Budapest Nightlife

 Budapest is a city well known, just like Barcelona, for the large number of students coming here for Erasmus. Although the exact number is difficult to establish, guesses are there are about 500-600 foreign students currently staying in Budapest.

The Hungarians have seized this opportunity to turn the city into a party capital.

Here people go out every day, from Monday to Sunday, no exceptions. Budapest Nightlife has plenty to offer.

Almost all of the best known clubs and bars are in the Jewish quarter, and Király is the most famous street. What Budapest is very well known for among young people are the so called ruin pubs.

These are pubs refurbished within old buildings or factories that had been set for demolition, but ended up being turned into pubs. When you go there, you have a feeling you have a crashed a secret party taking place among ruins. The pubs are numerous and they even have their own website as a guide (http://ruinpubs.com/). The most popular among them are Szimpla Kert (on weekends it takes 40 minutes just to get in), Ankert (which organizes international parties for foreigners in Budapest), and Kuplung (on Mondays, everything is 50% off). Budapest Nightlife starts at midnight.

In addition to ruin pubs, there are also the classic pubs very often decorated in American style (billiards, darts, flipper), like Stiflera and 4es6os, with prices that are considerably lower. As for night clubs, those are always visited in the wee hours of the night after hitting one of the pubs.

Clubs are, just like the ruin pubs, refurbished within old buildings, sometimes taking up the entire building, on several floors. A very popular one is Instant, which recently changed its location and name into Fogas, without losing its faithful customers. In addition, there are also Morrison2, Corvin, House Bar, and others. The music played here is usually house and electro, and sometimes they also organize parties with trash music of the 1980s and 90s.

Alcohol is very cheap here,

both in the stores and in the clubs. Half a pint can be found almost anywhere for €1, wine for €1.5, and hard liquor for €2-7. Such prices also bring about another side of the Budapest nightlife which is not fun. They rarely check the age so it’s not uncommon to see drunken children wobbling down the streets at as early as 11 p.m.

Also, the Hungarians drink, and they drink a lot. Combined with the students here for Erasmus, you could say there are rivers of alcohol flowing every day, so after a while, you get used to the sight of drunken people in the streets. Besides alcohol, you’ll also often be offered drugs on the street. Every now and then you’ll see someone sneaking up to you and whispering in your ear: “You need weed, cocaine?”

All in all, you could say that over the last few years Budapest has become a real party destination for Europeans, especially those from Spain and France of whom there are many. But Budapest attracts all party people with its very low prices and abundant Budapest nightlife.