For visitors to Budapest, the best clubs are often frustratingly hard to find. A few years back a number of derelict buildings in the center of the city, many opulent and loaded with history, began being converted into summer nightclubs and bars. It was an instant success and has sparked one of the most interesting nightlife scenes in Europe today. Located within a Spanish-style building, Szoda is actually not a ruin at all, but a marble-tiled courtyard with fountain three-story atrium. Guests enter through an unassuming doorway on a quiet urban street near the chain bridge and Four Seasons Hotel. Inside the courtyard are various archways offering private lounges with sofas and chairs, oversize Foosball room, and a DJ booth mixing one of the best underground-mixes in Europe. Summer features weekly dance and theme nights including an outdoor cinema showing sporting games and the occasional film noir.
Tips
Every summer since 2002 has seen new 'ruin pubs’ come and go as empty spaces and buildings are scouted out. The bars move on from one summer to the next, and people looking for a place they enjoyed last year often stumble upon a construction site.
Last Word
Food is a bit sketchy, offering oversize hot dogs and complimentary containers of popcorn �" in terms of drinks it’s best to stick with a good beer.
