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Budapest is filled with söröz?s (beer bars), but the way to go is to head for one of the romkerts ("ruin gardens," which are housed in the courtyards of abandoned buildings). There you will meet a cross section of artists, professionals, students, and tourists enjoying a DJ or Hungarian microbrew. If wine is more your thing, don’t miss spending a few hours in a wine bar (more upscale than the divey borozós). Wine bars have lengthy wine lists comprising excellent Hungarian wines, and most servers speak reasonable enough English to recommend a wine and explain what you are getting.
A modern take on a traditional Hungarian coffee shop, restaurant, and wine bar, the atmosphere is warm, the food is authentic and delicious, and the wines come from Hungarian producers via the restaurant's wine cellar. Booking ahead is recommended.
Szabad offers an authentic ruin bar experience, minus the tourist throngs. Set streets away from the party district, this ramshackle bar proudly embraces its rustic setting, with bare brick walls as a canvas for a revolving display of local art. Friendly bar staff serve quality Czech beers and local Hungarian wines, while the food menu is exclusively vegan, presenting inventive and comforting reinterpretations of classic Hungarian cuisine.
Located next to lovely coffeehouse Hadik, Szatyor has a similarly airy, contemporary central European feel, but with a bit more edge than its stately neighbor. There's art everywhere—even painted on the ceiling—and a cultural ethos pervades, even extending to literary quotes about soup on the menu. An arty and delightful place for a drink or two.
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