Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BOTTOMS UP!
Hungarian has a variety of tongue-twisting ways to
toast
fellow drinkers.
Egészségedre!
(“Your health”) is the most common, but it's usually said to one person whom you know
well. To a group, you might use
Egészségetekre
!; if your acquaintance is more formal, it
would be
Egészségére!
To a friend, a simple
Szia!
is fine.
Clinking glasses of
beer
used to be frowned upon, as it was said that this was how the
Austrians celebrated the execution of the Hungarian generals in 1849; the “right” Hun-
garian way was to bang your glass on the table before raising it to your lips. These days,
though, people say that there was a 150-year time limit on that taboo, and clinking beer-
glasses is back.
ESSENTIALS
Opening hours
Most places open around lunchtime and stay open until well after midnight,
unless otherwise stated, though bars in residential areas have to close their terraces at 10pm.
Summer-only bars usually announce their openings (generally in May) via a Facebook page.
Costs
Note that the warnings about rip-offs in restaurants (see the section
A warning
) apply
equally to bars. Most bars do not take credit cards. Expect to pay 500-1000Ft upwards to get
into a club.
Transport
There is a good network of
night buses
that can help you make your way home,
taxis are easy to flag down, and the streets are generally safe.
Smoking
The smoking ban is strictly enforced indoors, but generally you can smoke on ter-
races and garden areas.
THE BELVÁROS
Csendes Létterem
V, Ferenczy Isván utca 5 0630 727 2100,
facebook.com/csendesv-
deliers and bare brick walls have made it a popular destination for students at the university
across the road (attracted in part by its vast range of spirits). Its sister bars,
Kis Cserfes
spills out on to the pavement in front the delightful Károly kert.
Mon-Fri 10am-2am, Sat
2pm-2am, Sun 2pm-midnight.
Ibolya
V, Ferenciek tere 5 1 788 1944,
ibolyaespresso.hu
;
map
.
An old favourite
with local students, the
Ibolya
preserves a wonderfully retro feel with its neon street sign,
plastic seats and surly waiters. Even the snacks have stayed the same -
melegszendvics
(toastedsandwiches)andpeanuts.Footballmatchesareshownoutontheterrace.
Mon-Thurs
8am-1am, Fri 8am-3am, Sat 11am-3am, Sun noon-1am.