Showing posts with label Buda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buda. Show all posts
Fecske has two wings. Fecske Presszó has recently alighted next to the Central Library, allowing Raday utca to get on with what it's good at (hosting rubbish bars.) Fecske Terasz on the other hand is perched on top of Császár-Komjádi swimming baths, one bus-stop north of Margit hid, on the Buda side, where only the swallows fly.
Fecske Presszó (Rating: 7.4/10)Szabó Ervin tér [map]
Pest South, VIII, Kalvin tér (M3), 2 min
At the risk of sounding boorishly sentimental, the old Fecske Presszó was great: a coffee shop with a literary atmosphere, a patch of outside seating and a few cosy rooms downstairs with sofas for everyone. Only, I can't really get too teary-eyed about it because, in two years, I must have gone there all of five times. The problem was that it was just that bit far away from anything else. The 'new' Fecske is far more conveniently located in what used to be (yawn) Archivum, and what was once (stop me) my favourite basement brasserie, Kotyogó vendeglő. (I'm weeping nostalgically for my catfish in ginger-butter sauce, gone forever.)
The triumph of this location is that the path opens out into what is nominally a square. In other words, you can sit outside comfortably, without feeling like you're sitting in the road (and with a fine view down Reviczky utca, above.)So for summer, Fecske's landed on its feet. The problem is when it runs out of outdoor seating, or when the summer runs out of sun.
Inside, it's a real step backwards. Opening up a second room doesn't stop it feeling pretty pokey, and putting up a few posters, sticking a blackboard on the ceiling and throwing books on the shelves, doesn't do enough to turn it into a cool hangout. It's still Archivum, a nothing-special cellar bar, albeit with improved service.
Fecske Terasz (Rating: 9.0/10)Árpád Fejedelem útja 8 [map]
Buda North, III
Császár-Komjádi uszoda
(B86/160/260/923), 0 min
If outdoor seating is Fecske Presszó's strong point, it's Fecske Terasz's raison d'etre. Only open for the spring and summer, Fecske Terasz makes you feel like you're on holiday, overlooking the pool on one side and the Danube on the other. Unlike Corvintető, it's clear that you really are on the roof.
There are some nice touches too: silly bar stools made out of bicycles, a swing, a patch of sand, ping pong and a giant chess set which I've actually seen people playing. You should too: you're on holiday. Except no one's really on holiday because a bus-stop north of Margit hid doesn't show up on the tourist radar.
Fecske Terasz hangs onto the sun while the rest of the city is already bathed in darkness, but when the night does finally fall, there's a chilled-out, intimate atmosphere. It's not party central but it's a nice place to be. The only drawback is that when you want to leave, Margit hid will seem miles away, even though it's only a five minute walk. There is, however, a night bus, that goes every half hour and follows the 4/6 tram route through Pest.
In the winter, Fecske is a name you can forget but in summertime, it's synonymous with relaxed outdoor drinking. Both bars have the same reasonable menu too, so a quick beer at the Presszó can easily become lunch, and an afternoon at the pool can turn into a long, lazy day out.
fechke, fechker, fetchke, fetchker, kert
Andy Sz.
Petőfi hid [map]
Buda, XI, Petőfi híd (Budai hídfő) (T4/6), 2 min
Mention a boat party and an image pops into my head of the cast of Baywatch - they've just wrapped a new series, the sun is slinking out of sight and they're smugly drinking pina coladas.
That however, couldn’t be further removed from Budapest’s own version of a party boat, the A38. This vessel is a not-particularly-glamorous-sounding ‘former Ukrainian stone carrier,’ moored firmly to the foot of Petőfi hid in Buda.
Principally a concert venue, there’s also a restaurant on the top floor. Because of the large windows, this is the only place you can really tell you’re not on dry land. Below deck, the bulk of the ship is a large, dark, and loud auditorium.
