If you are planning to travel to Budapest, then you will want to get drunk in one of the famous ruin bars. These bars have been around for many centuries. They are situated in abandoned buildings, lots, and stores. The neighborhood was abandoned during the Second World War. The setting became perfect for setting underground bar scene.
From the outside, the bars appear like normal homes. You will not find large signs directing you, no line of people waiting to enter, and you will not hear any loud noise. However, when you get in, you will be in the middle of crowds talking, enjoying, and dancing in the laid-back atmosphere.
Each ruin bar has its personality, but they have certain basic principles. They only need to find an old abandoned place and then rent it out. They will set up a bar, fill it with unique furniture, and hire artists to leave some marks on the ceiling and walls. The fact that all these bars are set in abandoned buildings, they move, close, and open frequently depending on whether the neighbors find out or the patrons become too loud.
Drinking
When you are in the Budapest ruin bars, you will feel as if you are drinking at the local thrift store. In fact, no furniture matches. It is eclectic and old. You will feel as if you are in your grandmother’s house. Also, the ceilings have a unique design. The places will not have been fixed up or repaired. Also, there are holes in the walls, and some pipes are visible.
Even though the ruin movement is now the mainstream and it is now less underground than in the past, most bars have kept their character and remained true to their roots. This is the case even when a lot of tourists come by.
Top Ruin Bars
You will be surprised to learn that the current ruin bars were founded about two decades ago. These cobbled-together and creative spaces hijack ruins. Nowadays, you can find them in abandoned warehouses, historic buildings, and empty parking lots. These are some of the top ruin bars:
Szimpla Kert
This is probably the oldest in Budapest. It started in the early 2000s. Its reputation precedes it, and it is known more internationally as compared to locally.
Corvin Club
This is a club that is middle of nowhere. It is the place where retro-urbanism and clubbing meet. It occupies a top-level departmental store that operated in the 1920s.
