Bars and cafes in Budapest – from classic cafes to ruin bars

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Bars and cafes in Budapest come in all shapes and sizes. You can drink coffee under crystal chandeliers in a historic café, eat luxurious pastries in a classic patisserie, order imaginative cocktails at a rooftop bar or have a beer among graffiti and flea market furniture in a ruin bar. Here are five very different places that we have visited ourselves.

Bars and cafes in Budapest

Sitting down at a café or bar is a nice way to get to know Budapest, and taking breaks is essential in a city with so much to see and do.

During our trips to Budapest, we have had time to try both classic cafés and much more alternative bars. Some we visited during a food and wine themed blog trip, while others go back to previous trips. Here we recommend five places that we like ourselves.

1. New York Café – historical splendor and coffeehouse culture

New York Cafe, or New York Kávéház, is often cited as one of the world's most beautiful cafes. And no matter how you view such top lists, the setting is undeniably spectacular.

The café opened in 1894 and became an important meeting place for writers, journalists and other cultural figures in the early 20th century. After a period of decay, the premises were restored and the café reopened in its magnificent surroundings.

Here, the experience is almost as much about looking around as it is about eating and drinking. Gilded details, paintings, pillars and crystal chandeliers create an environment that feels far from an ordinary café.

We visited New York Café during our first trip to Budapest together. If memory serves, we had chestnut soup here, among other things. Today, both food and sweets are served, but above all, this is a place to visit for the environment and history.

Address: Erzsébet boulevard 9–11

2. Gerbeaud – classic patisserie and pastries

Another classic café in Budapest is Gerbeaud, located at Vörösmarty Square in the heart of the city centre. The story began in 1858, when Henrik Kugler opened his pastry shop. Later, it was associated with the Swiss Émile Gerbeaud, whose name the café still bears.

Here too, the environment is a big part of the experience, but we associate Gerbeaud above all with another important thing. Pastries! During our visit, we got to try several different varieties and didn't really mind the assignment. One of the more unusual pastries we tasted was a combination of salty peanuts and apricot. Sooo good!

Gerbeaud has both classic Hungarian pastries and other desserts. The selection changes over time, so see our photos as inspiration from our visit rather than a current menu.

Address: Vorosmarty Square 7–8

3. High Note SkyBar – cocktails with a view

From classic salons we take the elevator up to the roof. High Note SkyBar is located at the top of the Aria Hotel Budapest, right next to St. Stephen's Basilica. It combines cocktails and food with views of Budapest's rooftops and some of the city's most famous buildings.

When we were here it was too cold to spend the whole evening out on the terrace. We still went outside to admire the view before sinking into a sofa group indoors. On our visit, the drinks were themed ”Legends & Myths”.

The waiter went all in. He enthusiastically told the story behind our drinks, which glowed blue and were said to have various magical properties. At least Peter looked very pleased with his.

Themes and drink menus change, of course, but High Note SkyBar is still there, combining cocktails and food with a rooftop terrace and views of the city.

Address: Hercegprimas Street 5

4. Boutiq'Bar – creative cocktails

Would you rather focus on the drink itself? Boutiq'Bar a completely different kind of place. We went here on the last evening of one of our trips to Budapest. It was getting quite late after a long dinner and we wanted to end the trip with a last drink together. Boutiq'Bar turned out to be a perfect fit.

The atmosphere was relaxed and the staff served us at the table, even though the venue gave us the feeling of a place where you could just as easily sit at the bar all evening.

Above all, we remember the drinks. We hardly knew what was most imaginative – the names, the presentations or the contents. When the orders were brought out, we were all equally surprised.

Creative cocktails are still a central part of Boutiq'Bar's concept, so that part of our old experience has stood the test of time much better than many old drink menus.

Address: Paulay Ede utca 5

5. Szimpla Kert – Budapest's classic ruin bar

If you want to experience a completely different side of Budapest, it's time for a ruin bar. The phenomenon grew in District VII, where dilapidated and abandoned buildings began to be used as alternative bars and cultural environments. Instead of renovating everything worn out, they made use of it – and filled the environments with recycled furniture, art, graffiti and all sorts of odd objects.

The most famous is Simple Garden, which was also a pioneer among Budapest's ruin bars. We visited Szimpla during a previous trip to Budapest and had a few beers among raw walls, graffiti and a delightful mix of furniture and gadgets.

It's hard to really describe Szimpla. There are several rooms and environments to discover, and the house itself is almost as much an attraction as a bar. Over the years, Szimpla has also developed into a place for culture, events and other activities.

If you want to try something more Hungarian than beer, you can look out for pálinka, the Hungarian fruit brandy.

Address: Kazinczy Street 14

Ruin bars and bar life in the Jewish Quarter

Szimpla Kert is located in Budapest's seventh district, Erzsébetváros, in the area commonly known as the Jewish Quarter. Home to the Great Synagogue on Dohány utca and other traces of the area's Jewish history, the district has also become one of Budapest's major areas for restaurants, bars and nightlife.

It's therefore a good area to walk around if you want to find more bars. The selection is constantly changing, which really makes it more fun to explore instead of trying to follow an old list to the letter.

More bars and cafes in Budapest

Of course, we've far from had time to try everything. Here are a few places that are still on our list for upcoming Budapest trips:

• Centrál Kávéház is a historic café dating back to 1887 and another opportunity for those who enjoy Budapest's classic coffeehouse culture.
• Auguszt Cukrászda is a classic family-run pastry shop with a long history and Hungarian pastries.
• 360 bars is located on Andrássy út and attracts visitors with its rooftop terrace and views of Budapest.
• A38 Ship offers a completely different environment. It combines a bar, restaurant and cultural activities on board a ship on the Danube.
• St. Andrea Wine & Skybar is another option for those who like wine, cocktails and views from above.

We simply have to go back and continue the tasting. A heavy editorial responsibility, but someone has to take it...

Café or bar in Budapest?

Which place is best depends on what you're looking for, of course. For a historic café setting, New York Café and Gerbeaud are two classics. If you're looking for cocktails, Boutiq'Bar is a completely different option, while High Note SkyBar combines drinks with a view.

And if it's Budapest's more alternative bar scene you're curious about, Szimpla Kert is a good introduction to ruin bar culture.

We actually think the contrasts are the most fun. On the same day you can be sitting under crystal chandeliers with an elegant pastry in front of you and a few hours later drinking beer in an old house filled with graffiti and odd flea market finds. That's pretty much Budapest in a nutshell.

More to see and do in Budapest

Once you've finished your coffee and toast, there's of course much more to do in Budapest. We've bathed in the city's famous thermal baths, explored caves, visited the Christmas market, shopped and sampled a lot of Hungarian food.

You can find more experiences and practical tips in our big guide to Budapest and in our other reports from the Hungarian capital.

• Things to do in Budapest
• Restaurants in Budapest
• Thermal baths in Budapest
• Budapest's caves
• Shopping in the Hungarian capital