Before taking a look at our comprehensive bar and pub guide, it's worth spending a short time familiarising yourself with beers, wines and spirits produced in Hungary.
The mainstays of the Hungarian scene borozó (wine cellars) and sörözo (beer halls) have changed little in forty years. The vast majority are simple, downmarket affairs, which make few concessions to foreign visitors. In borozó, wine is served by the decilitre and is often mixed with soda water (fröccs) making a kind of 'Hungarian spritzer'. Beer and lager, which traditionally are not nearly as popular as wine or spirits, come in pint equivalents (korsó) or the much smaller pohár. If you don't fancy trying out a local sörözo, there are plenty of upmarket bars and pubs in the downtown area. We've listed the best of them here - our criteria being the selection and price of drinks stocked, atmosphere and location. Action Bar
1053 Budapest, Magyar utca 42. (you see a yellow A on a black background, but the entrance is ca. 15 meters away from this sign)
Phone: +36-1/ 266 91 48
Web: www.action.gay.hu
(Metro 3, Kálvin tér, Night bus 50é, 14é)
Gay, Bar, Back room / Darkroom, Video, Rent Boys , Strip (GoGo) Shows from midnight until 3 am. 
Árkádia
1052 Budapest, Türr Istvan utca 5
Phone: +36/ 204 96 58 54 (Mobile)
(Metro 1, Vörösmarty Ter, Tram 2)
Gay, Bar
Small gay bar close to the Danube.
Daily from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m.
No entrance fee. Chaos Music Pub & CoXx Club
1072 Budapest, Dohány utca 38
Phone: +36-1/ 344 48 84
Fax: +36-1/ 375 33 41
Web: http://www.coxx.hu/
(Metro2 Astoria and Blaha L. Square, Night bus 78é)
Gallery, Internet café, Bar (Drink, Snack), Back room, Darkroom, small dance floor. Very friendly staff. Metal design. Special parties (leather, fetish, info: www.coxx.hu) monthly. 
Darling Bar
1053 Budapest, Szép utca 1
Phone: +36-1/ 267 33 15
(Metro 2 Astoria , Night bus 50é, 14é and 78é)
Gay (men only), Bar, Back room / Darkroom, Rent Boys
Small, dark bar on two levels, centrally located, close to the Action Bar. Drop in for a drink. There is a back room behind the bar.
Daily from 7 p.m. until 4 a.m.
No entrance fee. Adonis Cafe & Bar
1137 Budapest, Radnóti Miklos utca 18
Web: www.gloryhole.hu
(close to West/Nyugati Railway Station)
Mixed Straight-Bisexual-Gay Mens, Bar Mystery Bar
1054 Budapest, Nagysándor József utca 3
Phone: +36-1/ 312 14 36
Web: www.mysterybar.hu
Gay and lesbian mixed, Bar, Internet café
(Metro 3 Arany János utca, Night bus 50é, 14é)
Small Bar, small dishes, good for chatting, checking emails, surfing the Internet. "As the first Gay bar in Budapest , the doors opened and the rainbow flag was pinned in 1990 . Since than it has been the best place to meet at before or after a party, or to have a date in the city of every age - group"
Monday - Friday from 16.00 - 4 am, Saturday and Sunday from 18.00 - 4 am.
Free Entrance. UpSide Down
1050 Budapest, Podmaniczky Tér 1
(Metro 3 Aranyi János utca station)
Mixed Straight-Bisexual-Gay-Lesbian, Bar, Karaoke
The location used to be a public bathroom before it was turned into this bar. Very cozy atmosphere. Downstairs bar, a small stage and seating for appr 80 persons. During the summer there is also an upstairs outside terrace. Monday and Wednesday nights are Karaoke nights with a gay and lesbian audience. Tuesdays and Thursdays Jazz nights, very different crowd, mostly straight. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays the club can be rented for private or company parties. If its not rented, they will either have Karaoke or Jazz night instead. The staff is gay, lesbian and straight mixed.
Daily 8 am until 5 am
No entrance fee
|
