Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 340

Présház This tasteful wine store—named after the “press room,” or the room where
the grapes are rammed to extract the sweet nectar—is located in the Inner City area.
They offer over 300 types of Hungarian wine and have a knowledgeable staff that is
fluent in English. You can have your order delivered within Budapest if you purchase
a crate. Open Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm. The sec-
ond shop is at V. Váci u. 10 ( & 1/266-1100) . V. Párizsi utca 1-3. & 1/266-0636. www.
preshaz.hu. Metro: Vörösmarty tér (Yellow line).
Wine & Arts Decanter Borszaküzlet A club of wine-lovers, this shop features
elegant wines from hidden provincial Hungarian wine-growers, top-notch award-
wining wine-masters in addition to Italian and Spanish wines. Open Tuesday through
Friday 6 to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm. MOM Park, XII. Kléh István u. 3. & 1/201-9029.
www.grandvin.hu. Tram: 59 or 61.
BUDAPEST AFTER DARK
Budapest is blessed with a rich and varied cultural life. And there is no event that is
unaffordable to the average tourist. In fact, you can still go to the Opera House, one
of Europe's finest, for less than 800 Ft ($4/£2). (The most expensive tickets in the
house, for the fabulously ornate royal box once used by the Habsburgs, still go for less
than 10,000 Ft, or $50/£26.) Almost all of the city's theaters and concert halls, with
the exception of those hosting internationally touring rock groups, offer tickets for
800 Ft to 4,000 Ft ($4-$20/£2-£10). (Of course, you can also get 5,000 Ft-8,000
Ft/$25-$40/£13-£21 tickets at the same venue if you wish.) It makes sense in
Budapest (as elsewhere, of course) to select a performance based as much on the venue
as on the program. If, for example, the Great Hall of the Academy of Music is pre-
senting a program that you wouldn't ordinarily attend, it might be worth your while
to reconsider due to the splendor of the venue.
The opera, ballet, and theater seasons run from September through May or June,
but most theaters and halls also host performances during the summer festivals. A
number of lovely churches and stunning halls offer concerts exclusively in the sum-
mer. While classical music has a long and proud tradition in Budapest, jazz, blues,
rock, disco, and the world of DJs have exploded in the past couple of decades. Herds
of stylish, unique new clubs and bars have opened up everywhere; the parties start late
and last until morning. So put on your dancing shoes or slip your opera glasses into
your pocket; whatever your entertainment preference, Budapest nights offer plenty to
choose from.
PROGRAM LISTINGS The most complete schedule of mainstream performing
arts is found in the free bimonthly Koncert Kalendárium, available at the Central
Philharmonic Ticket Office on Madách utca. The Budapest Sun has comprehensive
events calendars; the weekly Budapest Times includes cultural listings. Budapest
Panorama, a free monthly tourist booklet, offers only partial entertainment listings,
featuring what the editors consider the monthly highlights. All of the publications
mentioned above are in English.
TICKET OFFICES When purchasing opera, ballet, theater, or concert tickets in
advance, you're better off going to one of the commission-free state-run ticket offices
than to the individual box offices. There are always schedules posted, and you'll have
a variety of choices. If none of the cashiers speaks English, find a helpful customer
who can translate for you. On the day of the performance, though, you might have
better luck at the box office. The Cultur-Comfort Ticket Office (Cultur-Comfort