Let's get one thing straight: Szimpla Kert is not a bar—it's a theme park.
Yes, you should go. Yes, you should take photos of the bathtub car and the fairy lights strung between crumbling walls. Yes, you should drink one overpriced beer (1,800 HUF) while standing in a courtyard that was literally a squat until gentrification turned shabby chic into a global aesthetic.
But if you spend your entire Budapest nightlife at Szimpla, you're missing the point. The best ruin bars aren't the ones with lines of tourists outside—they're the ones where locals drink 900 HUF beers in vintage trash-decorated rooms at 2 AM on a Tuesday because the bar never officially closes and no one's in a hurry to leave.
Budapest invented the ruin bar in the early 2000s when artists and squatters moved into abandoned Jewish Quarter buildings, turned rubble into furniture, and started serving cheap beer in spaces that looked post-apocalyptic by accident. Then Instagram discovered it, Lonely Planet crowned Szimpla the #3 bar in the world, and suddenly District 7 became a stag party parade route with British bachelor groups shouting "LADS LADS LADS" at 11 PM on a Wednesday.
But here's the secret: the locals left. They moved to District 8, to tiny basement bars with no Google reviews, to garden courtyards where you sit under trees drinking fröccs (wine spritzers) for 700 HUF while a DJ spins vinyl in the corner.
This guide covers both worlds—the tourist ruin bars you should see once (Szimpla, Instant-Fogas) and the local spots where you'll actually want to spend your night (Csendes, Grund, Dzzs). Plus the nightlife budget reality: where a pint costs 900 HUF vs. 1,800 HUF, and why that 400 HUF cup deposit doesn't give you cash back.
Let's go.
🏚️ WHAT IS A RUIN BAR? (THE ORIGIN STORY)
In the early 2000s, Budapest's Jewish Quarter (District VII) was full of abandoned buildings—crumbling apartments, empty courtyards, derelict shops. Property was cheap because the neighborhood had been neglected since WWII and the communist era.
Artists, squatters, and young entrepreneurs moved in. They didn't renovate—they decorated the decay. Bathtubs became sofas. Scrap metal became chandeliers. Graffiti covered walls. Mismatched furniture filled courtyards. The aesthetic was shabby chic by necessity—they couldn't afford renovation, so they turned rubble into art.
They opened bars serving cheap beer in these semi-legal spaces. No permits, no licenses, no interior designers. Just raw, weird, chaotic energy.
Then Szimpla Kert got profiled by international media (Lonely Planet, The New York Times, etc.), tourists flooded in, and suddenly "ruin bar" became a brand. Property prices exploded. Owners got proper licenses. The DIY squat vibe got curated. What started as underground counterculture became Budapest's #1 tourist attraction.
The result: District 7 is now overrun with stag parties, pub crawls, and overpriced tourist bars. But the real ruin bar spirit survived—it just moved to quieter corners and neighboring districts.
🎯 THE HIERARCHY: TOURIST vs. LOCAL RUIN BARS
Tourist Ruin Bars (District 7):
- Szimpla Kert, Instant-Fogas, Mazel Tov
- Crowds, lines, 1,500–1,800 HUF beers, stag parties shouting, Instagram photo ops
- You should see them once. Just don't spend your whole night there.
Local Ruin Bars (District 7 side streets + District 8):
- Csendes Létterem, Dzzs, Grund, Pótkulcs
- Quiet enough to talk, 900–1,100 HUF beers, locals reading books or playing board games, no lines
- This is where you'll actually enjoy yourself.
Summer Garden Bars:
- Kőleves Kert, Grund, Grandio Jungle Bar
- Open-air courtyards with trees, fairy lights, DJ sets, chill vibes
- Best May–September when weather allows outdoor drinking.
