7 Best Ruins in Budapest in 2025

Ruins Bars are all the rage Budapest Since the establishment of Szimpla Kert, all ruined bars in 2002, these bars have been built in Budapest’s Old District VII neighborhood (the Old Jewish Quarter) among the ruins of abandoned buildings, shops or lots. After World War II, the community was decayed, so it was the ideal place to develop an underground bar scene. These places are very unpopular, with rough edges around and suitable for artists, students and others.

However, by 2010, they became very popular and are well known that while their setup has not changed, its mainstream is good.

From the outside, these strips look like ordinary buildings. They have no big signs pointing to the road, you can’t hear any noise, and no one is waiting to come in. But once you walk in and into the inner courtyard, you find yourself in the middle of hips, artsy and stylish bars, with crowds bustling, crowds talking, dancing, and enjoying a laid-background. Large bouncing players and posted signs ensure people keep quiet on their way out so they don’t bother neighbors.

Each of these devastating bars has their own personality, but they all follow some basic principles: find an old, abandoned place, rent it, build a bar, fill it with flea market furniture, get some artists in, leave their mark on the walls and ceilings, add some weird antiques to supply alcohol, and watch people pour in.

When you are in these bars, you feel like you are drinking at your local thrift store. No furniture match. Everything is very old. This is a compromise. It feels like they just ransacked their grandmother’s house. The ceilings are all designed differently, the places are not repaired or fixed, the walls are still holed, and the pipes are visible everywhere.

Although the Ruins Bar movement has become mainstream, many bars do a great job of maintaining their roles and staying true to their roots, even if they are filled with more visitors.

Here is a list of the best ruins bars in Budapest:

Szimpla Kert

This is the original ruin. It opened in 2001 and began this trend. It is one of the largest ruin bars and remains one of the most popular railings. Once abandoned, there is now a large open courtyard with a top floor filled with eclectic furniture, cocktail bars, music, and even an old, stripped-down Trabant (communist car) for a drink. All rooms have different themes. They also sell pizza and after a few drinks it makes for the perfect walking family snack. Everyone I rode here said it was one of the coolest bars they have ever been to. If you only visit one bar, do that.

Grandio

Grandio is a ruined bar and inn. It is famous for its outdoor, tree-filled courtyard, but since it is also a hotel, most of it is filled with bar crawling travelers and people. This is a great place to start your evening and meet other travelers. During the day, you can find locals in the garden to relax. It’s not like other bars, because it’s smaller, so it has more laid back and intimate atmosphere.

Dürer Kert

This ruined bar and music venue is a former university building that allows you to draw inspiration from college students inside the university while playing table football, table tennis, darts and a French game called pétanque (very fun). The courtyard garden is a great place to enjoy all the live music in this bar. This space is really big and there are a lot of activities here. Plus, I love art and painting on the wall.

Instant wet wall complex

Located in the entire apartment building, the Instant-Fogas complex is the largest ruined bar in the city. There are over 20 rooms, 18 different bars, multiple dance floors and 2 gardens. This is one of the ruins bars that are more like the club. Instantly, you can sit in what was once a personal apartment and relax on furniture found on the street. They knocked down many walls to connect the apartment and made room for DJs and dance. Given its popularity and the fact that it is more “club”, the drinks here are a little more expensive than other ruin bars. If you want to dance at night, this is your bar.

Doboz

I’m not sure if this place is suitable for ruin culture. It’s more typical and stylish than other bars I’ve visited. It’s like in a “real” bar. But I was taken there as part of a trip to the ruins bar and I loved the place anyway. You walk into the courtyard and are greeted by a tree with red-eyed robots on it. It looks like there are transformers about to attack you. There are two main rooms: one red and the other blue. They play a lot of dance music and the place is full at the end of the night. The only downside is that it has more limited opening hours than other bars.

Mazel Tov

This is one of the newest ruined bars in Budapest. Mazel Tov (located in the old Jewish quarter) is a community center with restaurants serving kosher cuisine every day. At night, the courtyard is a gathering of DJs and live entertainment guests. There is also a restaurant here. Traditionally, I wouldn’t call it “ruins bar” but it’s a nice atmosphere, nice decoration, and great drinks. It’s more typical than everyone else, so don’t expect some sort of “so rough and rolling”.

CSendes Letterem Café & Bar

If you are looking for a more laid back vibe to balance the party atmosphere of some other ruined bars, but don’t want to sacrifice the cool retro aesthetic, this is your bar. Located in the heart of Budapest, it is the perfect place to relax with friends and share drinks or settle for a night of conversation. The bar also offers food and has Wi-Fi, so you often find digital nomads here.

Budapest It may be selling itself in history and hot baths, but the ruin stick is by far the most unique thing in the city. Even if you don’t drink, spend time in these ruined bars as they are a stylish way to see the popular and completely unique life in Budapest (you can even attend Self-guided tours of several bars This includes skipped entries). When you visit, you will meet a lot of locals! So, don’t miss them.

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