Budapest’s best nightlife: Where to party in 2025

What is it? Principally but not exclusively a live venue, the A38 fills a former Ukrainian stone-carrying cargo ship with party fun, after hours and as the sun sets. Most concerts take place in the cavernous hull – backstage feels like the set of some seaborne Cold War movie – while DJ sessions keep things swinging on deck. 

Why we love it Uniquely Budapest, with prime views of river life and cityscape, the A38 feels a world away from city streets yet bobs below Petőfi Bridge, served by the frequent (and all-night) 6 tram. A decent restaurant and a regularly changing gallery can also be found on board.

Time Out tip: In summer, look out for DJ parties starting late afternoon on Saturdays on the stern of the ship

Address: Petőfi híd, Buda side, 1117 Budapest

Opening hours: Ticket office Daily 8am-10pm or until the end of the last event. Bistro Mon-Fri 10am-10pm, Sat 10am-4pm, closed Sun

Expect to pay: Concerts (foreign acts) Ft 8,500 (€21) advance/ Ft 10,000 (€25) on the door. Hungarian acts Ft 4,000 (€10)/Ft 4,500 (€11.25). DJ parties Ft 2,000 (€5)/Ft 3,000 (€7.50)

What is it? The most central nightspot in Budapest, the Aquarium Club is also one of its most prominent in terms of big-name DJs and attractive live acts. Filling a sunken courtyard with split-level bar terracing beside what was the city’s main bus station, the Akvárium consists of several indoor spaces that can either be raucous or intimate, depending on the event and hall chosen to host it.

Why we love it Convenient for everywhere in Budapest, the Akvárium is ideal for dipping into and out of over the course of your visit. If Bavarian folk-punk isn’t to your liking one night, the house party afterwards might just float your boat. Alongside, the pool at street level lends itself to lazy sundowners.

Time Out tip: Keep a look out for the schedules in the Main Hall and Small Hall, and plan your party night months in advance.

Address: Erzsébet tér 12, 1051 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur & Sun 3pm-4am, Fri-Sat 3pm-6am. Terrace Daily 3pm-11pm

Expect to pay: Major foreign names such as Grandmaster Flash admission Ft 10,000 (€25.75). Domestic acts Ft 4,000 (€10)

What is it? The mother of all ruin bars, the legendary Szimpla Kert that set the trend for transforming a neglected building in the Jewish Quarter into a warren-like bohemian locale characterised by mismatching, skip-found furniture, junk-shop decor and fairylights. It's now it’s a tourist hotspot with beer prices to match, but on the right night, with the right crowd, it can still be magical.

Why we love it If it’s your first time in Budapest, it’s a must. If you’re an old hand, make sure to also check out Kisüzem or Fekete Kutya nearby. If you’re a Hungarian, well, you might be over Szimpla by now. 

Time Out tip: Treat your hangover to a gentle Sunday morning at the Szimpla market, in which artisanal producers set up around the main courtyard amid bearable live jazz.

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? Atop one of Budapest’s most revered buildings, a fin-de-siècle department store on the showcase boulevard of Andrássy út, the 360 Bar not only encompasses full panoramic views of the city but goes year-round, too. Here, cocktails and fine wines temper the heat of high summer, cosy communal igloos and warming drinks take the edge off winter. DJs feature throughout, along with prime snacks and those gobsmacking views.

Why we love it 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.

Time Out tip: Time your visit for around sunset and you’ll soon see why there's a queue for the lift. Budapest never looked better – but make sure to reserve a table.

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? Signposted by an illustration of a set of dentures, Fogas rode the first wave of ruin bars in the Jewish Quarter, off-the-wall and oh so slightly underground. When the more party-focused Instant was forced to close in District VI, the two venues joined forces to spread out in this huge complex of courtyards and bars. Sticking to the ruin bar theme, the decor comprises hanging installations and bizarre accoutrements, with an open area for starlit drinking. 

Why we loveit This all-in-one option is ideal for big groups, who can lose themselves in the maze of spaces, sink a few cocktails on the terrace, take each other on at ping pong and dance way beyond sun-up.

