Lámpás in Budapest is a labyrinthine basement on Dob utca opposite Gozsdu Udvar, booking rockabilly, blues, jazz and experimental electronica nightly with free entry and beers under 1,000 HUF.
Tip: Sit in the main concert room for the band, slip into the back chambers if you want to talk. The summer programme thins out, the autumn lineup is the strongest.
Address: Dob utca 15, 1074 Budapest
Mazel Tov in Budapest is a glass-roofed Mediterranean courtyard on Akácfa utca, running JazzKeddek every Tuesday plus DJ sets and acoustic concerts alongside a hummus and shakshuka kitchen until 22:30.
Tip: Book a courtyard table for the jazz Tuesday set, not the indoor bar room. Last food orders 22:00 weekdays, 22:30 Friday and Saturday.
Kazimír on Kazinczy utca in Budapest is a courtyard bistro a few doors from Szimpla with nightly live jazz during dinner, plus literature evenings and acoustic sets through the cooler months.
Tip: The courtyard is the room for the jazz set; ask for a table near the band rather than the front bar. Goulash and the Hungarian wine list outperform the international plates.
Full Erzsébetváros / Jewish Quarter (District VII) food guide →
Mazel Tov in Budapest is a glass-roofed Mediterranean courtyard on Akácfa utca, running JazzKeddek every Tuesday plus DJ sets and acoustic concerts alongside a hummus and shakshuka kitchen until 22:30.
Tip: Book a courtyard table for the jazz Tuesday set, not the indoor bar room. Last food orders 22:00 weekdays, 22:30 Friday and Saturday.
Jedermann Café in Budapest is the long-running jazz cafe on Ráday utca opened by Hans van Vliet in 2010, with string quartets, swing and funk on Friday and Saturday nights and a student crowd by day.
Tip: Weekend tables fill by 20:00, email ahead. Festival jam sessions during the spring jazz programme run later than the listed close.
Kazimír on Kazinczy utca in Budapest is a courtyard bistro a few doors from Szimpla with nightly live jazz during dinner, plus literature evenings and acoustic sets through the cooler months.
Tip: The courtyard is the room for the jazz set; ask for a table near the band rather than the front bar. Goulash and the Hungarian wine list outperform the international plates.
High Note Skybar on top of the Aria Hotel in Budapest looks straight at the dome of St Stephen's Basilica, with a lush garden terrace, glass-walled indoor bar and a cocktail list by Sándor Németh.
Tip: Tables at the basilica-facing rail go fastest at sunset; reserve at least 48 hours ahead in summer. The Sunday morning yoga is a quiet way to see the terrace without the crowd.
360 Bar in Budapest sits on top of the Paris Department Store on Andrássy út, with a Mediterranean kitchen, summer DJs and a winter run of heated igloos with fondue and champagne service.
Tip: Winter igloos book out a month in advance; in summer aim for the rail looking towards the Opera, not the inland courtyard side. Cocktails average 3,000 to 4,500 HUF.
St. Andrea Wine & Skybar in Budapest tops the UNESCO-listed Váci1 office block on Vörösmarty tér, pouring the Eger winery's full range across two open terraces and a glass-walled bar all year round.
Tip: The sommelier flights of St Andrea reds are the reason to come; pair the Áldás cuvée with the bar plates. Last entry 23:00.