🍺 THE NIGHTLIFE BUDGET: WHAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY PAY
The Szimpla Index (Tourist Prices)
| Drink | Price (HUF) | Price (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Pint (0.5L) of Dreher/Soproni (standard lager) | 1,500–1,800 HUF | ~4–4.50 EUR |
| Craft Beer (IPA, Sour) | 2,200–2,800 HUF | ~5.50–7 EUR |
| Gin Tonic / Aperol Spritz | 3,500–4,500 HUF | ~9–11 EUR |
Reality Check: You're paying tourist markup at Szimpla, Instant, and Mazel Tov. The beer is the same Dreher/Soproni you get everywhere in Budapest—you're just paying 60% more for the atmosphere.
The Local Index (Csendes / Grund / Dzzs)
| Drink | Price (HUF) | Price (EUR) | Savings vs. Szimpla |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pint (0.5L) of Beer | 900–1,100 HUF | ~2.25–2.75 EUR | 40–50% cheaper |
| Fröccs (Wine Spritzer) | 700–900 HUF | ~1.75–2.25 EUR | 50%+ cheaper |
| Cocktails (Happy Hour) | 1,500–2,000 HUF | ~3.75–5 EUR | 30–40% cheaper |
Bottom Line: If you start your night at Csendes or Grund (900 HUF beers), you can drink 3–4 beers for the price of 2 beers at Szimpla. Then go to Szimpla at midnight for one drink and photos, then leave before the stag parties get too loud.
The Re-Cup System (The 400 HUF Cup Deposit)
Most ruin bars use reusable hard plastic cups instead of disposable ones (eco-friendly initiative).
How It Works:
- You buy a drink. You're charged ~400 HUF for the cup (separate from the drink price).
- When you finish, you return the cup to any bar counter.
- You get a token (not cash) as your deposit refund.
- The token is valid at other participating bars across Budapest—you can use it at your next ruin bar visit instead of paying another 400 HUF cup fee.
The Catch:
If you don't plan to visit another ruin bar, the 400 HUF is essentially a sunk cost. You can keep the cup as a souvenir, but you won't get cash back—only a token for future use.
Pro Tip: Don't throw away the token. It's a physical coin/chip, easy to lose in your pocket. If you're visiting multiple bars in one night, keep it—you'll save 400 HUF at each stop.
🏚️ THE TOURIST RUIN BARS (SEE ONCE, THEN ESCAPE)
Szimpla Kert – The Theme Park
Location: Kazinczy utca 14, District VII
Hours: Daily, 12:00 PM – 4:00 AM (Sunday opens 9:00 AM for Farmers Market)
Prices: Pint 1,500–1,800 HUF | Cocktails 3,500–4,500 HUF
Vibe: Bathtub car, fairy lights, crumbling walls, 500 tourists with phones, stag parties, chaos.
The Szimpla Strategy (How to Do It Right):
Go at 4:00 PM on a weekday.
- No lines, no crowds, good natural light for photos.
- Walk through the labyrinth of rooms—bathtub car, bike chandelier, graffiti walls, mismatched furniture.
- Order one beer (1,800 HUF). Drink it in the courtyard. Take your photos.
- Leave by 6:00 PM before the crowds arrive.
Why This Works:
By 10:00 PM, Szimpla is packed. Lines to get in, lines at the bar, stag parties singing "Sweet Caroline," no seats available, beer spilled on your shoes. At 4:00 PM, you get the aesthetic without the chaos.
Sunday Farmers Market (9:00 AM – 2:00 PM):
Szimpla hosts a Sunday morning farmers market with fresh produce, street food (lángos, kürtőskalács), coffee, and juice. The main bars open for alcohol later in the afternoon. It's family-friendly, chill, and completely different from nighttime Szimpla.
If you're hungover Sunday morning, this is your move—wander through a farmers market inside a ruin bar, eat fried dough, drink fresh-pressed juice, then leave before the nightlife tourists arrive.
Instant-Fogas – The Ruin Bar Mall
Location: Akácfa utca 49-51, District VII (new location as of 2024)
Hours: Daily, 6:00 PM – 6:00 AM
Prices: Pint 1,600–1,800 HUF | Entry usually FREE
Vibe: 7 dance floors, multiple bars, EDM/techno/hip-hop/retro, massive crowds, party until dawn.