Aside from and Petőfi Csarnok, Dürer Kert and Merlin, A38 is one of the few places in town that can host gigs of a certain size, by bands who are popular, but not that popular. The ship’s program is commendably eclectic - local heroes sit alongside internationally recognised artists such as Horrace Andy, Sisters of Mercy, DJ Krush, Erik Truffaz and The Melvins. Big concerts tend to sell out quickly.
One criticism I’ve heard levelled at A38 is that the atmosphere can be a little flat. While there is truth in this, it’s an argument which can be made about most venues here. As ever, a lot depends on the way foreign artists feel about playing in Hungary and how the crowd respond. Catch it on the wrong night and you’ll be disappointed. Catch it on the right night and the room shakes, perhaps to the point where you vaguely question the wisdom of what you're doing and wonder if there's any precedent of party boats capsizing.
Anything remotely Balkan (Fanfare Ciocarlia, Gogol Bordello) is guaranteed to go down well. Tickets are available from the boat or at tex.hu offices.
838, 8 38, a 38, eh 38, the boat, concert boat,
Get off the 4,6 tram at Petőfi hid, Buda side, and walk back towards the river. Go down the steps by the bridge and the boat is in front of you.
That however, couldn’t be further removed from Budapest’s own version of a party boat, the A38. This vessel is a not-particularly-glamorous-sounding ‘former Ukrainian stone carrier,’ moored firmly to the foot of Petőfi hid in Buda.
Principally a concert venue, there’s also a restaurant on the top floor. Because of the large windows, this is the only place you can really tell you’re not on dry land. Below deck, the bulk of the ship is a large, dark, and loud auditorium.
Aside from and Petőfi Csarnok, Dürer Kert and Merlin, A38 is one of the few places in town that can host gigs of a certain size, by bands who are popular, but not that popular. The ship’s program is commendably eclectic - local heroes sit alongside internationally recognised artists such as Horrace Andy, Sisters of Mercy, DJ Krush, Erik Truffaz and The Melvins. Big concerts tend to sell out quickly.
One criticism I’ve heard levelled at A38 is that the atmosphere can be a little flat. While there is truth in this, it’s an argument which can be made about most venues here. As ever, a lot depends on the way foreign artists feel about playing in Hungary and how the crowd respond. Catch it on the wrong night and you’ll be disappointed. Catch it on the right night and the room shakes, perhaps to the point where you vaguely question the wisdom of what you're doing and wonder if there's any precedent of party boats capsizing. Anything remotely Balkan (Fanfare Ciocarlia, Gogol Bordello) is guaranteed to go down well. Tickets are available from the boat or at tex.hu offices.
838, 8 38, a 38, eh 38, the boat, concert boat,
Get off the 4,6 tram at Petőfi hid, Buda side, and walk back towards the river. Go down the steps by the bridge and the boat is in front of you.
Andy T.
838, 8 38, a 38, eh 38, the boat, concert boat,
Bercsényi utca 5 [map]
Buda South, XI, Bertalan Lajos utca (T47/49), 1 min
Rating: 8.0/10
While the maxim "There's nothing much in Buda" holds some water, it usually pours out of the mouths of Pest-dwellers who get queezy every time they get too close to the river. This is a result of budaphobia, which sets in as soon as you start renting a flat in the fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth district. The budaphobe deletes all knowledge of Buda from the memory. They don’t know where Batthyány tér is. They think Moszkva tér is the airport which serves Balaton.
Three tramstops from Astoria then is beyond the conceptual boundary of almost everyone I know. Yet I found myself there, stepping out into a light rain; into an afternoon ended prematurely by darkness. Buda-folk, bowed-down and bent, scuttled through the shadows, silhouetted, intermittently, by headlights reflected in the road. So this was life in the forbidden zone... or simply the tail end of winter. Whichever, some kind of sanctuary was clearly needed. A part-opened window cast enough light onto Bercsényi utca to suggest I
might find it there.
Entering Café Ponyvaregény is like wrapping yourself in a huge quilt; the walls and ceiling look like they’re made of meringue and they have a cosying effect. Like all the best traditional cafes, newspapers (Hungarian only) hang from “carpet-beaters”, which in turn dangle from a hatstand. High shelves are laden with books, not exclusively Magyar: an English copy of Hesse’s Steppenwolf caught my eye.
