The best bars in Budapest for 2025: unique bars, rooftops, hidden spots and more

What is it? Occupying an apartment block stripped back to the brick, decorated with local art, graffiti, fairy lights and a mish-mash of vintage furniture, Szimpla Kert set the tone for all ruin bars to follow – and remains the undisputed king of the genre.

Why we love it The interior is huge, meaning you can get lost and run wild till 4am any night of the week – and many do. For some sense of the scale, Szimpla Kert contains nine bars, serving over 400 drink varieties. 

Time Out tip: There’s a wholesome organic farmers’ market every Sunday, with a little live music thrown in, plus the occasional flea market in the central courtyard. 

Address: Kazinczy utca 14, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 3pm-4am, Sat noon-4am, Sun 9am-4am

Expect to pay: While admission is generally free, you'll be paying around Ft 2,000 (€5) a beer – cheap compared to London, pricy for Budapest

What is it? The High Note, its name in keeping with the musically themed Aria Hotel it sits above, sets a very high bar indeed as far as rooftop drinking in Budapest is concerned. Top-quality, inventive cocktails come with a view second to none, with the Buda Hills in the background and the clock of the Basilica at eye level.

Why we love it Walking through a modest front door in the heart of downtown Budapest, you're little prepared for what's in store, strolling over a huge piano keyboard in the lobby to the lift that whisks you up to the roof. Upon arrival, take in the vista, order a Frank Sinatra and let the evening, and the sunset, take its course.

Time Out tip: Upping an almost unuppable ante, in 2025 the High Note SkyBar added a SKY Champagne Bar perched just above, to mark the hotel's tenth anniversary. Its designer is the same Zoltán Varró whose breakthrough success came with this hotel itself a decade ago.

Address: Hercegprímás utca 5, 1051 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur 4pm-midnight, Fri-Sun 2pm-midnight 

Expect to pay: Frank Sinatra cocktail of Aperol, white wine, cherry and amarena Ft 6,200 (€15.50). Antiobiotic of Unicum Riserva, ginger, honey and lemon Ft 5,900 (€14.80)

What is it? You can’t talk about sky bars in Budapest without talking about the 360 Bar, its name referring to the panoramic view from the roof of this former department store. True, you'll be sharing the view with many others, tables squeezed in to use the space to the maximum, but there's still room to wander and gawp at all that cityscape.

Why we love it It's not every day that you take a lift at a department store to come out to a crowd of drinkers chilling with cocktails, backdropped by the rooftops of Europe's most beautiful capital.

Time Out tip: Come here in the colder months and the bar will have been winterised, heated igloos housing groups of friends and cosy couples sipping on warming drinks as the Christmas lights twinkle down below.

Address: Andrássy út 39, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Wed, Sun 2pm-midnight, Thur-Sat 2pm-2am

Expect to pay: Golden Hour cocktail of Aperol and watermelon cordial Ft 4,550 (€11.40). Hendrick's G&T Ft 4,550 (€11.40)

What is it? One of Budapest's most established, reliable and revered cocktail bars, one of the first of its kind when it opened way back in 2008. Cosy to the point of being a little squishy, the Boutiq' Bar is manned by mixers and shakers who know their stuff, and present every drink like an art project.

Why we love it Because the Boutiq'Bar takes its cocktails seriously without being po-faced about it – drinks are concocted and consumed in a buzzy atmosphere just off Andrássy.

Time Out tip: Ask for any drink they set fire to – it makes for great conversation if the repartee is flagging.

Address: Paulay Ede utca 5, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Wed 6pm-midnight, Thur 6pm-1am, Fri-Sat 6pm-2am. Closed Mon-Tue, Sun

Expect to pay: OK, it's hotel bar prices but you're getting something more individual and you can wake up the next morning knowing you've been to Budapest.

What is it? When the entire drinking fraternity of England's Home Counties has upped sticks and decamped to the ruin bars of Budapest round the corner, you may take solace here at the Kisüzem, amid its offbeat yet down-to-earth ambience.

Why we love it Kisüzem doesn't look like anything special but it is. There's no sign on the door saying 'No Idiots', yet, as if by magic, creative types and local boozehounds gather around the bar counter, perching themselves on the window sills for a smoke.

Time Out tip: Noon opening means the Little Workshop can offer enticing lunchtime deals on food while the wall art is changed fairly regularly, allowing the Kisüzem to host yet another exhibition opening.

Address: Kis Diófa utca 2, 1077 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Wed, Sun noon-1am, Thur-Sat noon-2am

Expect to pay: With prices this reasonable, you can sink lagoons of Slovak Zlatý Bažant and still have change at the end of the night. A hefty main course at lunchtime will set you back around Ft 4,000 (€10)

What is it? This tiny four-table bar on Bartók Béla út in long trendy District XI behind the Gellért Hotel is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of place. Gdansk operates as a Polish bookshop and bar that serves excellent beers, vodka shots and, if you’re lucky, moreish pierogi dumplings.

Why we love it Where all is galleries and daintily presented coffee, Gdansk flies the flag for the shabby-chic, attracting a loyal, bohemian clientele to create an in-the-know atmosphere without being too snobby about it.

Time Out tip: As this is mini-Poland, line up the shots of Veszett Kutya, mad dog, vodka with raspberry cordial and tabasco.

Address: Bartók Béla út 46, 1111 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm. Closed Sun

Expect to pay: A surprisingly small sum for own-brand house beer and pierogi dumplings

What is it? A wine bar in bare-brick, bohemian garb, Cintányéros occupies an end-of-row building in an unsung part of District VIII behind the Corvin mall complex. Fun and informal, it attracts musicians, artists and unpretentious oenophiles.

