Ruin bars are all the rage in Budapest and have been around since the founding of Szimpla Kert, the mecca of all ruin bars, in 2002. These bars are built in Budapest’s old District VII neighborhood (the old Jewish quarter) in the ruins of abandoned buildings, stores, or lots. This neighborhood was left to decay after World War II, so it was a perfect place to develop an underground bar scene. These places were very off the beaten path, rough around the edges, and catered to artists, students, and alternative people.
But they became very popular and well known by 2010 and have nice gone mainstream, though their setting has not changed.
From the outside, these bars look like normal buildings. They don’t have large signs pointing the way, you don’t hear any loud noise, and there’s no line of people waiting to get in. But once you walk in and enter the inner courtyard, you find yourself in the middle of a hip, artsy, and funky bar bustling with crowds talking, dancing, and enjoying the laid-back atmosphere. Large bouncers, along with posted signs, ensure that people are quiet on their way out so as to not disturb the neighbors.
Each of these ruin bars has its own personality, but they all follow a few basic principles: find an old, abandoned place, rent it out, set up a bar, fill it with flea market furniture, have a few artists come in to leave their mark on the walls and ceiling, add in some weird antiques, serve alcohol, and watch people flock in.
When you’re in these bars, you feel like you’re drinking at your local thrift store. None of the furniture matches. It’s all old. It’s eclectic. It feels like they just ransacked your grandmother’s house. The ceilings are all designed differently and the places haven’t been repaired or fixed up, and there are still holes in the walls and visible pipes everywhere.
Though the Ruin Bar movement has become mainstream, many of the bars have done a good job of keeping their character and staying true to their roots — even as they fill up with more tourists.
Here is a list of the best ruin bars of Budapest:
Szimpla Kert
This was the original ruin bar. It opened in 2001, starting this trend. It’s one of the biggest ruin bars and still one of the most popular. Once an abandoned factory, now there’s a large open courtyard, a top floor filled with eclectic furniture, cocktail bars, music, and even an old, stripped-down Trabant (a communist car) to have a drink in. All the rooms have a…
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