Image by Eszter Szilva

Although there were massive protests for saving Tűzraktér, a ruin bar and cultural center in the seventh district, the place had to go this summer because of severe disputes with the municipality. Fortunately, the crew did not give up their cultural mission and they transported the popular squat-like place into Buda’s Király Bath. Vízraktér is thus a fruitful marriage of Budapest’s two iconic features: ruin pubs (check the Szimpla kert article) and bath culture (check the Dandár fürdő article). I really hope that this one will last longer that Tűzraktér’s previous liaisons.

The organizers stick to the original idea of freedom of arts and culture, but they set off to create a whole new concept this time, merging alternative culture and the tranquil world of thermal baths. When you enter the place through the main entrance of the bath, you immediately feel the smell of the healing water and the warm steam. Turning left, there is a nice little terrace which leads to the Termál bár, a bar and café resembling a Turkish hamam. This place is simply magical (see some really nice photos here), something I have never seen before.

The programs of Vízraktér are versatile. They have really good film clubs screening rarely seen movies (for example Turkish films), theatrical performances, small concerts, public readings and literary events. Moreover, they have already organized a cookie baking contest for the local seniors! 

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Vízraktér | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Music, Theaters | Espresso HUF 290
Fő utca 84. | Central Buda
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

A beer garden during spring and summer and an ice rink in the cold months, Jégkert tailors itself to the seasonal needs. This spot is located just opposite Mamut shopping centre in Buda but it’s completely hidden behind a bus station and a restaurant.

Jégkert is a regular ice skating rink with a roofed rink, dressing rooms and, of course, mulled wine. It’s small and not as impressive as Budapest’s main ice skating rink in Városliget, but that’s precisely its charm (by the way, the famous Városliget one is supposed to reopen this winter after a three-year-long renovation!)

I suggest taking a look at the schedule whether the rink is open to the public. Jégkert is home for children hockey teams as well so you might come across a bunch of kindergarten hockey players. Most of the time, early afternoons are free, and you’re free to skate during the whole weekend. It’s possible to rent skates as well. The opening time is flexible: on weekends you can ride your skate as late as two o’ clock in the evening.

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Jégkert | Relaxing | Entrance adults HUF 1250
Széna tér | Central Buda | +36703352553
07:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

For me, one of the best ways of discovering a city is riding a bike on its streets. Recently, Budapest’s biking culture has developed a lot, there are more and more cyclists each year and although the bike lane situation is still far from perfect, the number of cycle paths and lanes have grown significantly. My favorite route is cycling along the Danube from Árpád bridge to Szabadság bridge on the Buda side. This is a designated cycle path (however, shared with pedestrians sometimes), so I can recommend it also for those who are not experienced city bikers.

I like this route because during this approximately seven-kilometer long trip I get a wonderful glimpse of Budapest. I especially like the impressive line of the Danube bridges, each one different but beautiful. After Árpád bridge, first I pass Margit bridge across the new bike tunnel. Arriving to Battyhány square, I can enjoy the nicest panorama of the Parliament. On my other side I already see the Buda Castle and Lánchíd bridge ahead of me. After passing the more modern Erzsébet bridge the route leads to the recently renovated Szabadság bridge next to famous bathes like Rudas and Gellért.

Biking is also good because you can stop whenever you want. There are several nice cafés or restaurants along the route, for example Platán next to Erzsébet bridge, which has a cozy terrace under a huge tree.

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Biking along Danube | Relaxing
Budai alsó rakpart | Central Buda
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Retro style is in nowadays, but Bambi is not a neatly designed retro parlor, it’s just a simple café which opened its doors fifty years ago and has not changed much since then. Located in one of Buda’s nicest side streets just a few steps away from Margit bridge, Bambi is equally perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon coffee or some glasses of post-work beer.

Bambi has become an institution, where time literally stood still. However, it’s one of Budapest’s liveliest cafés always brimming with people. If I fancy freshly baked baguettes, sophisticated cakes or triple chocolate latte machiattos with rice milk, I don’t go to Bambi. Here, I get simple or double espresso in a glass, foamed milk comes in a red dotted mug and the classic hot cheese sandwich or debreceni sausage is served with mustard and ketchup. Everything is decent and affordable, but that’s not the point, Bambi is famous for itself.