What It Is:
Instant-Fogas is the largest ruin bar in Budapest—a sprawling complex with 7 different rooms, each playing different music (EDM, techno, 90s hits, hip-hop, chill lounge). It's less "ruin bar" and more "nightclub disguised as a ruin bar."
Why Go:
If you want to dance until 4 AM and don't care about "authenticity," this is your spot. The music is loud, the drinks are overpriced, the crowd is 70% tourists + 30% young Hungarians, and the vibe is pure hedonism.
Why Skip:
If you want to sit and talk, or experience the original ruin bar spirit, Instant-Fogas is the opposite of that. It's a party factory. Fun for one night if you're in the mood to dance, but not representative of what made ruin bars special.
Crowd Warning: Stag parties. Everywhere. British lads on bachelor weekends, German tourists on pub crawls, Erasmus students pre-gaming before clubs. If that sounds like your nightmare, avoid Friday/Saturday nights.
Mazel Tov – The Pretty One
Location: Akácfa utca 47, District VII
Hours: Sun–Thu 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM | Fri–Sat 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Prices: Cocktails 3,500–4,500 HUF | Food 3,500–6,000 HUF per dish
Vibe: Instagram-perfect courtyard, Middle Eastern food, fairy lights, young professionals, date night energy.
The Reality:
Mazel Tov is technically a ruin bar (it's in an old courtyard building), but it's been fully renovated into a slick, design-forward space. The courtyard is beautiful—plants, string lights, white-washed walls—but it's not shabby chic. It's curated chic.
The food is excellent (Middle Eastern fusion—hummus, shakshuka, grilled meats). The cocktails are good. The crowd is well-dressed Hungarians in their 20s–30s + tourists who read Condé Nast Traveler.
Worth It? If you want a date night dinner + drinks in a pretty space, yes. If you want the gritty ruin bar experience, no—this is a restaurant with a nice courtyard, not a bar.
🍻 THE LOCAL RUIN BARS (WHERE BUDAPESTIANS ACTUALLY DRINK)
Csendes Létterem – The Bohemian Living Room
Location: Múzeum körút 13, District V (near National Museum)
Hours: Daily, 9:00 AM – 2:00 AM (café by day, bar by night)
Prices: Pint 900–1,100 HUF | Fröccs (wine spritzer) 700–900 HUF
Vibe: Vintage trash decor, mismatched furniture, quiet enough to talk, locals reading books, board games on tables.
Why It's the Best:
Csendes Létterem is what Szimpla was 15 years ago—a low-key bar in a semi-abandoned space where you sit on broken couches, drink cheap wine, and talk for hours. The decor is authentic shabby chic: random dolls nailed to walls, old radios as lamps, graffiti everywhere.
The crowd is 70% Hungarian locals—artists, students, writers, people playing chess. The music is low enough to have a conversation. The drinks are cheap (900 HUF beers, 700 HUF wine spritzers). It's open from 9:00 AM (functions as a café) until 2:00 AM (bar mode).
Best Time: Weeknights (Tue–Thu) around 9:00 PM. Quiet, chill, no stag parties. Weekends get busier but never Szimpla-level chaos.
Who Should Go: Anyone who wants the real ruin bar experience without tourists, lines, or overpriced drinks.
Dzzs Bar – The Tiny Authentic One
Location: Dessewffy utca 9, District VI (near Oktogon)
Hours: Daily, 5:00 PM – 4:00 AM
Prices: Pint 900–1,100 HUF | Cocktails 1,800–2,500 HUF
Vibe: Tiny (20–30 people max), dim lighting, vinyl DJ sets, locals, zero tourists.
Why It's Special:
Dzzs (pronounced "jazz") is a basement ruin bar the size of a living room. It's so small that if 30 people show up, it's full. The decor is minimal—exposed brick, old furniture, a DJ booth in the corner spinning vinyl (funk, soul, jazz, electronic).
The crowd is 100% Hungarian locals who've been coming here for years. The bartenders know regulars by name. The vibe is intimate, almost secret-club energy. No English signs, no tourist marketing, just a bar that exists for people who know about it.
Best Time: Thursday–Saturday after 11:00 PM. Shows up on weeknights but livelier on weekends.
