There are edgy and popular downtown places every second corner, but sometimes we don't need the design as much as we need to spare our wallet. Instead of preparing for the night with some cheap bottles of noname wines from the bottom shelves in the supermarket, here are some cheap pubs you can visit without having to spend a fortune. We already did some collections in downtown and Buda - now here are our recent top 10 favorites.
1/10
Kakas Presszó
Kakas Presszó is the most popular pub franchise in the city and operates drinkeries at Móricz Zsigmond Körtér, Kálvin Square, and Deák Square. The brand's biggest strength besides the low prices is that it's open till dawn (12:00-4:00); and the one at Deák Square goes to the extreme and is available non-stop even on holidays. Kakas is an ideal spot for warm-up drinks and for those one-more-and-then-we'll-call-it-a-night type of beers. Adress: 1075 Budapest, Károly körút 23.
2/10
Maláta Bisztró
Separadted from Ráday Street's fancy places, there's an all-around perfect pub in Mátyás Street. Maláta Bisztró's hobbit hole-like entrance leads to a small cellar, where there's magic much more impressive than Gandalf's fancy wizardry: a beer menu with a shot of vodka or Jager for only 650 Forints. The music repertoire is almost solely focused on metal, but you can always YouTube your favourite song and ask the bartender to put it on. Maláta is perfect for holiday parties, watching various sports events (mostly NFL games), and playing foosball. The bartenders are as cool as the
N.W.A. in 1988 and are always open to having a shot or two with you.
Address: 1097 Budapest, Mátyás Street 11.
3/10
Forward 57
Liquor store no. 57, located at Akácfa Street 57. is actually a pub and not just any pub: it's a worn-down, all-around memento of socialist realism. The fanciest thing they do here is probably wiping off the tables twice a month, but that's absolutely fine. Only the people who've been here can understand and relate to the essence of this gem of a cheap pub.
Address: 1073 Budapest, Akácfa Street 57.
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4/10
Klub Vittula
Klub Vittula (let us not get into details about the meaning of vittula, but google is your friend, my friend) is a place so bizarre that even experienced pub-hopers get confused upon entering. The post-apocalyptic cellar hidden behind rusty iron doors would make a great vampire lair having not seen natural light in years, but the lack of sunshine doesn't bother anyone - especially at night. Vittula has visitors of various styles, ages, and nationalities, but the most faithful Vittula-patriots are university students and exchange students.
5/10
Hauzol Café
Hauzol Café has been a popular spot from day one, mainly because you can get as wasted as Tom Waits in the late-1970s for about 3000 Forints. Although the interior might remind you of the 90s, it won't overdose you with sugarcoated nostalgia.
Address: 1073 Budapest, Erzsébet Boulvard 26.
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6/10
Ördögsarok
Ördögsarok is highly popular among university students: it's cozy, cheap, and has a terrace for smokers. The people inside are rarely sober and there's always something sticky spilled on the counter, so be careful with your clothes.
Address: 1053 Budapest, Károly Boulvard 1.
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7/10
Gong Café
Gong Café is close to luxorious New York Palace, but is far from being high-end. The café epithet is absolutely useless - why would anyone ponder ordering a coffee when a beer or a Jager is only 300 Forints apiece? Gong is run by the guys responsible for legendary Caesar Söröző, so expect great things.
Address: 1073 Budapest, Erzsébet Boulvard 15.
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8/10
Mignon Söröző
Despite the silly French name and the ice cream cones on the window,this is definitely not a confectionery. Located in the vicinity of Mammut mall, Mignon became popular against all odds: it's small and has very few chairs, but you should know by know that cheap drinks make up for all shortcomings.
Address: 1015 Budapest, Hattyú Street 18.
9/10
Rózsadomb Eszpresszó
Do you know why cheap pubs are called espressos, cafés, or restaurants? Neither do us, but boy, is it ironic! Anyway, the latter question also surfaces in the curious case of Rózsadomb Espresso, since the place has little to do with espressos, but at least is located at the foot of Rózsadomb.
Address: 1024 Budapest, Margit Boulvard 4.
