The best art cinemas in Budapest – PART 1

Art cinemas are really good choices if you are looking for a cosy, homely setting to watch a film, and thankfully Budapest has at least a dozen of good independent cinemas where the latest art films and the most important classics are screened. Plus, they do not dub foreign films, so you get a better chance to understand what is actually going on, even if you do not speak Hungarian.

Művész

Here: 1066 Budapest, Teréz körút 30. (near the Oktogon stop of tram 4/6)
Ticket prices: standard: HUF 1550, HUF 1200 for students, children, aged 60+
Hours: Mon-Fri: 13:00-23:00, Sat-Sun: 10:00-23:00
Language: original with Hungarian subtitles

You might just stumble accidentally into this cinema and get immediately attracted to it, thanks to its unique, attention-grabbing forefront that resembles the cinemas seen in American films set in the 1950s. The moment you set foot inside the building, you realise that this is really the place for art lovers.

The films are not advertised through traditional posters, but with the help of contemporary art installations.

The biggest screening hall out of the five in the Művész art cinema is able to host 172 people, while 42 people can fit into the smallest one, which in the case of an art cinema is a fairly good ratio. The cinema operates a book- and record shop, along with a hobby shop and a café. You can catch premiers and new films here, but often the screening of classics too.

Toldi

Here: 1054 Budapest, Bajcsi-Zsilinszky út 36-38 (near the Arany János utca stop of metro line 3)
Ticket prices: standard: HUF 1550, for students, age 60+ and on Thursdays: HUF 1200
Hours: Mon-Sun: 13:00-23:00
Language: original with Hungarian subtitles

The outer walls of Toldi are decorated with black and white minimalistic renditions of classic films, but this is not the reason this cinema is so well-known in Budapest. Although there are regular film screenings of debuting movies and of students’ works, the cinema’s café area doubles as a club. If you are wondering what to do on a Saturday night, head to Toldi, watch an independent Hungarian or foreign film and then join the party as soon as you step out of the screening hall. Toldi operates two halls, one of 200 capacity and the other – a much smaller one compared to this – of 60 capacity.