Budapest’s Jewish District
By Joel Alas, B EAST Editor
Budapest is an ageing beauty queen, a once-glorious imperial capital wasted by two consecutive destructive politico-economic systems. But the young creative minds of the city aren’t beset by the currency woes and political turmoil that has stung Hungary in recent years.
Behind the weathered building façades, in the ‘ruin bars’ and basement pubs, a small and vibrant artistic scene is busy at work.
A stroll down Andrassy Utca, Budapest’s central glamour shopping street, offers an image of prosperity: the flagship shops of boutique brands shine brightly, illuminating well-dressed crowds as they bustle past on the way to the opera house or beyond.
Yet walk even just one block south from Andrassy Utca, and this picture of consumer-driven opulence is revealed to be a flimsy façade. There, on the darkened streets of District VII, the store windows are crowded not with luxury goods, but with signs carrying a single word: Kiado (For Rent). A visitor might assume the entire district is vacant, so frequent are the signs.
The once-handsome buildings are in various stages of disrepair, some ageing gracefully, others crumbling away. Stone bollards intended to stop cars from parking on the footpaths have been felled, either deliberately or due to poor construction. Those shops that are occupied house an unlikely variety of businesses – home appliance repair depots, late-night convenience stores, dentists’ waiting rooms, grungy bars, and Jewish restaurants. The last two categories have come to define District VII. They give the area its dynamic edge, and explain why it is here that Budapest’s artistic revival is taking place.
District VII is also known as the Jewish District, an area once home to some 200,000 Jews. Within the district’s trapezoid of streets are three grand synagogues, including Europe’s largest, and dozens of Jewish prayer rooms, restaurants and community centers. The district was turned into a ghetto during the Nazi reign, and almost half of its residents were killed in the Holocaust. The ghettoization of District VII cast a pall over the area that has stigmatized it for decades. Even today, many older residents of Budapest refuse to set foot there.
Harder to deter are the young creatives, who have spied opportunity in the wonderfully decaying district. There are dozens of lively drinking holes to be discovered. Known as “ruin bars” to locals, the cheerful entertainment establishments reflect the do-it-yourself creativity of the area. Furniture made from old bathtubs are a feature at Szimpla, a large bar occupying two floors and a courtyard of a rundown house. The cosy restaurant M Etterem covers its walls with plain brown paper decorated with marker pen sketches. Wine glasses are strung together into stunning chandeliers at Koleves, another nearby restaurant. Two ruin bars, Mumus and Kiado, invited a local graffiti team called 1000 Crew to paint their walls, drawing the atmosphere of the street inside.
“There are lots of artists living here. It’s only two streets away from the fancy shopping street, but it’s totally different. When I was looking for a shop, I knew it had to be in this area,” says photographer-turned-screen printer Claudia Martins, who recently opened her fashion café Printa in the heart of district VII, almost directly opposite an ornate Jewish synagogue.
Musically, Budapest isn’t as dynamic as other cities in a similar cultural league, such as Prague and Berlin. The music playing above the smoky din in the average ruin bar sounds several years out of date, and the nightclubs stick to crowd-pleasing formulas of dated electronica, sped-up Balkan folk, nu-jazz and soul. As local culture journalist Szego Fruzsina said: “Things change very slowly in Budapest. The music style is still traditional. New music nights aren’t so popular. But it also means that you can change things, eventually.”
FOOD:
Koleves
The name means ‘stone soup’, an item thankfully not on the menu. Instead you’ll find hearty and tasty dishes creatively dressed and presented by gorgeous and friendly staff. The wine list is impressive too – try the local reds.
Kazinczy utca 35
www.koleves.com
M. Etterem
The walls and tables of this cozy restaurant are covered in brown paper, decorated with marker pen drawings. The food is delicious – even the vegetarian offerings, which is supposedly rare in Hungary.
Kertesz utca 48
www.metterem.hu
DRINK:
Szimpla
Hidden from the street, Szimpla is a huge bar occupying two floors and a courtyard, with a seemingly endless number of small nooks in which to hide. The decoration is clever – bathtubs cut in half and used as seats, old computer screens entangled in a giant video installation. Upstairs you’ll find a simple kitchen serving student meals for cheap.
If you’re not impressed by Szimpla, you can walk a few blocks to its sister establishments Szimpla and Dupla at Kertesz utca 48.
Kazinczy utca 14
www.szimpla.hu
Kiado
The name of this pub means ‘For Rent’, which is slightly confusing since most shops in the surrounding streets actually are for rent. One of the main hang-outs for the artistic crowd, Kiado has a good late-night kitchen – try the amazingly-spiced deer goulash. The atmosphere is always upbeat and the bar is usually full of an interesting spread of characters.
Jokai ter 3
Tuzrakter Cultural Center
A former school building, Tuzrakter feels like a Kreuzberg squat, with many levels 
occupied by bars, makeshift galleries, event spaces and studios. The huge courtyard heaves with life in the summer. The program includes DJs and bands, film nights and acrobatic classes.
Hegedu utca 3
www.tuzrakter.hu
Mumus
A large bar and club, with frequent live music upstairs. The decoration is by street art group 1000%.
Dob utca 18
Garzon Café
Retro-decorated street bar, a good place to start the night.
Wesselenyi utca 24
MORNING AFTER:
Mozaik Teahouse and Café
The barristas at Mozaik top their coffees with a thin squiggle of honey – very tasty. The two-level location is warm and homely, decorated in oriental style. A great place to sit and read, or play backgammon.
Kiraly utca 18
www.mozaikteahaz.hu
Szechenyi Baths
Locals will all tell you that the best bathhouse is the Szechenyi Baths, in the center of Varosliget park. It’s huge and a little bit institutional, and sometimes it takes a while to find the perfectly temperatured pool to dip in. But the giant outdoor warm pool makes it all worthwhile (particularly if it happens to snow while you’re soaking out there). Search for the honey-scented sauna – it’s a treat.
For a combined bathing and partying experience, look out for one of the frequent Cinetrip parties, which take place in various baths around the city, featuring DJs, VJs and light installationists.
www.spasbudapest.com
www.cinetrip.hu
WAMP Hungarian Design Market
Once a month local designers offer their wares at an underground fleamarket – underground in a physical sense. The WAMP design market takes place in a large public space under the Erzsebet Square. You’ll find t-shirts, books, toys, jewellery and lots of gift ideas. Most of the items are made locally by young artists and designers.
www.wamp.hu
B EAST’s GUIDE TO BUDAPEST – MAP
View B EAST’s Guide to Budapest’s Jewish District in a larger map
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