Make sure you book a table in advance if there's a match showing.

Description:

This beautiful venue hall is the hallmark of Hungarian theatre. Majestic and opulent, it is lauded for its neo-renaissance architecture. The experience of catching a Verdi or Wagner performance cannot be compared with anything else. One of the two venues of Budapest Opera House, Magyar Allami Operhaz is the most popular place for ballets, concerts, operas, musicals, and compositions, including Bartók and Kodály.

Description:

The club's name covers what it is: a whole. The square is covered by one of the rare modern parks of Budapest and the original project was to build an underground parking lot below. Finally, part of the parking has been converted into a Cultural Centre. The entrance is the staged terrace itself where youth sit around the bar tables with plastic cups of beers on warm summer nights. The closed concert hall hosts mostly electronic, alternative, jazz and world music bands year-round. Gödör is also a home for many architecture and applied arts workshops, festivals and exhibitions. It's a cheap place with a gripping program and sophisticated minimal design.

Description:

A very friendly and easy going bar with Manga posters on the walls, soda siphons everywhere and 70's design red leatherette armchairs to sit around and have a coffee…and of course a soda for free! Those still in the bar when the sun sets will be relieved to know that not only the bar is a favorite with young, arty crowd but there is a dance floor downstairs to shake your body to popular but not banal funky music. It's mostly frequented by locals, which is another reason to check it out.

Our Local Expert Says:

The largest and most beautiful bath house of the city - no visit to Budapest is complete without a visit to Széchényi!

Description:

Though not the oldest thermal bath in the city, it is definitely the most beautiful! The pale yellow Neo Classicist building of the Széchényi Thermal Bath houses the largest spa of the city and of central Europe, though this will not be apparent from its exterior.

Once inside, an endless number of pools seem to unfold in a palace-like interior. Indoor and outdoor pools are filled with thermal water of varying temperatures and mineral content, all fed by two of the 123 thermal springs under Budapest. A swimming pool for those after some exercise, a wave pool for the kids, saunas and steam rooms plus a massage salon and a physiotherapy department can all be found in the complex.

Széchényi awaits guests with long opening hours between 6 am and 10 pm, so whether it'd be after a long day of sightseeing or a long night out, this is the place to relax!

Our Local Expert Says:

This bridge is closed to traffic weekends in summer and live bands play at both ends. Vendors peddle handmade wears and beer and goulash flow.

Description:

This spectacular bridge has an equally spectacular history. It's a great place from which to take in a panorama of the city (which becomes even more impressive at night). This was the very first bridge to link the two cities of Buda and Pest. The project was started in 1839 by designer William Tierney Clark and engineer Adam Clark, and it was completed in 1849. The bridge celebrated its 150th birthday recently with a huge open-air festival.