Time Out tip: Pace yourself. Opening hours are 6pm-6am, so peak early and you could be staggering around just as everyone else is warming up.

Address: Akácfa utca 51, 1073 Budapest

Opening hours: Nightly 6pm-6am

Expect to pay: Admission is free. Beer prices are pretty reasonable, with Czech Krušovice at Ft 1,600 (€4) – avoid the Hungarian option. Cocktails are in the Ft 2,500-3,000 (€6.25-7.50) range

What is it? Szechenyi Baths are so much more than a decadent location in which to slot in some sauna time – they’re also home to one of the city’s most raucous night-time events: Sparty. Think of a full-on rave in a thermal spa. And that means pumping house music, pricy cocktails and an anything-goes atmosphere.

Why we love it When else will you get to party in the spectacular setting of a fin-de-siècle spa? This one’s not for the faint of heart, but you’ll be surrounded by plenty of other tourists and be able to swim/dance the night away in a giant pool illuminated by lasers and flashing lights. All-male stag parties are not welcome, and security is on-hand all through the night to create a safe environment.

Time Out tip: Add €5 when you book your Basic ticket and take advantage of flexibility in case you have to cancel.

Address: Állatkerti körút 9-11, 1146 Budapest

Opening hours: Sat 9.30pm-2am

Expect to pay: €59-€143 admission online

What is it? Simply put, a floating festival in downtown Budapest. Pontoon has moved locations over a decade of summers but never strays too far from one of the city’s central crossing points, currently Chain Bridge. 

Why we love it Thanks to generous opening hours until 4am all summer, you can dance your ass off to hip hop, Latino and electro beats till the trams start running beside the Danube. 

Time Out tip: Quality Mexican street food should keep you going as the party unfolds.

Address: Id Antall József rakpart 1, 1051 Budapest

Opening hours: May-Sept Daily noon-4am

Expect to pay: Ft 3,000-6,000 (€7.70-15.40) depending on the act

What is it? For many years, Dürer Kert was one of Budapest’s most essential live venues, a haven of alternative music and punk/metal festivals set in a former sanatorium for the Communist elite. A leafy location alongside City Park added to its charm. 

Upping sticks and moving across the river during the pandemic was a statement – yes, sir, Buda can boogie. Not only that, but this once strictly spiky spot has expanded its remit to embrace anything slightly off the wall, be it poppy or even jazzy. Gone is the bare brick, this is a garden party, with space to chuck a Frisbee around, store your bike, and sample the superior craft beers and street food while the band’s soundchecking. 1920s’ themed dance parties another speciality.

Why we love it For interesting live music beneath the stars shared with a convivial, multi-generational crowd. And DJ parties, too.

Time Out tip: In summer, you can not only reserve a table and book a birthday party but organise your own barbecue – bring the food readily prepared and you can sizzle with your friends here. They provide all the materials.

Address: Öböl utca 1, 1117 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Tue 4pm-8pm, Wed-Thur 4pm-9pm, Fri 4pm-2am, Sat 1pm-3am, Sun 1pm-11pm

Expect to pay: Free-Ft 3,000 (€7.70)

What is it? Kicking into action on Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm, Lock Budapest offers, in its own words, ‘Grown-up music for grown-up people’. This is mainly house with a nod towards the golden age of clubbing in Hungary. It also charges grown-up prices – ‘Locktails’ in the £8 range, for example – but this is a night out for partygoers on reasonable salaries. Located in a burgeoning part of the capital where cafés, galleries and boutiques are setting up on the Buda side of Margaret Bridge.

Why we love it For a quality night out away from the carousing hordes in Pest yet right by the all-night tram line for convenience.

Time Out tip: There are serious discounts for buying your ticket ahead of time – and it's also worth booking a table.

