Captain Cook Pub

1065 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 19/a.

So, here we have this Captain Cook Pub – classic in many ways. It’s been leading reckless sailors away from St Stephen’s Cathedral since 1992, out of the cold, into the cool shade of the plane-tree at the beginning of Lázár utca. The ship shaped bar provides a great background to any not-so-formal meeting, and it is from here that any thirsty guest may taste the beers of the Dutch (Heineken) and of the Australians, who kindly provided us with Foster’s from Down under. But beware, this is not nearly the beginning of the end: the namesake of dear old Capt James Cook has its own chef, who, if deemed necessary, will cook (pardon the pub pun – ah, the things I do with words!) anything between scrambled eggs and pizza, including (but not limited to) gulyás soup, spaghetti, Caesar salad and hamburger.

The interior is so fine with detail that it won’t let your eyes rest. There are so many things and stuff and bits and pieces that it’s not entirely unbelievable that they’re indeed Captain Cook’s collection of a lifetime spent trotting the globe. The panorama provided from the high-backed chairs and booths is quite awe-inspiring.

One point of disappointment was the lavatory, which simply didn’t match the rest of the pub’s great interior. Other than that, I think if it was any closer to the university (and my price range), I would stay here all day, with minor excursions and strictly for particularly exciting lectures or seminars.