Long weekend with the missus. Any tips will be gladly appreciated.
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Just booked a trip to Budapest
- Thread starter Herr Tubthumper
- Start date
aftershavedave
Well-known member
get to gundel for a sunday morning brunch.
one of europe's best restaurants (literally) and the loss-leader brunch is absolutely magnificent. it's as cheap as chips! do book in advance!
one of europe's best restaurants (literally) and the loss-leader brunch is absolutely magnificent. it's as cheap as chips! do book in advance!
Budapest is a fantastic place - one of my favourite cities. You have to go for a steam bath, that's one of the musts of Budapest. I once spent a week there going to a different one every day. Don't know if you can go with your missus - they all used to be single-sex but that might have changed.
Gundel is a must too - their special pancakes must contain an adult's daily calorie allowance.
I can't recommend many places as I have been there for about five years (that's what having kids does for you) but if you like music I recommend the Fono club. There's a real mixture of stuff played there but you might get to see some decent bands - I saw a decent local jazz band one night and a folk group the other night.
Gundel is a must too - their special pancakes must contain an adult's daily calorie allowance.
I can't recommend many places as I have been there for about five years (that's what having kids does for you) but if you like music I recommend the Fono club. There's a real mixture of stuff played there but you might get to see some decent bands - I saw a decent local jazz band one night and a folk group the other night.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks. I am partial to steam baths and saunas actually. I've got a good CV in this field
The missus has identified one but as often is the case they are single sex (except Germany and Holland).Love music so will check out the fono.
Trufflehound
Re-enfranchised
Go to one of the baths as above.
Go up the Citadel to watch the sunset over the city (but wear something warm even on a hot day as it gets chilly up there) - see below, taken last August. And yes, there is a café terrace up there so you can sip a beer as the sun goes down.
Do not miss the excellent House of Terror - a museum about both the Nazi and the Soviet eras. People oft overlook the fact that Hungary was also run by Nazis in the 30s and was on Hitler's side in WWII.
Go up the Citadel to watch the sunset over the city (but wear something warm even on a hot day as it gets chilly up there) - see below, taken last August. And yes, there is a café terrace up there so you can sip a beer as the sun goes down.
Do not miss the excellent House of Terror - a museum about both the Nazi and the Soviet eras. People oft overlook the fact that Hungary was also run by Nazis in the 30s and was on Hitler's side in WWII.
- Thread starter
- #7
Two recommendations from NSC faithful so must be good.
aftershavedave
Well-known member
Go to one of the baths as above.
Do not miss the excellent House of Terror - a museum about both the Nazi and the Soviet eras. People oft overlook the fact that Hungary was also run by Nazis in the 30s and was on Hitler's side in WWII.
it's excellent indeed. a splendid modern museum, we both thought it was very very interesting
Sloth loves Chunk
New member
- Nov 14, 2003
- 111
Is Dave the Gaffer going with you?
Normal Rob
Well-known member
a walk through the Nazi Ghetto is a thoughtful and sobering experience.
I went about 6 years ago and the city was really cheap then (cost about £12 for me and the wife to get hammered on an all afternoon sesh inc. food) if it's still like that, which i doubt, then i'm very jealous indeed.
I went about 6 years ago and the city was really cheap then (cost about £12 for me and the wife to get hammered on an all afternoon sesh inc. food) if it's still like that, which i doubt, then i'm very jealous indeed.
Blackadder
Brighton Bhuna Boy
Went last year. Go to the hot baths near the zoo. Both worth a visit.(Pest)
The House of terror is a must as well. Soviet building where the 1956 dissidents were interrogated (and executed) - grim but a necessary visit.(Pest)
A boat trip on the Danube is also worth considering and a walking trip around historic Buda.
The House of terror is a must as well. Soviet building where the 1956 dissidents were interrogated (and executed) - grim but a necessary visit.(Pest)
A boat trip on the Danube is also worth considering and a walking trip around historic Buda.
Lokki 7
WSU
Make that 3. Top, top place.
Spider
New member
- Sep 15, 2007
- 3,614
Go to one of the baths as above.
Go up the Citadel to watch the sunset over the city (but wear something warm even on a hot day as it gets chilly up there) - see below, taken last August. And yes, there is a café terrace up there so you can sip a beer as the sun goes down.
I think that view from the hill is one of my all time favourites. Not only do you look out over the whole city, but also the way it is nestled amongst the surrounding hills/mountains(?). Sadly didn't go up at sunset, wish I had now. Stunning.
crodonilson
He/Him
Great city, went last year and loved it.
I would wholeheartedly agree with all of the above, we went to the Gellert Baths, which is the grandest of the baths and it was fantastic.
