VakEgér reopens to welcome longtime regulars and fresh faces

Following a summertime break, this locally beloved bar and restaurant is back in action – and while some things remain the same, many others changed for good. The laid-back vibes and the nostalgic pictures on the wall are familiar to anyone who spent at least one evening at the pub, as are the skeletons hanging upside-down from the ceiling and yellow footprints leading to the dance floor. What’s new is the list of hamburgers, the fresh cocktail variations, and the artisanal beer. We stopped by to check out everything – including the new house-party room.

VakEgér is not a newcomer to Budapest nightlife, so it isn’t surprising that it’s always crowded with regulars – and we aren’t talking about the aforementioned skeletons. This place isn’t a teen headquarters, but a meeting place for a more mature crowd; if you happen to be under 21, don’t even think about entering here. However, once you step inside, the staff greets you with treats like a duck burger, rosemary-flavored cocktails, the “alcohol stock exchange”, and a retro spirit. These are all essential parts of VakEgér, but it’s true that some of them are newcomers to this tried-and-true hangout.

Photo: Norbert Juhász - We Love Budapest

The separate house-party room received a makeover in the spring, resulting in a surreal environment with a bar counter lit by purple neon, your grandmother’s pantry, and and special wallpaper. What makes the latter so special are the special photo elements in its design, making guests feel as though they’re walking through the different rooms of a house where the Mézga Family (an old-school Hungarian cartoon that is an essential part of Magyar pop culture) is on TV. Apart from these things, you can also bump into extra guests like the rapper boy or the schoolgirl, who you may already be familiar with from other walls of the pub. The room can host a maximum of 40-50 people, and there’s a DJ booth where anybody can connect their phone and be a DJ for the night.We also have to say a few words about the new hamburgers on the menu, because of their outstanding quality: we tried the duck burger and a pork burger (both 1,490 HUF) that came with tortilla chips. The patty made out of duck-breast fillet was crispy, and went well with the purple-onion jam. Every burger comes with a homemade creamy-and-spicy remoulade sauce, and we recommend these handheld feasts as culinary treats, not as something to eat only because it will soak up alcohol.

Another unique thing about VakEgér is its alcohol stock-exchange system. There are always nine different drinks listed on mounted TV screens, all offered on the stock exchange – and the price of each beverage changes every minute, depending on how many people order them, and how quickly they’re ordered. However, those who are uninterested in playing the market can always order seasonal cocktails of the house. We did so and tried an Eperjó (1,290 HUF) and a Spicy Mule (1,290 HUF) – the latter is a mix of Absolut Peppar, lime, cardamom liqueur, and ginger beer, while Eperjó is a concoction of gin, strawberry purée, basil, and tonic. Both can be ordered at “the city’s fastest counter”, where the VakEgér staff guarantees that customers get their orders within three minutes.It’s never a bad idea to drop by for a drink or a hamburger, or to stay and get a bit nostalgic about the memorable parties that took place here... or to create new memories by shaking your hips to hits presented by DJ Master or DJ Chucky. And after a night spent at VakEgér, it can easily happen that you go home with extra sunglasses on your head or with a matchbox in your pocket, as the bar regularly organizes theme nights with gifts. Meanwhile, if you want to chill out at hidden place, nobody will disturb you in the separated room – all found just a few steps away from central Deák Square.