On a Sunday afternoon, 'bustling' would be overstating it, but Ponyvaregény was mumbling and murmuring away very comfortably. The Scrabble and Catan (don't ask me!) were enjoying time off the shelf, and elsewhere, pencils scribbled busily on the sketchbooks that lie provocatively on every table. (Someone had drawn a cowboy in mine.) With rétes and focaccia available if you get a little peckish, efficient service (if a little formal), reasonable prices and free Wifi, Café Ponyvaregény is a practical choice too.
A pretty flash website is further proof that the owners are no Buda hillbillies, and reveals that they also have a restaurant of the same name - open from April - in the up-and-coming Kopaszi Gát park, south of Lágymányosi híd. While the café on Bercsényi utca is most definitely a winter retreat, it would seem that they have summer covered too. And it's also in Buda!
So budaphobes take note: Pest may have so much charisma that you overlook her quieter, prettier sister but places like Ponyvaregény show that she has a personality too. Go on, give her a try. When you get back home to Pest, you can always say you were working late.
Service: 8.0/10
Atmosphere: 8.0/10
Value for money: 8.0/10
What people we know think: It's in Buda; too far.
Take the 47 or 49 tram from Deák or Astoria and you won't believe how close Buda is!
Andy Sz.
might find it there.Entering Café Ponyvaregény is like wrapping yourself in a huge quilt; the walls and ceiling look like they’re made of meringue and they have a cosying effect. Like all the best traditional cafes, newspapers (Hungarian only) hang from “carpet-beaters”, which in turn dangle from a hatstand. High shelves are laden with books, not exclusively Magyar: an English copy of Hesse’s Steppenwolf caught my eye.
On a Sunday afternoon, 'bustling' would be overstating it, but Ponyvaregény was mumbling and murmuring away very comfortably. The Scrabble and Catan (don't ask me!) were enjoying time off the shelf, and elsewhere, pencils scribbled busily on the sketchbooks that lie provocatively on every table. (Someone had drawn a cowboy in mine.) With rétes and focaccia available if you get a little peckish, efficient service (if a little formal), reasonable prices and free Wifi, Café Ponyvaregény is a practical choice too.A pretty flash website is further proof that the owners are no Buda hillbillies, and reveals that they also have a restaurant of the same name - open from April - in the up-and-coming Kopaszi Gát park, south of Lágymányosi híd. While the café on Bercsényi utca is most definitely a winter retreat, it would seem that they have summer covered too. And it's also in Buda!
So budaphobes take note: Pest may have so much charisma that you overlook her quieter, prettier sister but places like Ponyvaregény show that she has a personality too. Go on, give her a try. When you get back home to Pest, you can always say you were working late.
Service: 8.0/10
Atmosphere: 8.0/10
Value for money: 8.0/10
What people we know think: It's in Buda; too far.
Take the 47 or 49 tram from Deák or Astoria and you won't believe how close Buda is!
Andy Sz.
How do Man Utd do it? Why can't Liverpool quite cut it? How many managers will Chelsea get through this time? What's happened to Arsenal? Are the big four even the big four anymore? And can Man City really buy themselves trophies or just petulant Brazilians?It’s the most exciting league in the Universe, but where on Earth can you watch it?
Well, being in Budapest doesn’t necessarily mean you have to rely on internet live streams (maybe this one) or minute-by-minute reports on the BBC website. Eurosport 2 have exclusive Premier League rights for Hungary this year, and there are a number of bars that subscribe to Setanta and Sky... just in case you were worried about missing a single second of Jamie Redknapp‘s verbal diarrhoea.
Last season, we dealt with Beckett’s, the Manchester United of Hungarian sports bars (review here), but not wishing to take out a loan to finance a small beer, we looked elsewhere...
