Kandalló Pub on Kertész utca in Budapest is a former fireplace shop converted into a craft-beer and burger room, with rotating Hungarian taps, exposed brick and a late kitchen that runs past midnight.
Tip: Twenty rotating taps; ask for what is on this week rather than reading the chalkboard. Vegan and gluten-free burgers are not afterthoughts.
Address: Kertész utca 33, 1073 Budapest
Instant-Fogas in Budapest fuses two former ruin bars on Akácfa utca into a sprawling complex with seven rooms, eighteen bars and a 1,100 square metre dance area, running nightly from 18:00 to 06:00.
Tip: Each room programmes a different genre on the same night, from VAD-Goa to the garden's melodic techno. Skip the wristband bottle deal and pay per drink at one of the eighteen bars.
Doboz on Klauzál utca in Budapest occupies a courtyard centred on a King Kong statue and a 320 year old tree, with a 1,000 square metre garden dance area, four bars and two indoor floors running commercial house and hip-hop.
Tip: The garden is the room that defines the night; arrive before 23:00 in summer to claim a spot under the tree before the queue stretches up Klauzál.
Full Erzsébetváros / Jewish Quarter (District VII) food guide →
Csendes Létterem on Ferenczy István utca in Budapest occupies a former Austro-Hungarian café from 1883, now layered with mannequins, abstract art and second-hand clutter, running as a cafe by day and a soul-funk bar at night.
Tip: Weekend DJs lean soul, funk and lounge, not techno. The half-step into the side room is the easiest seat to claim on a busy Saturday.
Pontoon in Budapest opens every April under the Chain Bridge's north pillar on the Pest embankment, with hammocks, fairy lights, free concerts and DJ sets stretching to 04:00 through to mid-October.
Tip: Season runs April to mid-October. The hammocks closer to the water are the calmer perch; the riverfront bar is loudest between 23:00 and 02:00.
Instant-Fogas in Budapest fuses two former ruin bars on Akácfa utca into a sprawling complex with seven rooms, eighteen bars and a 1,100 square metre dance area, running nightly from 18:00 to 06:00.
Tip: Each room programmes a different genre on the same night, from VAD-Goa to the garden's melodic techno. Skip the wristband bottle deal and pay per drink at one of the eighteen bars.
A38 in Budapest is a converted Ukrainian stone-carrier ship moored on the Buda side of Petőfi Bridge, with a concert hall, rooftop terrace and bistro programming jazz, electronic, indie and world music almost every night.
Tip: The Summer Deck sunset raves on the upper terrace are the warm-weather move; concert-hall sets sound best from the centre rows of the lower deck.
Doboz on Klauzál utca in Budapest occupies a courtyard centred on a King Kong statue and a 320 year old tree, with a 1,000 square metre garden dance area, four bars and two indoor floors running commercial house and hip-hop.
Tip: The garden is the room that defines the night; arrive before 23:00 in summer to claim a spot under the tree before the queue stretches up Klauzál.
Akvárium Klub in Budapest is a sunken concert venue under Erzsébet tér with a glass-ceilinged pool above the floor, running NagyHall, KisHall and Lokál stages across genres from international indie to electronic and Hungarian rock.
Tip: NagyHall sound is best from the raised back tier behind the desk; tickets and merch through the official site, not third-party resellers.