Freddy's Pub

1073 Budapest, Osvát utca 9.

Two minutes from Blaha Lujza tér this restaurant-pub offers something for all the residents and visitors of the neighbouring hotels and offices. Freddy’s Pub is where my path led last Friday. The pub used to be called ‘Kocsma a Piszkos Fredhez’ where ‘kocsma’ means (approximates the meaning of) pub, and ‘Piszkos Fred’ (lit. Dirty Fred) is a fictional character from the works of a popular Hungarian novelist, Rejtő Jenő (a.k.a. P. Howard, Gibson Lavery). To understand the pun perfectly, one would have to know more about Rejtő, and I wouldn’t advise you, gentle reader, against such ideas. It’s fun.

Freddy’s is rarely crowded, I think that's why our lovely waitress was 'round in no time. After the initial mulled wine (she convinced me that I only needed two decilitres instead of three, besides, the cup can only hold so much) came a host of other treats – including food as well – all very tasty and quickly served, I must say, I couldn’t have been happier with my choice. To add to my pleasures, the music too, was just fine; not too loud and not too popular either.

Later I took a tour of the cellar. It’s great, it’s vast, it’s empty; short of guests, I guess. Shame, it would be ideal for private parties. Nonetheless, I think I’ll be back soon.

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.

Lónyai Pub

1092 Budapest, Lónyai utca 32.

We were lost. Completely lost on our way to a pub (a great place, according to a friend). But alas! a good pub is only tempting if it’s far from an even better one. In hindsight, it wasn’t such a bad choice, to abandon our original plan and visit Lónyai utca instead.

Oh, but the walls were simply horrid, I couldn't resist a comment now and again, not even dead drunk chemically inconvenienced. To leave planning to the snobbish bastards may have been a good idea at the time, but once the paintwork (probably by an undiscovered genius of a graffiti artist) was done, the dark tones were capable of tossing anyone into perfect depression even if they were having the best day of their lives - up to that point. I swear, it was the light of a single candle in the middle of our table that kept us sane (relatively).

The gist of it: keep your eyes off the wall, the rest is great.

Black Dog Pub

1111 Budapest, Lágymányosi utca 12.

Next to BME (a.k.a. Budapest University of Technology and Economics), not too far from Móricz Zsigmond körtér lie quite a few pubs, all suitable for the semi-professional barfly to spend a memorable (as in ‘you won’t remember a thing’) night. Why would you choose this particular pub? Because it works. It has its own fan page, own website and full house all night. I don’t think there’s need for more evidence here, your honour.

The Black Dog Pub is in - this is probably why they allowed themselves to close up for overhauling, because they knew they would open again to the satisfaction of their customers. Most corners are furnished with comfy chairs and sofas, with matching tables. The walls and ceiling are covered in smoke-resistant yellow wallpaper, to which the chandeliers add a misty glow. All along the walls, in their little frames hang countless photos, not even half-remembered memories from a long-gone era (was it the industrial revolution?). What’s not covered in photos, supports several shelves that play host to objects of all sorts, such as old soda-water bottles, kettles, radios, hats, a Routemaster, clocks, a model aeroplane, a globe and all the paraffin-burners anyone will ever need.

Nota bene, the barman is a nice enough chap, even when he isn’t smiling (some mix-up with the beer mugs).

The interior takes after the English Pub, the Lasko beer is nice and Slovenian, the TVs showed a Hungarian football match, the speakers roared American rock, and the Doberman on the trade-sign is itself a rather German breed. Still, in this multi-national/cultural cavalcade, we didn’t feel out of place, not for a second.

Colorado Söröző

1074 Budapest, Dohány utca 84.

I was told that when the ‘Cultural Centre’ at Almássy tér still offered concerts now and again, the Colorado was an almost compulsory stop-by. No surprise, as there are very few better ways to spend an idle afternoon then to sit around, pint in hand, and watch the passers by. Now the little brother ‘Filter Klub’ tries to fill the void left after the cultural centre was closed. The Klub isn’t as popular, not as much fun to sit around, but still preserves some of the old atmosphere.

At the Colorado, Tuborg was on tap (although the menu promised Holstein as well, but they ran out of that). The order arrived at our table accompanied by a wide smile (both rarities), and as it began to rain, we were provided a table inside – probably to keep us a little longer.

The interior is a western saloon-type of place, not so welcoming and perfectly crowded. Perhaps it’s the football match broadcast, perhaps because people who couldn’t find other shelter, came in to the pub.

The prices speak for themselves; they quite high, that is.

Finally, a positive point, as we were leaving we discovered a CCTV-protected bike-parking lot.

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.

Magic Music Pub

This fourth post on Magic Music Pub (which is located in Ó utca) is written with great objectivity in mind; however, it is quite obvious that it is far from objective itself. It is objective as I will state clearly what my intention is, how and when did I obtain the information I base my judgement upon, and indicate clearly that what I write here is not a little opinionated, and, as such, should be considered with reason.

First of all, I visited this pub (M&M) on Thursday, the 10th of March, which was the day of Torkos Csütörtök (lit. 'gluttonous Thursday'), a day when many restaurants offered 50% off their food and drink prices, and when an abundance of people practically flooded restaurants that took part in the campaign. M&M pub was no exception, it wasn't only full, it hosted about 1.5 the people that could fit in it--it was full to the brim.

I went there with a company of fourteen (we had a reservation), posing a challenge of waiters and cooks alike--then again, it was a challenge they should have anticipated.

My intention is to inform you of my experience of a night out at M&M. I advise you to look upon what you are about to read with adequate scepticism. Here, we begin.

READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

We arrived at the pub/restaurant at 8pm, and were seated almost immediately at our reserved table on the ground floor, not too far from the bar, right next to a large window, so I had a good view of the going-ons both in, and outside the pub. The place was stuffed with hungry guests. The ground floor having two rooms, above one of which was a loft as well, we estimated the crowd around hundred-and-seventy, two hundred people--to say it was full, would be an understatement.

The interior is that of a pub/restaurant which tries to be both, but turns out to be neither. There are the Thonett-style chairs, with their simple curves, and a nice and well-equipped bar, but the room we enter into still has an austere, somewhat chilly feeling to it with its vastness and undecorated walls--it lacks the cosiness of a pub. On this same account, it's not a restaurant either: it doesn't make you feel welcome, comfortable; you wouldn't want to stay in this first room for a long time for any reason. On the more general, the style that which one would find in a wealthy home lacking a sense of taste: tiles everywhere, some rock facing, but essentially lacking concept. There are some appealing details however: the aforementioned bar, or the wall-mounted lamps, which shine out of old trumpets and the like (not an original idea, check out the Mika Tivadar Mulató in the latest issue of 'TimeOut').

After being seated at 8pm, it took the waiter about half an hour to get to us. This isn't particularly strange, seeing that it was a busy night. As he started to take our orders however, it seemed that he was vaguely annoyed that we weren't some place else, and he had to bother serving us. Still nothing out of the ordinary I thought, some still have the idea that their place is the only one in town (you get that sometime, reminiscence of the communist era). The place was so full that he wasn't even able to move along the table, we had to holler our wishes all across the room, and when he was asked to come a little closer, he simply stated that he wasn't the flying type. I admit, at that point I would have left if I hadn't been a part of a company (and been able to move at all).

Another thirty minutes later, our drinks arrived; we were beginning to worry that we were forgotten completely, so it was quite a relief. Our waiter took our orders again, in the same way, this time for food, which was a little more complicated--he managed still. That was between nine and half past.

At ten we began to wonder why everyone else around us was leaving before they got their dinner.

At 10.30 it started to come together.

At 10.50 we asked our waiter and he said 'Dunno. Ninety minutes maybe?' So, after only three hours, we asked for the bill (I didn't think we should), paid, and left.

It was as if they were relieved that everyone was leaving at last. My general impression is that they didn't want us to come back--ever. With its incompetent and arrogant staff, unsightly interior and unwelcoming atmosphere, the place left little room for second thoughts: Magic Music Pub is a place I would advise anyone to stay away from.

Pedál café

Second in the line of pubs we visit is the one named (ever so aptly) Pedál. It is right next to the Great Market Hall* on Pipa utca (pipe street), just off Fővám tér - where the trams 2, 47 and 49 have their stations.

To squeeze myself through a tiny doorway and enter a high room has a funny déjà-vu feeling about it. A nice long bar greets me, and I can almost remember sitting there the night before. There is something remarkably ‘80s about the interior, the tiles, the wooden bar or benches along the walls – all touched with a love for the retro, but refurbished so you won’t feel quite out of place with a laptop either. The lights are dim, it’s neither dark nor too light – ideal for a meeting point for uni students to study, converse or spend time between classes.

Come here around 3pm, you will find a café. Check the place again 8-ish as some tables get joined together, making room for larger groups talking loudly, as there’s more beer ordered than cappuccino: the place is undergoing a swift change from café to pub.

The prices are fair, 5cl (about 2oz) of palinka for HUF650, draught beer ranging between HUF320-690, bottled beers from HUF390, 5cl of liquor between HUF310-950. They offer organic palinkas, wines and coffee as well, along with a few snacks – sandwiches, scones (well, the Hungarian equivalent) and the like.

There’s also a host of magazines and newspapers and Wi-Fi connection; great service with attentive waiters ready to help with whatever you need.

I found Pedál a nice place to go to on a Friday night, there is little critique I could come up with… except that it is certainly not a place for non-smokers (alas, this too will change come July). The place preserved something from the recent past, recovered bits from earlier and managed to merge all this with the modern. I say, let your bike rest while you enjoy a beer or two.

*which is a hall not only great, but also market.

1st up: Janis' Pub

the very fist pub that we shall discuss (not the first, neither for me, nor - I presume - for you, but it is for us), is the great Janis' Pub. It has quite a central location as it were, it is just off Egyetem tér in the 5th district on Királyi Pál utca, within easy walking distance from Kálvin tér (where you'll find the underground station and subway), right in the heart of the city. [map]

It is as pub-like as it gets. Wonderful, long bar that goes almost the entire length of the ground floor, round booths, great interior design - not unlike any self-respecting seaside pub. Wood all over, many artefacts relating to the sea and harbours.

The fact that the Janis the pub was named after is Janis Joplin is less obvious unless one pays some attention when entering (little door-window), of it they see the lower floor, where it becomes more obvious (sculpture and many pictures in the stairway).

Close it may be to the University (particularly the Faculty of Law), it is not suited for the budget the average student has to manage with. As you can see on this partial menu, there is a host of beers and liquor to choose from.

This is a pub that looks, smells, feels like a pub (even though the sounds of cheap pop may occasionally spoil the sensation). The atmosphere is terrific, it doesn't take long to feel oneself at home. Service is great, this is still one of those places where the bartenders know how to assure that you'll come back.

Fancy a pint?

Good day to you, Gentle Reader, and let me welcome you at this novel, I dare say revolutionary blog that shall regard worthy public houses of our grand city, Budapest. Should you desire a pint of fine ale, wish to go out for a bite or have a hankering for outrageous company, let me be your guide, or signpost at least, and point out to the place where you are most likely to get your money's worth.

With this said, allow me then, on this most auspicious of nights to turn towards the very first pub amongst the many that are still to come.

As the Spaniard says: adelante!