While most people, especially the non-smokers, prefer sitting at the roomy terrace, regular guests tend to occupy the back corner of the café where they play domino, card or board games all night long. The interior is defined by red faux leather chairs, embroidery tablecloths and yellow-green mosaic pillars.

Bambi has its own rules that you can read in the terrace (only in Hungarian). For example, you have to pay as soon as you get what you ordered. Finally, when you hear a bell ringing, don’t wait for Santa Claus, it’s just the signal of the closing hour.

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Bambi Eszpresszó | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Espresso HUF 220
Frankel Leó utca 2-4. | Central Buda | +3612123171
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Miklos Zsamboki

Rudas Ivócsarnok (“Drinking Hall”) is a place where you can drink very healthy thermal water that comes out of the ground hot.

Located near Rudas, one of Budapest’s thermal baths, the hall is a small, single-room construction where you can often see old ladies and gentlemen waiting for their turn with empty bottles in hand. Inside, you pay at the register to the right, then take your slip of paper to a stand where hot and smelly water is bubbling out of three taps. These are coming directly from three subterranean hot springs, and you can either get a half-liter mug for 30 Forints, or fill your own empty bottle for similar, ridiculously low prices.

Now, all three types of spring water are warm, and the one with high sulfur content also smells like eggs, so it’s not something you probably want to drink to cool yourself down on a blistering summer day. Instead, it’s what you drink if you’re health-conscious and wish to prevent any one of a good dozen ailments from rheumatism to high blood pressure.

The Hall is a bit hard to find. First you should get to the Buda side of Erzsébet bridge (the closest tram stop is Döbrentei tér, or you could walk across from Pest), then look for the entrance on the edge of a wide, circular open-air area, surrounded on several sides by the elevated motorway that leads up onto the bridge.

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Ivócsarnok | Relaxing | Mug of thermal water HUF 30.00
Erzsébet híd (Buda end) | Central Buda
Mon, Wed & Fri 11:00 – 18:00, Tue, Thu 07:00 – 14:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Miklos Zsamboki

Budapest is chock-full of gyros and falafel stands and many operate all night to service the roving bands of pub crawlers. Yet, I’m going to recommend Szinbád, which is an atypical example for closing late afternoon. “But Kalman, you dark horse, you,” – some of you readers might exclaim – “you got us all excited about the idea of nighttime cuisine! Why recommend a daytime-only place, then?”

Well, simply put, the food is just so much better than elsewhere. You see, the food in many of these gyros places just tastes samey. Not bad, just rather indistinguishable from the food in all the other gyros places. That’s because (at least so I hear) all these places buy their stuff from the same central distributor, from the meat on the spit to the spices and sauces.And that’s where Szinbád is different. The Syrian owner and his sons make all the food themselves on the spot, from original raw ingredients (except the baklava, but even that’s from some special source); therefore, their stuff has its own distinguishable – and very good – taste. So much so, in fact, that there people coming here from the far end of the city, passing half a dozen other takeaways of a similar profile on the way.Personal tip: try the grape leaves filled with rice and ground meat. Just be aware that it’s rather messy for finger food, so you might want to take it away and eat in in the vicinity of a bathroom.

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Szinbád Büfé | Snacks, Restaurants (Takeaway) | Meal HUF 500
Kruspér utca 6-8 | Central Buda | +36203545390
10:00 – 19:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Nyitott Muhely

Nyitott Muhely – “Open Workshop” – is one of the most unique spots in Budapest, a teahouse, performance venue, exhibition gallery, second-hand bookstore, netcafé, meeting point and (surprisingly) leatherworkshop in one.

Laci, the jovial proprietor, originally launched the place as a workshop (he is a leatherworker by trade). But then, to quote him, “culture kicked in the door,” and he gradually expanded it into many different functions. If you walk in today, you’ll find bunches of art magazines by the entrance, some exhibition or another on the walls of the back room, and quite often some sort of lecture, music jam, round table discussion or some other activity in progress. One corner still holds leatherworking tools and there are bundles of rolled-up leather on overhead shelves, reminding the visitor of the place’s original function.

