Photos that prove that the ruin bars of Budapest are the coolest places for a night out

If you ask someone for advice on the Budapest nightlife, the expression “ruin bar” is guaranteed to come up. These cool places have become world-famous in the past years and they attract hundreds of tourists every night. They’ve also been appraised by several foreign magazines, and now we’d like to share another great compilation. The Culture Trip collected some amazing photos that reflect the unique atmosphere of Budapest’s ruin bars and prove that they are must-visit “sights” in the capital city.

“Ruin bar culture” emerged in the 1990s, when one ruin bar was opened right after another in District VII in sleazy, out of use buildings, where people could drink, smoke and talk politics.

Today, the area is red hot and flourishing with a real hipster vibe. The main streets, including Király utca and Dob utca, flow with lively crowds hanging out at coffeehouses, restaurants and wine bars. Each of these businesses continues to co-exist along with some traces of Jewish life from days gone by, such as a few smaller cafes and bakeries.

Some of the most famous ruin bars include Fogasház & Instant, Szimpla Kert, Mazel Tov, Csendes, Anker’t, Udvarrom, Kandalló Kert, Füge Udvar, Ellátó Kert, Most and Rácskert.

The Culture Trip concludes that the city’s ruin bars have become iconic symbols of Budapest’s nightlife and are some of the coolest places to drink. Check out the following photos to see why 🙂

First and foremost, you feel like you’re Alice who fell down the rabbit hole and found herself in Wonderland…