Address: Tölgyfa utca 1-3, 1027 Budapest

Opening hours: Fri-Sat 10pm-5am

Expect to pay: In advance Ft2,000 (€5). On the door Ft 5,000 (€13)

What is it? The rooftop cocktail bar of a music-themed, five-star hotel, at eye level with the huge clock in the dome of St Stephen’s Basilica. To reach the High Note, you should cross the lobby floor comprised entirely of piano keys to take a separate lift. Staff show you to whichever slice of cityscape sunset you fancy gawping at while you sample an inventive, seasonal mixed drink. You can also reserve a spot at the higher-than-High-Note SKY Champagne Bar, perched just above and opened to chime with the hotel's tenth anniversary in 2025. 

Why we love it Because it is utterly, must-Insta-this-immediately memorable. Plus, you would never know, from the discreet door at street level around the corner from the Basilica, the wonders which await far too many floors up.

Time Out tip: Opened to celebrate the hotel's tenth anniversary in 2025, the SKY Champagne Bar is actually higher than the High Note, perched just above it. An exclusive space also designed by Zoltán Varró, it offers premier bubbles, champagne cocktails and an even better view.

Address: Hercegprímás utca 5, 1051 Budapest

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

Expect to pay: Cocktails Ft 6,000 (€15). Bar snacks Ft 2,000-4,000 (€5-10)

What is it? This central spot offers a slightly more polished clubbing experience than its edgier counterparts. Ötkert’s magic takes place in an impressive, restored 19th-century building right by the Gresham Palace.

Why we love it On most summer nights, Ötkert stages five DJs playing a mix of commercial music, R&B and hip hop across two rooms. They also have a large terrace which is utterly perfect in July and August. If you’re here in winter, don’t worry – it comes equipped with outdoor heating for colder nights.

Time Out tip: Don't step out of line here – the bouncers have a notorious reputation.

Address: Zrínyi utca 4-6, 1051 Budapest

Opening hours: Thur-Sat 11pm-5am

Expect to pay: Signature cocktails Ft 4,500-5,000 (€11.50-13)

What is it? Long-established techno club Aether proves that you don’t have to be bland and mainstream to be a successful nightspot in Budapest’s party passageway of Gozsdu udvar. Stunning visuals, carefully selected DJs and a cool, respectful crowd typify Friday and Saturday nights here, facilitated by a quality sound system.

Why we love it To share your night with fellow technoheads perfectly happy to let the music take them wherever it may lead.

Time Out tip: Keep track on upcoming DJ parties on Aether's events page.

Address: Gozsdu udvar, Király utca 13, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Fri-Sat 11pm-5am

Expect to pay: Advance booking €10. On the door €12-15

What is it? A highly atmospheric red-walled underground cocktail bar that dubs itself a ‘neo-speakeasy’. For way longer than the competition, the downtown Boutiq Bar has been leading the field in mixing inventive concoctions to a discerning crowd.

Why we love it For the mad cocktails that come in science lab beakers, plastic smoothie cups and old honey pots, with an even more delightful array of accoutrements. For a real showstopper, order one of Boutiq's tiki rum cocktails, served in Easter Island-style moai. 

Time Out tip: Space is at a premium and weekends are busy – a Ft 5,000 (€13) deposit set against your bill will secure you a table.

Address: Paulay Ede utca 5, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Wed 6pm-midnight, Thur 6pm-1am, Fri-Sat 6pm-2am

Expect to pay: Cocktails around Ft 4,500 (€11.50)

What is it? An in-the-know, cult hangout deep in District VIII with a live acoustic agenda and plentiful pavement tables. Run by a laid-back American and his able Magyar accomplices, Zsír fills a former wine cellar with alternative sounds and lively bar chatter that continues at street level.

In the dictionary, Zsír means ‘fat’, ie the non-meat part of your lamb chop. In street Hungarian, it means, ‘cool’, ‘boss’ and other such affirmative phrases. Like the slang, it may not be here forever, but while it is, Zsír might be well worth tucking into.

Why we love it To explore the underbelly of alternative Budapest nightlife, well away from the tourist hordes swarming the District VII party hub.

Time Out tip: Look out for regular unplugged live acts towards the end of the week.

Address: Kiss József utca 16, 1081 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 2pm-midnight, Sun 2pm-11pm

Expect to pay: Beer and spritzers around Ft 800-1,200 (€2-3)

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