Why we love it Anyone who wishes to sample Hungarian wine, particularly from around Lake Balaton, and do so affordably, should be happy with a visit here. Staff are lovely and informative – by all means let them advise.

Time Out tip: Wine may be accompanied by fine Hungarian cheese and meat – perfect for the early evening or an initial rendezvous.

Address: Bókay János utca 52, 1083 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-midnight, Sat 5pm-midnight. Closed Sun

Expect to pay: With wines available by the glass, you can dabble for a few euros or lay into a whole bottle with a platter to accompany.

What is it? When you're battling the crowds filing the tourist-centric passageway of Gozsdu udvar and wondering where all the Hungarians have gone, part of the answer is here: Központ. A mainstay of Madách tér, a long central square originally planned as a main avenue, hence its name on maps as Madách út, Központ encourages serious drinking on the part of its generally younger, generally Magyar clientele. 

Why we love it Bags of fun with half-decent music most of the time, including occasional DJs, Központ allows you to escape the masses yet still have a kicking time right in the heart of Budapest.

Time Out tip: A deposit is added for the plastic glass you'll be served your beer in – claim it back before you leave.

Address: Madách Imre út 5, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon, Sun 2pm-midnight, Tue-Wed 2pm-1am, Thur-Sat 2pm-2am

Expect to pay: Standard local prices plus a deposit on the glass

What is it? In thrall to the lens, Főfotó in the heart of the Palace Quarter celebrates the heritage and art of photography while serving best-in-class drinks to a savvy clientele. Exhibitions change monthly, films, talks and presentations are regular events and those drinks just keep on coming.

Why we love it In a world of selfies and throwaway culture, Főfotó cherishes the age of analogue and the thrill of discovery. Take a gander at the décor around the photo shop as you walk in – that's the original sign from one of Hungary's oldest film-making factories.

Time Out tip: Although it's in a busy bar area, Főfotó is easily missed – look out for the neon arrow sign and climb a short set of metal steps.

Address: Baross utca 10, 1085 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am-midnight. Closed Sat-Sun

Expect to pay: Regular Budapest prices for decent coffee, beer and wine

📍More fun things to do in the Palace District

What is it? If you are into all things craft beer, make a beeline for Élesztő (‘Yeast’), deep in District IX. Local enthusiast Dániel Bart opened the place before the microbrew trend swept over Budapest, with a clear mission to offer something new. Although the courtyard follows the classic ruin-bar formula, Bart aimed to focus his bar on what you drank rather than how you drank it.

Why we love it With more than 20 local brews on tap, you can sample without breaking the bank, though we would recommend ones by Fehér Nyúl from the same district of Budapest, and the affordable house variety.

Time Out tip: There's a serious kitchen, too – you'd go far to find a better burger in Budapest.

Address: Tűzoltó utca 22, 1094 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 3pm-3am

Expect to pay: For house Élesztő lager, Ft 1,350 (€3.40), for a decent IPA from Budapest craft brewers First, Ft 1,850 (€4.60)

What is it? A cinema bar on the Buda side of Margaret Bridge, which means to say at the gateway to the boulevard currently being promoted as Budapest's next go-to destination for galleries, cafés and boutiques.

Why we love it You cannot not love the Bem, a century-old cinema revived by a dedicated film enthusiast who saw it as his mission to screen foreign films in their original language to Hungarians and classic domestic ones to curious foreigners. Saved by its many regulars, who chipped in their forints to keep it afloat during the pandemic, the Bem is fronted by an extremely popular bar whose chairs and tables spill out over the street.

Time Out tip: Do nip in to see a film for a couple of thousand forints or so – there are several screenings a day, nearly every one a cult classic.

Address: Margit körút 5, 1027 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 3pm-5pm to 1am, depending on screening times

Expect to pay: Less than standard Budapest prices to keep a gorgeous old cinema going

What is it? Google Maps calls this a 'Restaurant' but that's only half the story. Once an alternative bar with a kitchen, then a laid-back eastery with a bar, Csiga ('Snail') has now found a happy medium of serving quality, affordable dishes by day, then letting Czech and craft beer do the talking around a buzzy bar counter after dark.

Why we love it Csiga still carries traces of its late '90s' heyday, but has embraced a new era and clientele to feel lively and welcoming day and night. Great staff also help.

Time Out tip: With the pedestrianisation of Bacsó Béla utca, expect more alfresco events here in the summer months.

Address: Vásár utca 2, 1084 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 9am-midnight

Expect to pay: Pilsner Urquell Ft 1,390 (€3.50). Main course, weekly menu (Mon-Fri noon-4pm) around Ft 2,400 (€6(

What is it? Down a narrow street off Rákóczi tér, this two-floor bar pulls in a bohemian crowd of locals and expats. Done out in an intimate crimson hue, Hintaló blends Dalí prints with vintage curios and works by local artists. The rocking horse is a nod towards the name of Hintaló, while Iszoda is an old name for a bar.

Why we love it Hard to find and reasonably late opening, Hintaló has upped its game in recent years, introducing classic cocktails, without losing the slightly louche feel that brought people here in the first place.

Time Out tip: Here's the place to try a few cocktails without being charged the kinds of prices they hit you with in hotel bars.

Address: Bacsó Béla utca 15, 1081 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur 7pm-1am, Fri-Sat 7pm-2am, Sun 8pm-1am

Expect to pay: District VIII prices, ie between local dive and downtown bar

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