While comfortable seats, friendly service, and a wide selection of drinks and food are necessary for a nice hangout, good live music improves the overall effect – especially under open skies. Fortunately, Budapest features many open-air bars to choose from when it comes to sipping on a cold lemonade, fröccs, or beer accompanied by musicians playing pleasant tunes, even on weekdays.
1/6
ELLÁTÓház
ELLÁTÓház, located on Dob Street in the Jewish Quarter, provides a central venue for large-scale musical evenings and concerts from Monday to Saturday night. On Tuesdays, enthusiastic amateurs can try their luck on Open Mic Night, but most performers that take the stage are renowned musicians, such as the Gypsy-music ensemble Parno Graszt, Robi Bérczesi (lead singer and songwriter of the popular band hiperkarma), the Latin duo Tátrai-Szűcs, or the Pécs-based pop group Mongooz and the Magnet.
2/6
Kobuci Kert
The open-air concert club of Kobuci Kert, located in the courtyard of the Zichy Palace of Óbuda, has been a frequent hangout for fans of live-music evenings. There’s some kind of program almost every day, and performers include both fresh talents and professionals with decades of experience. Many bands and musicians played their music in the club so far, including Sziámi Péter Müller, Csík Zenekar, Kerekes Band, Frenk, Budapest Bár, Bohemian Betyars, Veronika Harcsa, ColorSTar, and Bea Palya.
3/6
Liebling
A rendezvous on the upstairs terrace of Liebling, located on Akácfa Street, is bound to be successful with the intimate lighting and live music playing in the background, such as the accordion of Ernő Weszely, the indie folk and ukulele of Muzsik és Volkova, the Wednesday night DJ sets featuring jazz albums from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s that our grandmothers would remember, or some soul-infused acoustics by musicians like Barbi Stahl, Gábor Havai, Gabi Knoll, or Canarro.
4/6
Mazel Tov
Mazel Tov reigns as one of the most popular clubs of the Jewish Quarter, offering Mediterranean cuisine, gin fizzes, and an intimate atmosphere. Every night there’s a live musical performance beginning at 8pm, with returning musicians such as Dóri Hegyi, Juli Horányi, Gabi Knoll, the InFusion Trio, and Andris Jász. On Friday and Saturday, guests can enjoy various DJ sets by Jutasi or Benski.
5/6
PONTOON
PONTOON is a cultural nightclub by the Chain Bridge where we can enjoy a fabulous panorama, water-front breeze, cold rosé fröccs, and a very strong musical lineup every week. Hungarian and foreign DJs, bands, and formations play music on the shore all week long – except for the jazzy Monday Sessions. Other live events include Tilos Night, Random Trip, and SoulClap gigs among many others, but all of them feature the Chain Bridge as a backdrop.
6/6
Zsiráf
One of the best things to happen to Nyugati Station in recent years is the appearance of a sprawling new beer garden in the middle of adjacent Eiffel Square, ZSIRÁF. In addition to good drinks, food, and the concert series Lépcső Akusztik, the place also has great bands and solo acts performing under the strings of lights, with the facade of the railway station in the background. Musical genres alternate in the evenings from Tuesday to Saturday, with past performers including the Peet Project, Márk Járai, Viktor Király, and Fran Palermo.