Who Should Go: Solo travelers or couples who want to feel like they discovered a hidden spot. Not ideal for large groups (it's too small).
Grund – The District 8 Escape
Location: Corvin Complex area, District VIII (exact address varies—check Google Maps for "A Grund")
Hours: Daily, 4:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Prices: Pint 900–1,100 HUF | Happy Hour cocktails 2-for-1 until 8:00 PM
Vibe: Spacious courtyard, modern-ruin aesthetic, locals escaping District 7 prices, nightly DJs, chill garden energy.
Why It's Trending:
Grund is one of the key new ruin bars in District 8 (the Corvin/Palace District area). It opened because District 7 got too expensive and touristy—locals wanted a space with ruin bar vibes but without the stag party crowds.
The space is larger than Csendes or Dzzs, with a courtyard, multiple seating areas, and a stage for DJs/live music. The drinks are cheap (900–1,100 HUF beers), and happy hour runs until 8:00 PM with 2-for-1 cocktails or heavy discounts.
The crowd is 80% Hungarian locals—young professionals, students, creatives. The vibe is chill but lively—people drinking, talking, dancing when the DJ starts, but never chaotic.
Best Time: Summer evenings (May–September) when the courtyard is open. Winter it's still good, but the outdoor vibe is the main draw.
Who Should Go: Anyone tired of District 7 tourist bars who wants the same energy at half the price.
Pótkulcs – The Neighborhood Favorite
Location: Csengery utca 65/b, District VI
Hours: Daily, 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Prices: Pint 900–1,100 HUF | Wine 800–1,000 HUF
Vibe: Tiny, cozy, locals-only, board games, books on shelves, living room energy.
Why It's Underrated:
Pótkulcs is a tiny neighborhood bar with maybe 15–20 seats. The decor is minimal ruin bar aesthetic—mismatched furniture, old posters, plants, bookshelves. The crowd is locals who live nearby and treat it like a second living room.
The drinks are cheap (900 HUF beers, 800 HUF wine), the music is background (indie rock, electronic), and the vibe is zero pretension. People come here to read, play board games, or just sit quietly drinking wine.
Best Time: Any weeknight. It's small, so weekends can fill up, but it never gets loud or chaotic.
Who Should Go: Solo travelers, introverts, anyone who wants a quiet drink in a space that feels like home.
🌳 THE SUMMER GARDEN BARS (OPEN-AIR DRINKING)
Kőleves Kert – The Garden Party
Location: Kazinczy utca 41, District VII
Hours: May–September, typically 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM (weather-dependent)
Prices: Pint 1,200–1,500 HUF | Cocktails 2,500–3,500 HUF
Vibe: Open-air courtyard, trees, fairy lights, DJ sets, summer festival energy.
Why Go:
Kőleves Kert is a seasonal summer garden bar that only opens May–September. It's an open courtyard with trees, picnic tables, string lights, and a small stage for DJs or live bands. The vibe is relaxed festival energy—people drinking, dancing barefoot on gravel, eating street food from food trucks.
Best Time: Summer weekends (Fri–Sat) around 9:00 PM. Gets crowded but in a fun, communal way—not stag party chaos.
Who Should Go: Anyone visiting Budapest in summer who wants outdoor drinking under trees.
Grandio Jungle Hostel Bar – The Hidden Courtyard
Location: Nagytemplom utca 31, District VII
Hours: Daily (summer), courtyard open to public
Prices: Pint 1,000–1,300 HUF
Vibe: Hostel courtyard with jungle plants, string lights, travelers + locals mixing.
Why It's Underrated:
Grandio Jungle Hostel has a courtyard bar open to the public (not just hostel guests). It's decorated with plants, vines, fairy lights—hence "jungle" theme. The drinks are reasonably priced (1,000–1,300 HUF beers), and the crowd is a mix of hostel guests (international travelers) and local Hungarians who found it through word-of-mouth.
Best Time: Summer evenings when the courtyard is fully open.
Who Should Go: Travelers staying nearby, solo travelers looking for a social scene without Instant-Fogas chaos.
