Lake Balaton & Southern Transdanubia
This atmospheric cellar below Anna Grand Hotel serves an excellent selection of local wines, along with meat-and-cheese plates to go with the tipples.
Must-see nightlife in Hungary
Budapest
Named after a flaky rolled pastry, this welcoming neighbourhood gay bar on ‘Beautiful St’ (could it be anywhere else?) is a cafe with a tiny mezzanine…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
This intimate club with two small bars overlooks the courtyard of ruin pub and club Fogas and Budapest's only venue devoted solely to techno music.
Castle District
Essentially a wine bar with an extensive list of Hungarian wines, this classy place also does meals. Perch by the beautiful bar or take it out on to the…
Budapest
This tiny place with excellent biscuits and cakes has apparently been here since 1957. A sign advising clients to take a number and join the queue is an…
Budapest
A quirky cafe just off the Little Ring Rd with junkyard chic decorating the walls and floor space, the ‘Quiet’ is just that until the regular DJ arrives…
Budapest
An anchor tenant in a car-free square loaded with students and locals, this large, laid-back cafe (and bar and bistro) has one of the largest terraces in…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
A lot more than a 'Simple Cafe', this small, relaxed establishment, part of the Szimpla stable, serves cocktails, craft beer and coffee, as well as food,…
Budapest
Perennial favourite gay and mixed hangout celebrated for its events (karaoke, anyone?) and fabulous views of the Danube and Buda Castle. Great place to…
Eger
In the basement of the Hotel Korona, the Leonardo is a drinks venue during the week and a popular dance club at the weekend; it attracts a professional…
Budapest
A relaxed cafe and bar with a little terrace on Mikszáth Kálmán tér, this plant-bedecked joint roasts its own coffee and serves wine and Hungarian craft…
Eger
Linger over coffee and sweets (cakes are 200Ft to 600Ft) on the big terrace south of Tinódi Sebestyén tér (formerly Dózsa György tér), just below the…
Sopron
This is a vaulted bar and wine shop all in one, where you can sample the best that Sopron's wineries have to offer and also purchase your tipples of…
Debrecen
Debrecen's pre-eminent cafe and cakeshop since 1988, Gara has some of the best cakes and ice cream (made with real fruit and loads of it) outside Budapest.
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
This tiny watering hole has lots of craft beer that's available from Csak a Jó Sör, plus a dozen more on on tap.
Kecskemét
This is where locals go in season for ice cream and cake (190Ft to 550Ft) when they are trying to avoid tourist-rammed Szabadság tér.
Northern Hungary
A very stylish wine bar that's just the place to sate your thirst, should you want to try Tokaj's vintages in a relaxed atmosphere.
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
The 'Black Dog' is a tiny bar, popular with a local expat crowd who come to drink craft beer in a casual setting.
Northern Hungary
This new, very upbeat coffee house has seating on a large terrace overlooking Kossuth út and the Old Village.
Kecskemét
This Western-themed pub just down from the Ornamental Palace is where Kecskemét's young bloods congregate.
Debrecen
This basement cafe-bar heats up at the weekend with parties and theme nights. DJs attract a younger crowd.
Kecskemét
The Black Cat – more a bar than a pub – offers an alternative night on the town.
Castle District
Attached to an 18th-century church, Angelika is as much a restaurant as a cafe, with a raised outside terrace. The more substantial dishes (mains 2890Ft…
Keszthely
This modern two-level cafe boasts a fantastic terrace overlooking the southern end of the main square. It does decent cakes, teas from around the world,…
Budapest
In what was once a bus terminus, this popular open-air bar heaves in summer, when young crowds flock here to drink a fröccs (wine spritzer), meet friends…
Pécs
This funny little ‘wine bar’ opposite the Csontváry Museum has outdoor seating on a tiny terrace next to an early Christian site and serves white…
Budapest
A little oasis in the concrete jungle that is Újlipótváros, this seasonal cafe sets itself up in an empty lot on the corner of Katona József utca and…
Esztergom
If you want to kick your heels up, head for this popular pub-bar with a retro Hungarian look (curios, ‘antiqued’ stuff, exposed brick walls) and canned…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
OK, we'll admit it: we come to this little greener-than-green (as in the colour) cafe because of the name. But it does some excellent waffles (850Ft) and…
Esztergom
The main square location is good for people-watching and a handy spot for a post-sightseeing tipple. Besides jars of multiflavoured lemonades, try a beer…
Esztergom
This cosy cafe-bar, housed in a little glass house opposite the Danube Museum, has plenty of tree shade and a large terrace for hot summer days. It’s a…
Eger
Eger’s classic club, where the dance floor doesn't heave but buckles until the wee hours twice a week to mainstream and classic favourites. It's below the…
Szeged
This bar-cum-dance-club sitting on a dock on the Tisza at the bottom of Arany János utca attracts Szeged's beautiful people with its streamlined decor and…
Sopron
Less-than-salubrious pub in a 17th-century cellar, where you can imbibe a wide selection of local wines while sharing large platters of cured meats, local…
Great Plain
This cafe serves hot and cold drinks and snacks at the Máta Stud Farm, east of the ticket office and information centre.
Szeged
This giant, two-storey sidewalk cafe overlooking Klauzál tér has a generous choice of frothy coffee concoctions, ice creams and cakes (345Ft to 660Ft).
Szentendre
This cafe, next door to the marzipan museum, is a good place to stop for cake (420Ft to 650Ft) and ice cream.
Pécs
Open only in the warmer months, this outdoor cafe is a quiet piece of heaven with shaded tables placed amid a jungle-like patch of greenery.
Pécs
This hard-to-find basement bar transforms itself into a small (and very central) club on weekends.