A reasonable bet is this wee Scottish pub in a street behind Oktogon. With a friendly owner and a predominantly ex-pat crowd, it also happens to be one of the few places in the city where you can get bitter on tap. Given the current transfer market (yes, prepare yourself for relentless football metaphor), 500 forint for a korsó seems pretty reasonable to me; 660 for a pint of Best is fair play too.
Slightly officious table staff, however, tend to sully the atmosphere. On a couple of occasions last year, I had stern looks shot at me for not ordering enough cokes! Having said that, the Caledonia has plenty of screens, English commentary, and a British ’pub’ feel that's almost convincing. Worth a shot.
Champs (Rating: 7/10)
Erőd utca 22 [map] Buda, II, Mechwart Liget (T4/6) 1 min
Dohány utca 20 [map] Pest Centre, VII, Astoria (M2), 4 min
If you can’t see Premier League games at Champs, then you're probably not looking at the right screen. They have more televisions than you could ever need, and boast a quirky menu which relates every dish to a famous Hungarian athlete.
With a number of extra German channels, branches on either side of the river, and an enthusiasm for all kinds of sports, they have slightly more strength in depth than the competition. A bit too flashy for my taste though… a bit too Chelsea.
Ezaz, opposite the Basilica on Bajcsy-Zsilinsky, is not the most likely title contender. No Sky or Setanta, just foreign language channels - watching games here is a little like being Theo Walcott in the Arsenal dressing room. Ezaz opened less than a year ago and isn’t really a sports bar, its youth and inexperience betrayed by a an IKEA smell which lingers on the upholstery.
Still, the complete absence of big match atmosphere is made up for by the fact you can always get a seat, and 520 Ft for a korsó is just about acceptable. (You may have to ask them to switch on Eurosport 2, if it isn’t already on though!) Football without the ceremony.... Middlesborough, perhaps.
Café Vogue (Rating: 8/10)
Teréz körút 41 [map]
Pest Centre, V, Nyugati tér (M3), 3 min
Cafe Vogue is right up there this season and may just edge out the others. Firstly, it's not an ex-pat pub, so there's nothing of that ersatz atmosphere. But unlike Ezaz, there are enough other people in the bar, to stop it feeling like a non-event. There are several screens, one of which is only visible from the gallery, allowing the unique possibility of an unobstructed view, without even having to crane your neck.
The only issue is the beer price. The standard price is 630Ft a korsó, which would usually have the hub running away as fast as Aaron Lennon. But during the day, until 8pm, in fact, there's a ten-hour happy hour, with beer down to 490Ft a pint! Just one thing: you may have to point at the blackboard when you get the bill, just to make sure that they understand that you understand the deal.
And finally, before the referee blows his final whistle on this particular Saturday afternoon, I feel compelled to mention one other popular sports bar/restaurant: Box Utca. Owned by a famous middleweight Hungarian boxer, it’s a reliable place to watch the Premiership (and, indeed, the cricket), but gosh, it's posh, and the over-dressed waiters are a little too eager to refill your glass. What is this, the directors' box?
It seems from the walls, that it has indeed attracted a rather well-to-do clientele - Paul McCartney, for example. No doubt, the prices weren't a problem for him. But price is what you pay; value is what you get... and 690Ft for a korsó is like paying 16.5 million for Darren Bent!.
Andy T and Andy Sz.
Well, being in Budapest doesn’t necessarily mean you have to rely on internet live streams (maybe this one) or minute-by-minute reports on the BBC website. Eurosport 2 have exclusive Premier League rights for Hungary this year, and there are a number of bars that subscribe to Setanta and Sky... just in case you were worried about missing a single second of Jamie Redknapp‘s verbal diarrhoea.
Last season, we dealt with Beckett’s, the Manchester United of Hungarian sports bars (review here), but not wishing to take out a loan to finance a small beer, we looked elsewhere...
