For those familiar with Budapest nightlife, Kertem needs little introduction. Once based at City Park, it had a relaxed, ruin-bar atmosphere and was a favourite of families and dog owners by day. Now the location has changed, Kőbánya, but the vibe remains the same.
On the night of 6 June 2008, a little-known young man appeared at a newly
opened ruin pub in City Park. The bartenders and the manager quickly saw that
he was mingling with everyone. As the evening progressed, the question of the
name of the pub came up because up until now there hadn’t been one.
Then the boy
said, “This is a really good little place, it’s just like sitting in my own
garden”. Although the mysterious man was never seen again, this is how the
legendary Kertem ('My Garden’) was born. It is now just reopened in Kőbánya
instead of the previous location due to the Liget project currently transforming City
Park.
The area formerly known as the Northern Vehicle Repair Centre currently houses the Eiffel Workshop belonging to the Opera House and the Diesel Hall, where the Transport Museum has moved. The latter currently features a super locomotive exhibition and now this can be combined with afternoon drinks at the new Kertem.
Surrounded by large trees and old industrial buildings, this shaded square hides in relaxed fashion at the back of the complex. Even walking in this direction prepares you for laid-back recreation.
And it’s just as good as the old place at City Park, which is to say, very good indeed. The core audience feels the same, many having grown up with the old bar and happy to help the new one along.
The retro furnishings reflect the owners’ passion for collecting, so the tables and chairs from old pubs have found a new home here. The records that decorate the bar counter come from a shop next to Nyugati station. Everything seems to have slipped into place, and customers feel the same.
In the afternoon, guests kick off their shoes and put their feet up with a cordial and/or hefty Balkan burger, as dogs and barefoot children run around. This place always allowed diverse groups to mingle thanks to its large outdoor space.
In the evening, the music starts up, the garlands of light bulbs blink into action, friends gather, noise increases, and you can sample something stronger than the afternoon’s lemonade. As if with regulars in mind, prices are the same as two years ago (Balkan burgers HUF 1,950, wine HUF 250/dl and HUF 450/dl, draught Borsodi HUF 690/pint, Staropramen HUF 790/bottle). Kertem is open every day from noon to 1am.
And don’t be afraid of the new location, either. The Eiffel Műhelyház stop in Kőbánya is a 20-minute ride from Deák tér by the regular 9 bus or 13 minutes by trams 28/28A and 62 from Blaha Lujza tér.
Kertem
District X. Kőbányai út 30
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