Then there is the bar. One of the things Nyitott Muhely excels at is tea. There are dozens of different types, all in neat stacks of colourful boxes. You can also get something hot to eat in the evening, as Laci often cooks something on his stove both for the guests and himself – sometimes it’s goulash, sometimes it’s pasta or chicken legs; always a surprise. Those who don’t like the item on offer or arrive when there’s no hot food can always get sandwiches.

Nyitott Muhely is a performance venue first, and an eating/drinking place only second. Therefore, if you happen to drop in while there’s an event going on, you’ll be asked to keep your voice down.

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Nyitott Muhely | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Music | Tea HUF 300
Ráth György utca 4 | Central Buda | +3612140676
14:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by András Nagy

Coffeegrinders. Lots of coffeegrinders and even more signs cover the walls of Csészényi Kávézó. There has to be a connection between the prohibition of begging, chocolate advertisements and coffee company shares, because together they create a pretty nice traditional atmosphere. Also, they guarantee that you won’t get bored while waiting for your coffee (in case you already know the guidebook by heart), as you could spend quite some time browsing through the items on permanent exhibition.

I really love tiled stoves, and Csészényi has a beautiful greenish one to complement the inner warmth hot coffee gives us from the outside.

In addition to the fine cakes, the place has croissants, toast and bagel sandwiches on offer. Sipping a glass of wine or ‘correcting’ your coffee with something solid won’t be a problem either.

Csészényi, meaning cup-sized is just what its name suggests: a warm, cozy spot to fill you up.

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Csészényi Kávézó | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Espresso HUF 320
Krisztina körút 34. | Central Buda | +3612126571
Mon – Fri 8:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Hélène Bienvenu

I’m definitely more a Pest girl than a Buda lady, however I reckon that Buda has nice little spots and Millenáris is one of them – along with Gül Baba türbeje.

So what’s so special about that place? Well, first, it’s worth underlying the very clever use of the old Ganz factory premises, which has been turned into a cultural center and a well-designed park. The park’s main attraction is not so much the greeneries but the wide pond. It gives the Millenáris park some Japanese garden touch. There is even a bridge to go over the water and observe the enormous fishes swimming behind you.

Second, it’s a lively place day and night. During the day and the week-ends lots of famlies come here as there is also a playground, besides the kids can explore the ‘palace of miracles’ (‘csodák Palotája’) which is some kind of interactive scientific exhibition hall. The ‘Fogado’, one of these huge former industrial buildings you see at the back, has very often exhibitions.

At night, you can head to the teátrum for a cool concert, a drink on a old tram seat or a theatre performance. It is truly one of Budapest best cultural venues!

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Millenáris park | Art & culture, Music, Theaters | Palace of miracles HUF 1400
Kis Rókus utca 16-20 | Central Buda
Palace Mon – Fri 09:00 – 17:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 18:00 | Garden 06:00 – 23:00 daily.

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Hélène Bienvenu

When I found about Csalogány three years ago and tried the restaurant out, I was absolutely thrilled! So much so that I even talked about it in an Elle Belgium magazine article I wrote about Budapest.

At that time I enjoyed the food and the philosophy of this new-comer on the Hungarian gastro scene. When you go up this rather uninteresting Csalogány street, you would not expect such a restaurant serving real gastronomic food at a very attractive price.

Csalogány, and its chef Balázs Pethő, have been successful in reinventing the Hungarian cuisine, taking old recipes and ingredients giving them a modern international-standard twist. It was really one of the best in the field of ‘new Hungarian cuisine’ two years ago.

But when I went there last time, I found Csalogány not as exciting as the first time I came. Maybe because of the staff that has left to open their own new restaurant? I don’t know but for sure when I was there, the place no longer had this feeling of a ‘busy canteen’. The lunch menu is still cheap (though a bit more expensive than before) and nothing to say about the food which is still inventive and good.

So all in all, Csalogány is a good choice for a lunch menu during the week if you’re around but don’t choose a la carte unless you just won the lottery (and even then I’m not sure you should go for it!)…

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Csalogány 26 | Restaurants (Hungarian) | Lunch menu HUF 2500
Csalogány utca 26 | Central Buda | +3612017892
Tue – Thu 12:00 – 15:00 & 19:00 – 22:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest