11 bars worth the trip across Hungary, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Hungary guides.
Szimpla Kert ★ 4.6 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Kazinczy utca 14, 1075 Budapest
Szimpla Kert on Kazinczy in the Jewish Quarter is Budapest's original ruin bar, opened in 2002 and at this address since 2004 in an old stove factory, the city's iconic.
Tip: No reservations, first-come; entry is free, the Sunday farmers' market runs 09:00 to 14:00.
Mazel Tov ★ 4.4 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Akácfa utca 47, 1073 Budapest
Mazel Tov on Akacfa in the Jewish Quarter is a Mediterranean ruin garden in an early 1900s courtyard, with mezze, shawarma and live klezmer most nights in Budapest.
Tip: Open noon to midnight daily; book a week ahead for weekends, glass-roof courtyard fills first.
Boutiq'Bar ★ 4.4 · Budapest
terezvaros · Paulay Ede utca 5, 1061 Budapest
Boutiq'Bar on Paulay Ede in Terezvaros is one of Budapest's serious cocktail rooms, with classic cocktails poured by a tightly drilled team near the Opera in Pest.
Tip: Wed 18:00 to 24:00, Thu 18:00 to 01:00, Fri-Sat 18:00 to 02:00; closed Sun, Mon and Tue.
Warm Up Bar ★ 4.3 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Nagy Diófa utca 26, 1072 Budapest
Warm Up on Nagy Diofa utca in the Jewish Quarter is a modern Budapest cocktail bar built on Hungarian spirits like palinka and Unicum, with serious technique and a quiet room.
Tip: Open Tue to Sat from 18:00; book the bar seats for the bartenders' attention.
Fekete Kutya ★ 4.3 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Dob utca 31, 1074 Budapest
Fekete Kutya on Dob utca pours 25 Hungarian craft beers from rotating taps in a tiny Jewish Quarter front room, where Budapest brewers come to drink.
Tip: Cash and card; the room is tiny, share a table or stand at the bar.
Instant-Fogas ★ 4.2 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Akácfa utca 49-51, 1073 Budapest
Instant-Fogas on Akacfa utca is a seven-room ruin-bar megaplex with 18 bars and 1200 square metres of dance floor across courtyards in the Jewish Quarter, Budapest.
Tip: Daily 18:00 to 06:00, free entry; the back rooms each have a different soundtrack.
Kisüzem ★ 4.2 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Kis Diófa utca 2, 1077 Budapest
Kisuzem on Kis Diofa utca in the Jewish Quarter is a long-running local bar with bistro plates, Hungarian wine list and a steady crowd of artists and writers, Budapest.
Tip: Daily 11:30 to 24:00; the back room is quieter for conversation.
Tuk Tuk Bar ★ 4.1 · Budapest
terezvaros · Paulay Ede utca 31, 1061 Budapest
Tuk Tuk on Paulay Ede in the Casati boutique hotel is a tiny dark Terezvaros cocktail bar with purple walls, red silk curtains and Asian-spiced cocktails near the Opera in Budapest.
Tip: Reservations advised, the room is intimate; phone the bar to hold seats on weekend nights.
Csendes Létterem Vintage Bar ★ 4.0 · Budapest
lipotvaros · Ferenczy István utca 5, 1053 Budapest
Csendes Létterem on Ferenczy István utca near Astoria is a vintage-junk-shop bar pouring house cocktails and Hungarian beer in a flea-market room with mismatched chairs in downtown Budapest.
Tip: Daily 10:00 to 24:00; the back room is the loudest, front room the quietest.
Ellátó Kert ★ 4.0 · Budapest
erzsebetvaros · Kazinczy utca 48, 1075 Budapest
Ellato Kert at the top end of Kazinczy is a Jewish Quarter ruin garden with a Mexican kitchen serving tacos and a cheap-and-cheerful Hungarian beer list in Budapest.
Tip: Daily 17:00 to 02:00; the back garden is shaded and fills first on summer nights.
Szatyor Bár és Galéria ★ 4.0 · Budapest
ujbuda · Bartók Béla út 36, 1111 Budapest
Szatyor on Bartok Bela ut in Ujbuda is an art-bar with rotating local exhibitions, Hungarian wine and a small Mediterranean food menu shared with Hadik next door, Budapest.
Tip: Daily 11:00 to 24:00; the gallery rotates new local artists monthly.