So what do men want when they go out? Sport to gawp at and beer to chug back.
With this kind of man in mind, co-owner Döme has been circumspect about delivery, design and furnishings. An industrial style is preferred, of iron and concrete. On the leather sofa, visitors can peruse iconic quotes by famous sportsmen. As if not obvious by now, guests are instructed as to the inspiration for the bar, Rocky also appearing in two-dimensional form on the staircase, which leads up to a punch bag and retro boxing gloves.
A collection of sports magazines sits on display, essential treasure for any enthusiast.
Among many other artifacts to be admired are the boots used by Hungarian captain Balázs Dzsudzsák for the Hungary-Iceland game at Euro 2016. There’s Michael Schumacher’s baseball cap, the top Márton Fucsovics wore when he played Federer, and boxing gloves sported by Mike Tyson and Sylvester Stallone. There’s even the boots footballer Tibor Simon gave to Döme when he was eight years old, while the Ferencváros legend was still alive. All items bear their original autographs.
Given Döme’s wide-ranging contacts in the sporting world, he plans to invite celebrities here for themed events.
For match-watching and beer-drinking, Rocky’s covers all bases. Eight huge monitors broadcast the action, also soon to be projected on a 120-seat terrace, something to bear in mind with the World Cup coming up.
Few other bars in Hungary can offer all ten Sky Sports channels. There are screens everywhere, and even if you’ve mistimed your visit to the toilet, you won’t miss a goal while answering the call of nature.
Nine types of beer flow on tap: though you’ll find Horizont and in-house Rocky’s, the ownership has steered clear of the craft trend and settled on Carlsberg. Also available are Czech Budweiser, Kronenbourg, Poretti and Grimbergen blonde and amber.
A thumping 33 types of whisky are also available, along with a wine selection to match that at the Vintage Garden and lesser-seen protein shakes that boys coming in from training will surely appreciate.
While salads haven’t been ignored, the menu is also focused on manfood. Among the appetizers, the nachos come with a beef and cheddar topping, while for mains, you can opt for a Rocky’s burger embellished with whisky-caramelized onion and a fried egg. Sandwiches, grilled chicken breast and Argentine steak also feature.
Rocky’s sports bar is also inspired by the concept of a mancave popular in the States, where the head of the family has his own TV, PlayStation, beers and minibar, pool table optional. Here the lords of the house can relax in peace, where women cannot interfere, and mates can pass time in idle conversation over beers and football gawping.
If this sounds like your idea of heaven, then you can book one of the VIP rooms that fulfils this function. In these separate spaces, there’s a PlayStation and a mini-bar with a fixed consumption at 25,000 forints.
If you’re happy being with the crowd, then you can also relax to live music during the week.
Rocky's District VII. Kazinczy utca 52A Daily noon-2am
