Posh café, steam rooms, and ruins with fairy lights - Part IV
Ruin Bars. I wanted to dedicate an entire blog entry to these extravagant and quirky establishments in the capital.
Budapest is known for its famous 'ruin bars', which have become a popular attraction in the city. However, in the grand scheme of the city's history, these bars are relatively new. Despite this, they have seen a significant rise in popularity over the last 15 years and are now as equally popular as Budapest's more traditional tourist attractions, such as the Hungarian Parliament Building and Buda Castle. During the early 2000s, the 7th District's inner part was made up of decaying and deserted buildings. The historic Jewish Quarter that once served as the site of the Jewish ghetto became dilapidated in the years after World War II when 10,000 Jews were deported. During the initial stages of the ruin bar's development, there were concerns that they would be shut down, particularly in the VII District, an area with significant real estate value. However, over time, ruin bars became an integral and iconic part of Budapest's landscape. People from all over would travel to the city solely to experience the unique atmosphere of these dilapidated yet charming bars.
On our second day, after spending some quality time with my mother, we took to the streets of the 7th District and visited this location on Kazinczy Street called Szimpla Kert. It was a derelict/abandoned-looking building used to house apartments that had been converted into a popular gathering place with bright neon lights and music. It had the impression of a labyrinth where one could get lost easily and find a bar in every corner that was ready to serve the famous Hungarian spirit, the Pálinka which is traditionally made from peach or plum.
We had a shot each that quickly warmed up our hearts and soul and set the mood for the night. We had a couple of more drinks and soaked up the atmosphere, took pictures and got merry. The night continued with a more sophisticated experience at Kaa Mixology, a high-end cocktail bar where we enjoyed the magic of mixing delicious drinks in front of our eyes. The last stop in our well-behaved ‘pub crawl’ was the Boutiq Bar where we hinted that it was our honeymoon that landed us a cute Polaroid photo from the team. We finished the night on a high, happy and tipsy and ready to turn in. On the way home we bought some stale pastries from a Turkish vendor and scooted back to the hotel to sleep off the alcohol.
