Having had success with bar recommendations in the past for other European cities, this time it’s Budapest.

I’m there for business so looking for sensibly priced bars that serve good beer – doesn’t need to be posh but given it’s business, nothing dodgy, thanks 🙂

Oh and recommendations for any sights that are worth seeing welcome too though realistically I won’t have much spare time so they’d need to be fairly central.

The Gellert for satorial elegance.

Ruin bars, very much an experience. Went to one when I was there for work, a few of us went out after the all day meetings

Been 10 years since I was there, so no use on bars but you have to go to the house of terror, best (and one of the most brutal) museums I have ever been to. it’s very near heros’ square.

Just got back from my tenth visit there on Friday. Sadly when I do go, I’m also on business so don’t have time to explore the city.

If you get an afternoon off, take your swimming cossie and visit the amazing Gellert baths behind the Gellert hotel. You will love the ornate baroque style – start in the main indoor bath then go outside to the big wave pool (excellent fun) then try the smaller hot pools alongside – there’s nothing nicer than lying in a hot bath listening to the birds in the trees above you. Do have a look inside the hotel as well, the lobby and main staircase are super, built in 1901. Do climb Gellert hill and admire the views of the city. Once you’ve done that, walk across the bridge and go inside the covered market on the right at the end of the bridge; I believe it was designed by Gustav Eiffel or something; on the first floor balconies you’ll find all the alcoholics having a swift topup with grape skin wine, which you can buy in plastic jerricans to take home! It’s just a few forint for a small glass.

Then walk up that side of the river to Szechenyi square and go inside the amazing Four Seasons Gresham hotel, which was built in 1906 by a British insurance company. We visited the building when it was virtually derelict, full of pigeons and filthy, before it was restored and turned into a superb hotel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gresham_Palace

The touristy areas of Budapest are OK but you won’t find much of interest to buy in the shops unless you want overpriced paprika and cherry liqueurs. Best to buy all that in the market. Do try a couple of the coffee shops, which are real time warps. It’s a very dignified city with some incredible architecture. Occasionally on un-restored buildings you’ll be able to spot bullet holes in the walls.

Take cycling kit as well because it’s a nice place to cycle and now they’ve got the Bubi bikes:

The only place I know for bike hire is the Art’Otel on the river bank opposite the parliament, which has about 200 bikes, mostly step-through commuter types.

Beware of the scams involving buying a drink for four hundred pounds, and getting marched to cashpoint by bouncers.
The police are no help as they get a cut.

Thanks guys 🙂