Budapest nightlife tips
Visiting Budapest? Here are a few helpful tips and hints to assist you in enjoying the nightlife.
Guides
Funzine is really a free, English guide to what's on within the city, and you'll be able to uncover it in larger cinemas and cafes, and much more tourist-oriented bars.
You'll find two other totally free newspapers which outline the sorts of entertainment which you are able to find in Budapest, but you will will need a local to support you translate them. This is worth looking at, because you will find all kinds of things to do within the city which could not be within the tourist guides. These are known as EXIT and Pesti Est. Both have comprehensive listings of music events, club nights, film, theatre, etc - essentially a Time Out for Budapest.
Liberal opening laws
In Budapest, it is normal for most places to be open into the small hours even on weeknights. Mondays are generally dead, so it's difficult to discover anywhere with a decent atmosphere, but on most other nights, you'll locate a whole lot of life within the small cellar bars and cafes inside the city. The venues are eccentric; lots of converted courtyards and abandoned buildings turned into hotspots for a night out. You will find any number of underground parties, as well, but you've to ask around the local bars and clubs, as they're only advertised by word of mouth. Be conscious that sometimes these places are raided by the police and drug searches can be performed on any of the partygoers.
The price of beer and wine
The average price for a 500ml glass of beer is around 500 HUF (2 euro). Wine is sold by the deciliter - 100ml - so you've got to ask for the number of deciliters you would like. The Hungarians shorten it to just 'deci'. Wine is typically sold at around 250 HUF (1 euro) / deci. Sometimes the trendier places will have 'happy hours', but usually these offers - whilst indeed very low-cost - involve low top quality alcohol. You get what you pay for.
Gay scene
The gay scene in Budapest is tiny but present. You'll find a couple of places scattered by means of the city, generally just a little pricier than your average bar or club, but also somewhat classier inside. Beware, though; Hungarians aren't the most open-minded of folks, and there is a whole lot of prejudice against the gay community.
Going to a night club? A word of warning.
Faux pas alert: A 'nightclub' in Hungary means a strip club. If you're after a place to dance and have a drink, ask where you can uncover a good party.
Guides
Funzine is really a free, English guide to what's on within the city, and you'll be able to uncover it in larger cinemas and cafes, and much more tourist-oriented bars.
You'll find two other totally free newspapers which outline the sorts of entertainment which you are able to find in Budapest, but you will will need a local to support you translate them. This is worth looking at, because you will find all kinds of things to do within the city which could not be within the tourist guides. These are known as EXIT and Pesti Est. Both have comprehensive listings of music events, club nights, film, theatre, etc - essentially a Time Out for Budapest.
Liberal opening laws
In Budapest, it is normal for most places to be open into the small hours even on weeknights. Mondays are generally dead, so it's difficult to discover anywhere with a decent atmosphere, but on most other nights, you'll locate a whole lot of life within the small cellar bars and cafes inside the city. The venues are eccentric; lots of converted courtyards and abandoned buildings turned into hotspots for a night out. You will find any number of underground parties, as well, but you've to ask around the local bars and clubs, as they're only advertised by word of mouth. Be conscious that sometimes these places are raided by the police and drug searches can be performed on any of the partygoers.
The price of beer and wine
The average price for a 500ml glass of beer is around 500 HUF (2 euro). Wine is sold by the deciliter - 100ml - so you've got to ask for the number of deciliters you would like. The Hungarians shorten it to just 'deci'. Wine is typically sold at around 250 HUF (1 euro) / deci. Sometimes the trendier places will have 'happy hours', but usually these offers - whilst indeed very low-cost - involve low top quality alcohol. You get what you pay for.
Gay scene
The gay scene in Budapest is tiny but present. You'll find a couple of places scattered by means of the city, generally just a little pricier than your average bar or club, but also somewhat classier inside. Beware, though; Hungarians aren't the most open-minded of folks, and there is a whole lot of prejudice against the gay community.
Going to a night club? A word of warning.
Faux pas alert: A 'nightclub' in Hungary means a strip club. If you're after a place to dance and have a drink, ask where you can uncover a good party.
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