Hrabal Söröző

And now for something not entirely unlike the rest, a Czech pub, and a true treat for you, gentle reader: the Pub dedicated to Bohumil Hrabal, our fifth stop on the way to eternal glory.

Czech beers are always worth it. Although they may not be as well known as the Irish or the Belgians, the breweries in the Czech Republic have a tradition of almost nine hundred years, and their products even live up to the expectations of the most critical beer-tasters. Find out more about the history of Czech beer.

Now, the Hrabal Söröző is in the back of ELTE's Astoria campus, located in Puskin utca. They have a wide range of beers (draught and bottled) at prices fit for the end-of-month shortage. The pub is tiny and welcoming, with attentive staff and nice interior. This is a place for the semi-professional barfly, ideal perhaps for a quick pint between lectures; one shouldn't linger too long, so others can enjoy as well.

I must say, I can hardly find fault in this pub.

A step out of your class, have half a something, and suddenly it'll all make sense.

the 'Romkocsma'

In a break between two rounds, let me here comment on a recent phenomenon in the Budapester pub life: the 'Romkocsma' (lit. ruin-pub). This newly-found hybrid unites the disadvantages of drinking in a pub and drinking in a park - with the possible exception that one isn't taken to the Yard if caught.

Whatever you got used to and love in your local watering hole is completely missing: the sense of intimacy or privacy and cosiness is gone with the enormous crowd coming in - these places are quite fashionable; the relationship between barfly and barman/barmaid is missing for the same reason. The drinks are disproportionately expensive - without obvious reason, not counting the principle of demand and supply. It seems that there is great demand for these places, though, why this is the case is beyond me.

On a slightly different note, an observation: for some reason, in any romkocsma one happens to frequent, the people sitting around one all look the same.

Fregatt Pub

We chose the 'Frigate' for a boys' night out last Thrusday, and we had an amazing time there. The pub is located on Molnár utca, in the fifth district, about five minutes walk from Fővám tér, where the trams 2, 47 and 49 have their stations.

The name 'Frigate' is not misleading at all: as you step down into the pub, it's like entering the captain's cabin. A perfect place for any fan of the seven seas, the bar is designed too look like a ship in itself, while the rest of the pub can only be described as 17th-century-warship-interior-meets-downstairs-bachelor-pad. Polished wood dominates the scene, but the walls, where visible, are painted deep blue, which makes the framed vinyl records stand out, and the other rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia plus the pool-table-green carpet makes for a place you just don't feel like leaving.

It's not the cheapest of them all (the word 'pub' seems to be an indicator of the higher prices), but there is a wide range of draught beers and shots, not to mention the foods on offer.

If you're anything like me, you'll love this pub: it is as welcoming as it gets, the music was great, and we had all our favourites on tap. I think we've found the perfect haunt.