Charm of creativity – the 5 best ruin bars in Budapest
The ruin bars of Budapest mix history, creativity, art, and pub culture to create a world-famous experience. Read more on JustBudapest.
Crumbling plaster, past century furniture, paintings from yard sales, and musty air – these are your first impressions when you enter a ruin a bar. Doesn’t sound too good, does it? But still, somehow, they conquered the world with their bourgeois, eclectic, Eastern European charm, and attract thousands of tourists to Budapest every year. Do you know of any other city where can you get smashed and have a party in a 19th century living room or courtyard? Immerse yourself in the romance of Budapest’s ruin bars and gain a lifelong experience!
Where do ruin bars come from?
As a result of political and ownership changes in Budapest during the early 2000s, countless inner-city (mainly 7th district) residences, stores, and lots stood vacant and idle at the time. After the new owners acquired these properties, they had no money or intention to refurbish them right off the bat, so as a temporary solution they started to rent them out for relatively low prices. Therefore, an ideal situation emerged where the owners had some income with close to zero expenditure, while the leaseholders had downtown venues for similarly low costs. Some furniture from the flea market, creations of independent artists, minimum investment for the groundwork, beer on tap, and boom: the idea of ruin bars was born! The first of its kind was Szimpla Kert, which opened in 2001, then moved to its current place, an old factory building, in 2004. It gained so much popularity in so little time, that new ruin bars started to pop up all around the city. And even though many foreshadowed a quick end to this ‘trend’, these unique, sort of worn-down, but funky venues not only survived, but flourish even to this day.
Let’s see the 5 best ruin bars in Budapest
1. Instant & Fogasház
Let’s start with the undisputed champion of Budapest’s nightlife. Veteran nightcrawlers probably know that this ruin bar/club was formerly two venues: Instant and Fogasház. They were already pretty popular when they were separated, so you can imagine the combined ruin-power they add to Budapest’s club scene. And if these two aren’t enough, the Lärm techno club and many other themed rooms are based in the same building as well, creating a 1200 m2 mega-ruin-complex on Akácfa utca. Instant-Fogas is musically diverse, the entry is free, and it’s open from 6pm to 6am everyday – no surprise it’s the primary target of every party-loving tourist in Budapest.
Come here if: you’re a real party animal with a mixed musical taste.
Prices: a pint of beer is around 700 HUF (2 EUR) // entry is free
How to get here: Get off from the 4-6 tram at the Király utca or the Wesselényi utca stop and walk about 4 mins.
Info
You can find our detailed article about Instant Fogas here.
2. Dürer Kert
This multifunctional event venue has a rich history and a major role in the life of many musical subcultures in Budapest. The building was built in the 19th century and served as a school and educational institution for the french Sacre Coeur nuns. After WWII, it became part of the communist party’s university first, then that of the Eötvös Loránd University. Finally, in 2008, the former gym, chapel, and lecture hall were combined and transformed into the Dürer Kert we know today. The venue’s main attraction is the spacious garden but it also has indoor rooms of all shapes and sizes that are frequently home to concerts and parties on a similarly wide spectrum: hardcore, indie, drum and bass, hip-hop, death disco, and many others.
Come here if: you’re into alternative music genres and live gigs.
Prices: a pint of beer is around 600 HUF (1,5 EUR) // many events are free, but most paid events cost about 2000 HUF (5 EUR)
How to get here: You can get here from many directions, but trolley bus line 74 stops just out front, so you cannot go wrong with that.
Open: closing time depends on the event, but it’s open on every weekday from 16:00, on weekends from 11:00
3. Doboz
Doboz defines itself as a “premium ruin bar” and when you see its extravagant interior designs, you instantly understand why. For starters, there’s a 320-year-old tree with a metal, red-eyed King Kong statue in the middle of the courtyard, designed by Szőke Miklós Gábor. The famous Hungarian sculptor created the decoration of the façade and the central bar as well, giving the whole place a remarkable milieu. With two rooms playing mainly house and r’n’b music, an overall floor area of 1000 square meters, and a 1000-people capacity, Doboz clearly plays in the big league of ruin bars.
