The Top 10 Cocktail Bars in Budapest

Budapest is a cocktail lover’s heaven. Simple as.

From its infamous ‘ruin bars’ to grand, opulent entertainment spaces, the city’s bar scene exudes merriment and class in equal amounts. As Hungary’s capital doesn’t have one designated late night district as such, happening upon the best bars can sometimes be tricky. With this in mind, we’ve decided to create a list of the best cocktail bars in the city. Feast your eyes on these fantastic locations before your night time excursion!

10. Mericano Bar

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Mericano only opened its doors recently, but its visionary design, based on American and Italian styles, ensures this bar launches straight onto this list. The atmosphere here is quite relaxed, indeed it doubles as an ‘apero bar’ for early evening drinkers. Mericano Bar is sophisticated but unpretentious.

9. Rumba Café

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Cuban and Hungarian approaches to partying combine in this basement bar tucked away in a nice location close to the Danube. The inventive décor features a sort of post-communist feel: busts and images of Che Guevara and Lenin are dotted around the bar. A really fun place that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Check them out on Facebook.

8. Bar Pharma

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One of the more unusual bars situated on the bustling Kazinczy Street. This place seems miniature-sized compared to others on this list, but what it lacks in space, it more than makes up for with an energetic staff and left field mixing techniques.

7. TOKIO

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TOKIO was originally known for perfecting delicacies like sushi and ramen, but has now developing a lot of hype for its top drawer cocktails and chic neon surroundings. TOKIO is your go-to place for anything to do with Japanese whisky, marking itself out as being a definite trendsetter on the scene.

6. Spíler Shanghai

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A very sociable place with a buzzing bar staff who enjoy displaying their flair with improvised twists to cocktail recipes. The imaginative Eastern design is very sensual too. Check them out on Facebook.

5. Kiosk

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In its short existence Kiosk has perfected the art of doing traditional cocktails extremely well. This is no doubt down to their careful attention to only including the finest ingredients. If you’re looking for a perfectly made G&T over a more bizarre looking cocktail, Kiosk is the place for you. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter.

4. Blue Fox The Bar

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This one is a real rising star on the Budapest scene. Make sure to pop by Blue Fox to witness bartenders dazzle you with innovative mixing and pouring techniques over zany glass designs. Everything is made from natural ingredients and the prices are reasonable too. Keep up to date with the latest on their Twitter.

3. WARMUP

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WARMUP only serves cocktails, such is its supreme confidence in its skill at providing unforgettable mixes and a great accompanying atmosphere. This place really prides itself on its expert staff. To this end, they don’t even do menus – just inform that bar tender what ingredients you’d like and they’ll craft something special right before your eyes. Check them out on Facebook.

2. Buddha Bar

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This is the kind of place James Bond might pop into en route to yet another death-defying stunt. Shaken, stirred, however you lke it, the cocktail menu here is enormous. It’s hard not to have a great time in this palatial setting. Find them on Facebook and Twitter.

1. Boutiq

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Surely the best bar in Budapest, hands down, not to mention year after year voted one of the top fifty cocktail bars in the world. The architecture is a marvel in itself: Boutiq is housed in a converted church and its dramatic open plan design is stunning from every angle. The bar tenders are second to none too. As well as boasting 350 different cocktail options, the staff are more than happy to create bespoke blends of your choosing. Like them on Facebook.