Top rated bars you need to try at Budapest

So you are searching for the best bars in Budapest?

Szimpla Kert

Budapest’s most famous bar started life closer to a squat. In the early 2000s, a few young Hungarians set up a bar in this abandoned building in the Jewish Quarter – and kick-started the ‘ruin bar’ trend as a result. Today Szimpla Kert occupies an apartment block stripped back to the brick. It’s decorated with local art, graffiti, fairy lights and a mish-mash of vintage furniture. You can even down your drinks in an old Trabant. There’s a range of bars downstairs and upstairs, but if you come at the weekend, expect crowds.

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Leo Bistro

Can a cocktail collection be holistic? LEO at Clark Adam Square has managed to put together a very well-considered, interdisciplinary cocktail menu for this season. At the heart of the collection are crystals, 7 in total, with 7 different vibrations, properties, colours, and textures. It's indeed fashionable these days to be interested in crystals and minerals, and to carry lucky stones in your pocket, but it's a useful pastime and one that simply goes back to Mother Nature. LEO's beautiful bar invites you to play a mysterious game, the centre of which is a wooden board with minerals attached to it. Whether to turn the board over and choose based on ingredients, or let your intuition guide you blindly, is up to you.

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The Duchess

Another unforgettable venue where Budapest's past and present meet in an exciting synergy. The rooftop bar of the Matild Palace is accessible by lift, and a fun fact is that the city's first such structure debuted here in the last century. A meeting place for decadent secret societies, today's The Duchess is both in keeping with the style of the hotel and stands out with its princessy boudoir atmosphere.

You can enjoy the panoramic views above in all four seasons, practically 'hovering' over the Elizabeth Bridge, but we prefer the cocktail hour during the summer sunset at leisure and up to the stars.

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The Blue Fox Bar

The Blue Fox bar, located on the Elizabeth Square side of the Kempinski Hotel, is not far from the Ferris wheel. Under the leadership of bar manager Ádám Szabó, classic cocktails are blended with innovative techniques, creating a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere. The bar places a strong emphasis on quality and rare ingredients to offer truly unique combinations to its guests. In addition to well-known drinks, the menu features signature cocktails such as the plum brandy-based Desiderium, the lavender-infused Immortality, and the house-made limoncello Heritage. For those who prefer non-alcoholic options, there's the Sugar Daddy or Guilty Pleasure. If you're in the mood for something stronger, the selection of spirits is also impressive, catering to fans of gin, vodka, whiskey, or rum. The bar often features DJs or live music to accompany your drinks.

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Múzsa

It would be difficult to give an objective opinion on Múzsa, as just looking around the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace would be an all-night activity and aesthetic wander. In 2021, they also won the top European bar-design award. All this is topped off with a world-class bar experience, an institution within an institution that you'll fall in love with the moment you book a seat at the bar and entrust yourself to their expert staff. There are many stories to tell and every sip reflects a dedication and a journey to the pinnacle of professionalism.

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Boutiq' Bar

If it weren't for the Boutiq' Bar on Paulay Ede Street, Zoli Nagy's passion, and the butler system he introduced, we wouldn't be writing this selection. They are the alpha and omega. Besides being a cradle for bartenders and a professional workshop, they do infinitely respectable hospitality. They focus on those who arrive alone and just fancy a drink at Boutiq', perhaps toast with someone or to peek into the life of a bar with a long history. The bar and workshop, which has been around since 2008, was named one of the world's 50 best bars in 2012 and is a landmark for practically every expert in the local cocktail culture.

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