Also when I went took this article below from the Guardian for some decent alternative nightspots:
Szimpla Kert
Considered the granddaddy of Budapest's kerts - disused spaces commandeered as "guerrilla" bars - Szimpla Kert moved last year to the spacious courtyard of an abandoned building in the heart of Pest's tumbledown District VII, and has been filled with scrapheap furniture and transformed into an atmospheric alternative pub. Szimpla has grown into one of the city's great nightlife institutions and is essential drinking, even on the shortest stay in Budapest. A wireless hotspot, plenty of space, unobtrusive music and an alternative shop around the back draw a mixed crowd of locals and foreigners. Best of all, thanks to a pre-fab roof, it is open all year round.
Kazinczy utca 1, szimpla.hu.
Klassz
Recently opened, this is a slightly up-class eating option sitting on Budapest's answer to the Champs-Elysées. While the place has been open for business since January, it still doesn't have a sign outside or, from what we understand, even a phone number. The space is pretty unusual, with a big smoking area up front, kitsch flowery wallpaper, and a portal into the kitchen hovering above and behind the main bar and dining area. It features hybrid Hungarian/international cuisine, and caters to fashion-conscious professional types who are still a little budget conscious. Do try their two dishes featuring foam (yes, foam) - one a "foaming" duck liver soup (Ft890, £2.40) with a gratinée of mushrooms and cheese, and another a main of duck liver with tokaj foam and apple compote, which goes for around twice the price of the soup.
Andrássy út 41.
Szóda Café
Szóda belongs to the rare breed of bar that is cool without trying too hard. The "retro-futuristic" logo just seems so now, the soda bottle gimmick is kept at arm's length, the oversized cartoon strips are plastered discretely on the ceiling, and the seating and lighting is suitably low-key. The crowd is also too cool to pin down, or even worry too much about. Everyone seems to be doing their own thing: chatting, chilling and fiddling with laptops (free wifi!) by day, playing csocsó and downing shots in the evenings, or dancing the night away in the cellar below.
Wesselényi utca 18, szoda.com.
Corvinteto
Corvinteto, which means the "Corvin roof", sits on the top of the communist-era department store formerly called the "Corvin". Get off the number 4 or 6 tram at Blaha Lujza tér and look for a street-level sign reading "Kaiser". Around the corner, a freight elevator makes runs to the top manned by a (usually scruffy looking) lift operator who dishes out shots of Unicum, Hungary's national bitters, on your way up. Once on the top floor, the corridors are lined with artwork and posters curving on to a bar area lined with sofas. Stairs lead up to the rooftop bar, habitually buzzing over the summer and doused in dim, red light against the illuminated grandeur of Budapest's skyline.
Blaha Lujza tér 1-2.
Haxen Király Sörház Étterem
This pine-panelled eatery deep in the woods of the seventh district has long been one of our faves, with really, really tasty sausage-by-the-metre and other Bavarian and Hungo classics. But the undisputed highlight are its human-head-sized hunks of crunchy, coal-roasted csülök (pork knuckle). You get a half-knuckle (Ft54 per 100 grams) that has been slowly roasted next to - as opposed to over - the coals until it is a combination of falling-off-the-bone tender meat and tooth-crackingly crunchy skin backed by a sweet layer of fat. Not for the faint of heart, or stomach. Don't miss the delectable túró (cheese) and fruit pudding.
Only had time to take in Szimpla Kert and Corvinento but would definitely recommend both, the latter however maybe dependant on going when it's fairly warm.
I would wholeheartedly agree with all of the above, we went to the Gellert Baths, which is the grandest of the baths and it was fantastic.
Also when I went took this article below from the Guardian for some decent alternative nightspots:
Szimpla Kert
Considered the granddaddy of Budapest's kerts - disused spaces commandeered as "guerrilla" bars - Szimpla Kert moved last year to the spacious courtyard of an abandoned building in the heart of Pest's tumbledown District VII, and has been filled with scrapheap furniture and transformed into an atmospheric alternative pub. Szimpla has grown into one of the city's great nightlife institutions and is essential drinking, even on the shortest stay in Budapest. A wireless hotspot, plenty of space, unobtrusive music and an alternative shop around the back draw a mixed crowd of locals and foreigners. Best of all, thanks to a pre-fab roof, it is open all year round.
Kazinczy utca 1, szimpla.hu.
Klassz
Recently opened, this is a slightly up-class eating option sitting on Budapest's answer to the Champs-Elysées. While the place has been open for business since January, it still doesn't have a sign outside or, from what we understand, even a phone number. The space is pretty unusual, with a big smoking area up front, kitsch flowery wallpaper, and a portal into the kitchen hovering above and behind the main bar and dining area. It features hybrid Hungarian/international cuisine, and caters to fashion-conscious professional types who are still a little budget conscious. Do try their two dishes featuring foam (yes, foam) - one a "foaming" duck liver soup (Ft890, £2.40) with a gratinée of mushrooms and cheese, and another a main of duck liver with tokaj foam and apple compote, which goes for around twice the price of the soup.
Andrássy út 41.
Szóda Café
Szóda belongs to the rare breed of bar that is cool without trying too hard. The "retro-futuristic" logo just seems so now, the soda bottle gimmick is kept at arm's length, the oversized cartoon strips are plastered discretely on the ceiling, and the seating and lighting is suitably low-key. The crowd is also too cool to pin down, or even worry too much about. Everyone seems to be doing their own thing: chatting, chilling and fiddling with laptops (free wifi!) by day, playing csocsó and downing shots in the evenings, or dancing the night away in the cellar below.
Wesselényi utca 18, szoda.com.
Corvinteto
Corvinteto, which means the "Corvin roof", sits on the top of the communist-era department store formerly called the "Corvin". Get off the number 4 or 6 tram at Blaha Lujza tér and look for a street-level sign reading "Kaiser". Around the corner, a freight elevator makes runs to the top manned by a (usually scruffy looking) lift operator who dishes out shots of Unicum, Hungary's national bitters, on your way up. Once on the top floor, the corridors are lined with artwork and posters curving on to a bar area lined with sofas. Stairs lead up to the rooftop bar, habitually buzzing over the summer and doused in dim, red light against the illuminated grandeur of Budapest's skyline.
Blaha Lujza tér 1-2.
Haxen Király Sörház Étterem
This pine-panelled eatery deep in the woods of the seventh district has long been one of our faves, with really, really tasty sausage-by-the-metre and other Bavarian and Hungo classics. But the undisputed highlight are its human-head-sized hunks of crunchy, coal-roasted csülök (pork knuckle). You get a half-knuckle (Ft54 per 100 grams) that has been slowly roasted next to - as opposed to over - the coals until it is a combination of falling-off-the-bone tender meat and tooth-crackingly crunchy skin backed by a sweet layer of fat. Not for the faint of heart, or stomach. Don't miss the delectable túró (cheese) and fruit pudding.
Only had time to take in Szimpla Kert and Corvinento but would definitely recommend both, the latter however maybe dependant on going when it's fairly warm.
Uter
Well-known member
Statue park is worth a look if you like like that sort of thing. It's full of Soviet era statues.
Statue Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Statue Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Merry Prankster
Pactum serva
Deffo the Gellert. The market is good. Get a suit made.
Trufflehound
Re-enfranchised
That picture (or a slightly larger version of it, obviously) is my current desktop - I never tire of looking at it.
The Gellert is a fantastic building but I've found it a bit up itself - even in the Communist era, the staff seemed to look down their noses at people.
Personally, I love the Kiraly baths. The roof is dome-shaped with coloured glass so when the sun streams in, there's a fantastic effect on the water of the pool. I believe it's the oldest baths in Budapest - and looks it - but it's much less touristy than the Gellert. It can be bit of a gay hangout but anyone from Brighton shouldn't be fussed about that.
Personally, I love the Kiraly baths. The roof is dome-shaped with coloured glass so when the sun streams in, there's a fantastic effect on the water of the pool. I believe it's the oldest baths in Budapest - and looks it - but it's much less touristy than the Gellert. It can be bit of a gay hangout but anyone from Brighton shouldn't be fussed about that.
AlbionKebabs
Member
Marilyns Bar is defo worth checking, nice place to take the misses for a romantic drink.
Franks Wild Years
New member
Ahh, the wonderful city of my forefathers.
The Central Food Market. Faboulus foodie experience. Wander around the many stalls and sample the whares, then go upstairs and eat fantastic traditional cooked food with the stall holders. There's often an accordian player of fiddle player banging out gypsy tunes, the coffee's strong and the wines heavy.
Margitsziget (Margarets Island) Hire one of those pedal car things and do a circuit of the island, traffic free and lovely. There's also a fantastic restaurant on the island whose name I cant remember which has a fabulous gypsy band playing every night. Great food and a brilliant atmosphere.
Statue Park. In my opinion is a big disapointment. It felt like the back yard of a builders merchants.
Have a good time, but be prepared to have a good nose around. Budapest is one of those places where you've got to put a bit of effort into digging out the gems.
I bloody love it.
Egeszegedre ! (Cheers)
The Central Food Market. Faboulus foodie experience. Wander around the many stalls and sample the whares, then go upstairs and eat fantastic traditional cooked food with the stall holders. There's often an accordian player of fiddle player banging out gypsy tunes, the coffee's strong and the wines heavy.
Margitsziget (Margarets Island) Hire one of those pedal car things and do a circuit of the island, traffic free and lovely. There's also a fantastic restaurant on the island whose name I cant remember which has a fabulous gypsy band playing every night. Great food and a brilliant atmosphere.
Statue Park. In my opinion is a big disapointment. It felt like the back yard of a builders merchants.
Have a good time, but be prepared to have a good nose around. Budapest is one of those places where you've got to put a bit of effort into digging out the gems.
I bloody love it.
Egeszegedre ! (Cheers)