A reasonable bet is this wee Scottish pub in a street behind Oktogon. With a friendly owner and a predominantly ex-pat crowd, it also happens to be one of the few places in the city where you can get bitter on tap. Given the current transfer market (yes, prepare yourself for relentless football metaphor), 500 forint for a korsó seems pretty reasonable to me; 660 for a pint of Best is fair play too.Slightly officious table staff, however, tend to sully the atmosphere. On a couple of occasions last year, I had stern looks shot at me for not ordering enough cokes! Having said that, the Caledonia has plenty of screens, English commentary, and a British ’pub’ feel that's almost convincing. Worth a shot.
Champs (Rating: 7/10)
Erőd utca 22 [map] Buda, II, Mechwart Liget (T4/6) 1 min
Dohány utca 20 [map] Pest Centre, VII, Astoria (M2), 4 min
If you can’t see Premier League games at Champs, then you're probably not looking at the right screen. They have more televisions than you could ever need, and boast a quirky menu which relates every dish to a famous Hungarian athlete.With a number of extra German channels, branches on either side of the river, and an enthusiasm for all kinds of sports, they have slightly more strength in depth than the competition. A bit too flashy for my taste though… a bit too Chelsea.
Ezaz Café Bistro
(Rating: 7.5/10)
Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 15 [map]
Pest Centre, VI, Arany János utca (M3), 2 min
(Rating: 7.5/10)Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 15 [map]
Pest Centre, VI, Arany János utca (M3), 2 min
Still, the complete absence of big match atmosphere is made up for by the fact you can always get a seat, and 520 Ft for a korsó is just about acceptable. (You may have to ask them to switch on Eurosport 2, if it isn’t already on though!) Football without the ceremony.... Middlesborough, perhaps.
Café Vogue (Rating: 8/10)
Teréz körút 41 [map]
Pest Centre, V, Nyugati tér (M3), 3 min
Cafe Vogue is right up there this season and may just edge out the others. Firstly, it's not an ex-pat pub, so there's nothing of that ersatz atmosphere. But unlike Ezaz, there are enough other people in the bar, to stop it feeling like a non-event. There are several screens, one of which is only visible from the gallery, allowing the unique possibility of an unobstructed view, without even having to crane your neck.
The only issue is the beer price. The standard price is 630Ft a korsó, which would usually have the hub running away as fast as Aaron Lennon. But during the day, until 8pm, in fact, there's a ten-hour happy hour, with beer down to 490Ft a pint! Just one thing: you may have to point at the blackboard when you get the bill, just to make sure that they understand that you understand the deal.
And finally, before the referee blows his final whistle on this particular Saturday afternoon, I feel compelled to mention one other popular sports bar/restaurant: Box Utca. Owned by a famous middleweight Hungarian boxer, it’s a reliable place to watch the Premiership (and, indeed, the cricket), but gosh, it's posh, and the over-dressed waiters are a little too eager to refill your glass. What is this, the directors' box?
It seems from the walls, that it has indeed attracted a rather well-to-do clientele - Paul McCartney, for example. No doubt, the prices weren't a problem for him. But price is what you pay; value is what you get... and 690Ft for a korsó is like paying 16.5 million for Darren Bent!.
Andy T and Andy Sz.
Margit sziget, [map]
Between Buda and Pest, II, Margit hid (T4/6), 2-5 min
Rating: 9.4/10 (Overall)
You might not find the word ‘kert’ in the Oxford English Dictionary yet but you’d be hard pushed to get through a spring in Budapest, without hearing someone ask: “When are the kerts opening?”
The kerts are open-air bars with a transient existence that begins in late May and ends in September. When they open, you know that the summer’s started and when they close, you know it’s over. Margit sziget hosts its fair share.
Holdudvar (Rating: 8.4/10)
The most sizeable and versatile of the island kerts combines restaurant, bar, and late-night dancefloor. Tables stretch out under orange West Balkan-style lanterns, past table-tennis, table-football, drinks bar, sausage bar (which smells pretty good), palinka bar and around the corner to a calmer grassy area at the back.
There’s a sense that Holdudvar is trying just a bit too hard to be all things to all people. It succeeds to a large extent, due to the fact that it’s so vast, but it does all feel a bit contrived. The dancefloor is now indoors and invariably packed. Music though is largely unimaginative but popular amongst tourists in holiday mood: “...murmer, murmer, LAST FOREVER... murmer, murmer... BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE!”