🚨 THE DISTRICT 7 WARNING: STAG PARTIES EVERYWHERE
District 7 (the Jewish Quarter) is Budapest's main nightlife zone. It's also ground zero for British/Irish/German stag parties (bachelor weekends).
What This Means:
Friday/Saturday nights in District 7 = groups of drunk 20-something men shouting, matching T-shirts ("Dave's Stag Budapest 2025"), pub crawls moving in packs, aggressive bar-hopping energy.
How to Avoid:
- Go on weeknights (Tue–Thu). Stag parties fly in Friday, leave Sunday. Midweek is locals-only.
- Avoid Gozsdu Udvar (pedestrian alley lined with bars)—stag party parade route.
- Skip peak hours (10:00 PM–2:00 AM Fri/Sat). Go earlier (8:00 PM) or later (after midnight when stag groups move to clubs).
- Escape to District 8 (Grund, Corvin area) or District 6 (Dzzs, Pótkulcs)—fewer tourists, no stag parties.
💡 LOCAL EXPERT TIPS
The Re-Cup Token Isn't Cash
You'll be charged 400 HUF for your cup. When you return it, you get a token (not cash) that works at other bars. Don't throw it away—use it at your next stop to avoid paying another 400 HUF cup fee.
Start Cheap, End Expensive
Begin your night at Csendes or Grund (900 HUF beers). Drink 2–3 beers for 2,700 HUF. Then go to Szimpla at midnight for one drink (1,800 HUF) and photos. You save money and avoid spending 4+ hours in a tourist trap.
Szimpla at 4:00 PM = No Lines
Go to Szimpla 4:00–6:00 PM on a weekday. Empty, good light for photos, no stag parties. Take your Instagram shots, drink one beer, leave before crowds arrive.
District 8 is the New District 7
Locals moved to District 8 (Corvin/Palace area) to escape tourist prices. Bars like Grund offer the same vibe as District 7 ruin bars but cheaper and calmer.
Cash for Late-Night Kebab Only
Ruin bars accept cards. But the late-night kebab stand at 3:00 AM? Cash only. Keep 5,000–10,000 HUF in your pocket for post-bar food.
🎯 QUICK DECISION GUIDE
"I want the iconic Szimpla experience without the chaos."
→ Go at 4:00 PM on a weekday. Photos, one beer, leave by 6:00 PM.
"I want to dance until 4:00 AM."
→ Instant-Fogas. 7 dance floors, free entry, open until 6:00 AM. Expect crowds and stag parties.
"I want to drink cheap beers and actually talk."
→ Csendes Létterem (900 HUF beers, bohemian vibe, quiet enough for conversation).
"I want the authentic local scene."
→ Dzzs (tiny basement bar, vinyl DJ sets, 100% locals) or Grund (District 8, escaping tourist prices).
"I want summer outdoor drinking."
→ Kőleves Kert (open-air courtyard, trees, DJ sets, May–Sep only) or Grandio Jungle Bar (hostel courtyard, public access).
🏁 FINAL VERDICT
Budapest's ruin bars split into two worlds: the tourist theme parks (Szimpla, Instant-Fogas) where you pay 1,800 HUF for a beer and stand in lines with stag parties, and the local hideouts (Csendes, Dzzs, Grund) where you pay 900 HUF and drink with Hungarians who've been coming for years.
See Szimpla once—4:00 PM on a weekday, take photos, drink one beer, leave before the crowds. Skip Instant-Fogas unless you want a nightclub disguised as a ruin bar. Spend your real night at Csendes, Grund, or Dzzs—cheap drinks, authentic vibes, no bachelor parties shouting "LADS."
Start your night at Csendes or Grund (900 HUF beers). End at Szimpla at midnight (one expensive drink for the atmosphere). Avoid District 7 on Friday/Saturday nights unless you enjoy stag party energy.
And remember: the 400 HUF cup deposit gives you a token, not cash. Keep it for your next bar—or keep the cup as a souvenir.
Now go drink like a local. Just not at Szimpla at 11:00 PM on a Saturday.