A dentist’s chair isn’t really the best place to be drinking a glass of pálinka. But imagine doing just that while resting your feet in a bathtub, with a gutted Trabant for company. Or how about sipping your favourite cocktail, lounging on a lopsided couch, while a bicycle hangs overhead?
Think of saxophones and radiograms, pots and pans, juicers and mixers, all posing prettily on tabletops. And, if thrift décor is not your style, imagine psychedelic interiors complete with a boar-shaped disco ball, glowing butterflies, jumping foxes, and a large shining owl. All these elements come together in the ruined, dilapidated buildings of Budapest that are centuries old. Say hello to the ruin pubs that are the most happening places to hang out at in the Hungarian capital.
The concept of ruin pubs first came up in 2000, when young people were having a dearth of places to lounge at. There were old, decrepit buildings lying vacant in the centre of the city. A brilliant mind put two and two together, and voilà, the famous ruin pubs were born.
Located in the Jewish Quarters, most of the buildings that house ruin pubs today, belong to the Second World War era and were either partially or completely damaged during the bombings. The subsequent Nazi invasion and Communist occupancy damaged them further, and these structures, which were once the epitome of Magyars’ Pride, were reduced to a mere rubble of their magnificent past.
New identity
It was only in the 1990s, after the country was freed of Communist occupancy, that some owners returned to the area and rebuilt their homes. The first few ruin pubs were opened in these homes. Later, they came to occupy empty factories, dingy parking lots, crumbling corridors and stinky stairways. Except these pubs turned the adjectives on their heads — they were no longer empty, dingy, crumbling, or stinky. If anything, the ruin pubs stand out for their décor — armchairs from the 70s, old books and pictures from the 60s, brass lanterns, mismatched stools; graffiti-laced walls, wrought-iron tables, discoloured table lamps, broken ceiling fans. These pubs became a perfect example of upcycling with a twist.
“Earlier, it was a low-budget place and more for students from the university. Today, it has become very popular and is a favourite of Yuppies or Generation Y, and of course, tourists. I know of many tourists who come to Budapest primarily for the ruin pubs,” says Jackie Virag, an Airbnb host who owns an apartment at one of the hotspots of Budapest, Király Street, and guides many of her guests around the famous district for a Ruin Pub crawl.
These pubs also host exhibitions, movie screenings, concerts and social dos, and are pivotal to the cultural identity of the city even during the daytime. Take Szimpla for example, one of the top pubs in the city, which was opened in 2001 when “a circle of friends wanted a place with an unusual business model: supporting and financing alternative arts and culture on a market basis. Part of its concept was using what’s given — used furniture, thrown-away household objects, scrap — since they had a very low budget. It created a whole new line of Budapest bars,” says Bence Molnar, the manager. They plan to foray into charity and sustainability by organising alternative tours on vintage bikes, promoting recycling through design markets and workshops.
Current scene
Others, like Fogasház, want to expand their capacity. The pub started in 2009 when the two owners had the possibility of renting a whole flat in downtown Budapest. This first building was Fogasház. In the following years, while the business started to expand, they took over the next building too, which is now known as Fogaskert. Fogasház and Fogaskert became the third-largest ruin pub in the city.
“It can accommodate 1,350 people, and on weekends, we get more or less 2,000 guests.” says Géczi Richárd from Fogasház, rated as the number one pub in Budapest in 2017.
Ideal for sharing some gossip over a cup of coffee with friends, drinking a beer after work, warming up on a Saturday evening or cooling down on a Sunday morning, the ruin pubs today are entwined with everyday life.
A reflection of the beautiful-but-battered past of a city juxtaposed against the throbbing energy of the present, these pubs are a classic case of the current generation moving on with life, not holding grudges against its not-so-pleasant past.
Top notes
1. Fogasház literally means “house of teeth”. Thankfully, it is neither made of teeth, nor has dentists going around with pliers, although you will find some eerie teeth-art around the place. Fogasház has been a pioneer in the ruin pub culture; it created a movement for the nightlife genre during its initial years, when it functioned as a hub for arts and a hangout for visionaries.
2. Szimplakert is a legend among the ruin pubs. It offers variety engagements: concerts, parties, activities for the elderly, exhibitions, farmers’ market, and numerous other cultural events. It is famous for its peculiar interior-design solutions, a mix of styles, and the eclectic vibe of urban life.
3. Anker’t, touted as the second-best ruin pub this year, is one of the largest downtown beer hubs. The sprawling pub with two courtyards, and a large projector, is a hit with guests. In the evening, the hottest underground DJs spin records, and slam poetry evenings are a regular feature. Unlike its counterparts, Anker’t takes pride in its minimalistic style and décor and welcomes four-legged guests.
4. Once a repair shop, Kuplung, has a colourful calendar of a wide range of events. It covers popular music from diverse perspectives with concerts such as late-afternoon matinees and album premières. The outdoor area is vibrant with murals and paintings on the façade.
5. Relatively new in the scene, Mazel Tov is already making a big impression. Housed in a neglected brick building, it has turned into a genuine community centre with simple design and a charming garden. One of Mazel Tov’s major cultural goals is to provide a space for everyone who believes in an open and inclusive world. Mazel Tov is a full-service restaurant as well as a happening club.
Light Up
The city of Timisoara in Western Romania was the first mainland European city to get electric street lights in the early 1880s. This city was earlier a part of the Kingdom of Hungary.