It claims to have an art gallery as well, whose true function is a place to wait for people who are in the toilets.
Sark kert (Rating: 9.3/10)
The most basic and Hungarian of the kerts on the island sits between Holdudvar and the river. Two days before it opened this year, it really didn’t look like it was going to. It’s not the most sophisticated place: a few huts house the bars, including one that sells sausages, hekk and pörkölt; seating is a bit rickety, and the floor is a kind of dry soil. There are always a couple of dogs running around too.
Sark kert though, has a hippy soul and is infused with a carefree, relaxed atmosphere. Sitting in the blazing sun, with some relief from the parasols, this might be Budapest or it could be somewhere on the other side of the world. There’s the occasional band too, and concerts tend to evolve into late night jams.
Cha Cha Cha - Terasz (Rating: 8.2/10)
Cha cha cha is not really a place for sitting around. It feels like a bar at some holiday resort – a wooden shack dancefloor at least assures you that you’re somewhere more exotic than Northamptonshire, while the accompanying leisure centre does nothing of the sort. Music is holiday-friendly, perhaps not as cheesy as Holdudvar. The bassline from Billy Jean escapes from its dance rehash and collides with Rihanna’s Umbrella. Cha cha cha does have its own personality though and always seems to be full of girls and indeed anyone who wants to dance.
By some well-thought out plan, they’ve decided to charge for the toilets, evidently with the aim of encouraging you to find the nearest tree instead, which is exactly what everybody does.
The other one (Rating: 7.0/10)
Now, it’s easy to forget that Margit Sziget has another bar: the imaginatively titled Sziget Klub Terasz. Given that it’s the first one you get to and the only one that has a river view without having to stand on tiptoes, it should be a much bigger draw than it is.
However, it looks like it might be a restaurant and no one’s ever going to remember that name. Besides, the music, coming courtesy of the radio, holds neither surprises nor atmosphere. An identity of some kind would work wonders – ideas anyone? Still, it’s quite a pleasant place to sip a beer and watch the river flow.
Hold, udvar, shark, club, terrace, outdoor, drinking, siget, hub choice
Walking down the island from Margit hid (Margaret Bridge), Sziget Klub Terasz is almost immediately on your left, and Cha Cha Cha follows soon after. For Holdudvar, continue in a straight line, past the fountain, and you should see the orange lanterns through the trees. Sark kert is to the right of this, bordering the river, with entrances on either side.
Andy Sz.
The kerts are open-air bars with a transient existence that begins in late May and ends in September. When they open, you know that the summer’s started and when they close, you know it’s over. Margit sziget hosts its fair share.Holdudvar (Rating: 8.4/10)
The most sizeable and versatile of the island kerts combines restaurant, bar, and late-night dancefloor. Tables stretch out under orange West Balkan-style lanterns, past table-tennis, table-football, drinks bar, sausage bar (which smells pretty good), palinka bar and around the corner to a calmer grassy area at the back.
There’s a sense that Holdudvar is trying just a bit too hard to be all things to all people. It succeeds to a large extent, due to the fact that it’s so vast, but it does all feel a bit contrived. The dancefloor is now indoors and invariably packed. Music though is largely unimaginative but popular amongst tourists in holiday mood: “...murmer, murmer, LAST FOREVER... murmer, murmer... BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE!”
It claims to have an art gallery as well, whose true function is a place to wait for people who are in the toilets.
Sark kert (Rating: 9.3/10)
The most basic and Hungarian of the kerts on the island sits between Holdudvar and the river. Two days before it opened this year, it really didn’t look like it was going to. It’s not the most sophisticated place: a few huts house the bars, including one that sells sausages, hekk and pörkölt; seating is a bit rickety, and the floor is a kind of dry soil. There are always a couple of dogs running around too.
