It is a well-known secret that the Jewish Quarter is the coolest part of Budapest. Dangerously so, in fact – there is so much going on in this relatively small triangle of streets that it would be virtually possible to spend all of your time here without realising it. Kiraly St is the official ‘party street’, lined with clubs, cafes and bistros, it’s more than possible to stay out until 7am (which is when the street cleaners arrive to herald a new day). But scattered throughout the area are some particularly exciting venues which you should be sure to seek out. Szimpla Kert is perhaps the most well-known, even internationally; it’s the oldest and largest of Budapest’s famous ‘ruin bars’ – alternative and edgy nightlife spots constructed out of what are essentially the shells of ruined buildings. Szimpla’s sprawling open plan has bars round every corner, and plenty of nooks to sequester yourself in. You sit in bath-tubs and converted Trabants (a car so bad that it’s probably better used as a seat, but which is a nice nod to the country’s communist past), whilst chairs hang from the ceiling as decorations. Watch out for the nice people inexplicably selling raw carrots - you didn’t know you wanted one, but you do.
However, should the carrots not prove quite filling enough, then just across the road is Bors GasztroBár, a tiny little soup-and-sandwich shop run by an ex-Michelin star chef who decided to throw it all in to come and be happy in Europe’s party central. No, really. Don’t go here until your last day or there’s a significant chance that you might not eat anywhere else; the food is cheap and delicious, the menu varied and the staff welcoming, even if seating is a little limited. You’ll stand, it’s worth it, I promise you.
Should you manage to drag yourself away from these two big players – both found on Kazinczy utca - then there’s plenty going on in the surrounding are. Look out for the Gozsdu Udvar, a passageway between Király utca and Dob utca which is home to many lively bars and restaurants, (and also a classic car exhibition, if you fancy that sort of thing). The Blue Bird Cafe is famous for its coffee, whilst Yiddishe Mamma Mia is, despite the comedic implications of the name, a surprisingly upmarket Italian/Jewish fusion restaurant, decorated with Italian spices and pictures of Jerusalem. Exiting this passage onto Síp utca, you’ll find the Spinoza Cafe, whose red wallpaper and nostalgic prints makes it feel like you’ve stepped straight into a fin de siècle artiste’s salon. Watch out for the Friday night dinner and klezmer nights, but if swing is more your thing, the underground Lampas bar is just next door, albeit a little underground.
At the other end of the passge, you’ll find the favourite late-night snacking spot of the area’s party goers: at around 3am the queues for Pizza Mamma-Sophia snake well out the door and down the street. At that time of night, you probably won’t want to venture any further afield, but if you find yourself feeling braver the next day then there are plenty more interesting places in the city to explore – if located less conveniently adjacent to one another. For your hangover breakfast (or normal breakfast, or lunch or dinner), where better than Rétesház, the first ever strudel house? The interiors once again tap into that mixture of cosiness and opulence that suggests the intellectual community of the late 1800s, but more importantly, the strudel is to die for. If you arrive at the right time, you can see it being made in front of you, and a video of the history of the restaurant is available on request.