Come here if: you’re not planning to go home alone.
Prices: a pint of beer is around 800 HUF (2 EUR) // almost all parties are free
How to get here: Take the 4-6 tram, Metro line 2 or one of the many buses to Blaha Lujza tér and walk 5 more minutes.
Open: Tue-Sat 17:00-05:00
Info
You can find our detailed article about Doboz here.
4. Mazel Tov
In the heart of the 7th district lies the Jewish Quarter and the most extraordinary ruin bar of Budapest. To be honest, Mazel Tov isn’t your usual “sit in for a drink or two” kind of ruin bar. In fact, calling it a ruin bar might be an understatement, as its celebrated Israeli and Mediterranean kitchen is basically a gastronomic heaven. As for its Matel Tov’s looks, it’s definitely got the characteristics of a ruin bar, as it’s based in the covered courtyard of a 19th century apartment building, but at the same time it’s much more than that. It’s a cultural melting pot with light bars, lots of greenery, and mainly white, minimal furnishing – all highlighting the venue’s middle eastern vibes. Having a scrumptious dinner in this environment while live music plays in the background takes the ruin bar experience to a whole other level that you just can’t come find anywhere else in the world.
Come here if: you love hummus, quality drinks, and chilled night-outs.
Prices: a pint of beer is around 1000 HUF (2,5 EUR) // a main course is around 2500 HUF (6,25 EUR)
How to get here: It’s close to Instant, so just get off from the 4-6 tram at the Wesselényi utca stop and walk about 4 mins.
Open: Mon-Fri 12:00-24:00 / Sat-Sun 11:00-24:00
Info
You can find our detailed article about Mazel Tov here.
5. Szimpla Kert
The first ruin bar of Budapest will be the last on our list, but we surely can’t leave it out. Not only did it lay the foundations of a world-famous phenomenon, but it’s also still a major partaker of it. Using an old factory building as an open-air cinema and pub has created a new alternative for hosting concerts, theatre shows, film festivals, and other cultural events. With the multicolored, eclectic furbishing, many green surfaces, cocktail bars, and a Trabant (iconic Soviet car) to sit in, Szimpla has kept its original charm. Also, they rightfully pride themselves on having more than 400 types of drinks, so it might also be the best place to taste the best palinkas of Hungary. If you’re visiting Budapest with the goal of discovering ruin bars, Szimpla Kert – being the alpha of this movement – is a must-go!
Come here if: you’re looking for the most authentic ruin bar experience.
Prices: a pint of beer is around 800 HUF (2 EUR)
How to get here: It’s about 8 minutes of walk from both Astoria and Blaha Lujza tér
Open: Mon-Thu 15:00-04:00 / Fri-Sat 12:00-04:00 / Sun 09:00-04:00
Info
You can find our detailed article about Szimpla Kert here.
But wait, there’s more
While we’re at popular pastime activities invented by the Hungarians – we must add escape rooms. Having started their journey in Budapest, these puzzle-filled, thematic rooms quickly became widely-popular among locals and tourists alike. Did we pique your interest? Click here for more info.
Q & A
- What are ruin bars?
- Unique types of pubs which became popular in Hungary during the 2000s. Ruin bars are usually established in old, mostly 19th century buildings in downtown Budapest, and have eclectic furbishing, art, drinks, and cultural events.
- Are ruin bars expensive?
- Ruin bars are usually inexpensive with some exceptions. In most ruin bars, a beer is usually around 2-3 EUR and the entrance is almost always free.
- Which are the best ruin bars in Budapest?
- There are currently over 15 ruin bars in Budapest. The best ones are Instant & Fogasház, Mazel Tov, Szimpla Kert, Doboz, and Dürer Kert.
Szimpla Kert is one of Budapest’s most beautiful and popular ruin pubs. The first of its kind. If you’re in the area, stop in for a nice pint with friends!
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