Sark kert though, has a hippy soul and is infused with a carefree, relaxed atmosphere. Sitting in the blazing sun, with some relief from the parasols, this might be Budapest or it could be somewhere on the other side of the world. There’s the occasional band too, and concerts tend to evolve into late night jams.
Cha Cha Cha - Terasz (Rating: 8.2/10)
Cha cha cha is not really a place for sitting around. It feels like a bar at some holiday resort – a wooden shack dancefloor at least assures you that you’re somewhere more exotic than Northamptonshire, while the accompanying leisure centre does nothing of the sort. Music is holiday-friendly, perhaps not as cheesy as Holdudvar. The bassline from Billy Jean escapes from its dance rehash and collides with Rihanna’s Umbrella. Cha cha cha does have its own personality though and always seems to be full of girls and indeed anyone who wants to dance.By some well-thought out plan, they’ve decided to charge for the toilets, evidently with the aim of encouraging you to find the nearest tree instead, which is exactly what everybody does.
The other one (Rating: 7.0/10)
Now, it’s easy to forget that Margit Sziget has another bar: the imaginatively titled Sziget Klub Terasz. Given that it’s the first one you get to and the only one that has a river view without having to stand on tiptoes, it should be a much bigger draw than it is.
However, it looks like it might be a restaurant and no one’s ever going to remember that name. Besides, the music, coming courtesy of the radio, holds neither surprises nor atmosphere. An identity of some kind would work wonders – ideas anyone? Still, it’s quite a pleasant place to sip a beer and watch the river flow.
Hold, udvar, shark, club, terrace, outdoor, drinking, siget, hub choice
Walking down the island from Margit hid (Margaret Bridge), Sziget Klub Terasz is almost immediately on your left, and Cha Cha Cha follows soon after. For Holdudvar, continue in a straight line, past the fountain, and you should see the orange lanterns through the trees. Sark kert is to the right of this, bordering the river, with entrances on either side.
Andy Sz.
Moszkva tér [map]
Buda North, II, Moszkva tér (M2, T4/6), 0 min
Rating: 6.8/10
Underground stations rarely house the most attractive or inviting bars. If they did, I would have seen a lot less of overground Budapest. No, usually they are the homes to professional drunks and people who wear string vests in public.
Not so, with Moszkva tér Bisztro. Firstly, it’s not underground but on the roof, with an outside terrace and panoramic views of a bustling square: one that has hardly changed in 25 years. For the vast majority of the year, it has a London Underground theme, purloining the logo and sporting a huge neon tube map, should you need to know how to get from Tokaji to Dreher. But for the winter, someone has seen sense in rebranding the whole thing as a ski hut.
It’s difficult to see how this marketing ploy is likely to pay off in the space of three months but it does contribute to the atmosphere, as you sit huddled beneath the indoor-outdoor heaters in your winter coat, surrounded by skis and sleds. You can get hot wine and hot bar snacks, in the form of kolbász (sausage), which might be enough heat to see you on your way, despite the glaring absence of proper walls.
The table football and cult-appeal draws in a wealth of sixth-form students but the convenience of the location also appeals to anyone who wants to take the weight off their feet. If you’re looking to relax however, beware that the regular barman is of the ‘entertaining’ kind, hurling a bottle around like Tom Cruise, to the wide-eyed admiration of anyone under 18.
Prices are generally reasonable, especially if you’re game for the “Bisztro Beer”, and you can even buy a hoody, if you like it so much that you feel like parting with 6000Ft.
Service: 6.5/10
Atmosphere: 6.5/10
Value for money: 7/10
What people we know think: 7/10
The 'bisztro' is directly above the metro station at Moszkva tér. It remains the Síház until 9th March.
Andy Sz.
No matter how long you're in Budapest for, there are a few places we think you should really check out. So we've created:
Click on the logo above, or in the right-hand menu in any of the sections: bars & cafes; eating out; or sightseeing, to find our list of unmissables. Or just keep your eyes peeled for the tag.
If there's anywhere you think we've overlooked, please let us know.
Andy T.
................................................
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
