Amstel Bar

You will be hard pressed to find a better all-nighter than the Amstel Bar. With a downtown setting, a good selection of beers and pleasant staff. V. Váci utca 61. Open: 8am-6am Mon-Sat, 10am-6am Sun

Belgian Brasserie Henri

You can not wrong with a bar that serves Chimay, Duvel and Hoeggarden. Conveniently located on the Buda embankment, many of the bar's clientele are unsurprisingly drawn from the nearby French Institute.

It has a laid back atmosphere and a menu that includes moules marinière. I. Bem Rakpart 12. Open: noon-midnight daily

Website: www.belgasorozo.com

 

Cactus Juice

 Although on the face of it a Wild West theme bar in downtown Pest may seem just a little querky, Cactus Juice actually works quite well. Cuisine follows suit with a variety of burgers and Tex-mex dishes. Mostly Hungarian clientele with music in the evenings.

VI. Jókai tér 5, Open: noon-2am, Mon-Thu, noon-4am Fri-Sat, 4pm-2am Sun

Website: www.cactusjuice.hu

Crazy Cafe

Not content with offering around 20 draught beers, Crazy's owners stock five times as many bottled beers, copious amounts of spirits and virtually every cocktail under the sun. The bar menu, which comprises mainly of pizza and simple Hungarian fare is much easier to grasp.
VI. Jókai utca 30. Open: 11am-1am daily.

Website: www.crazycafe.hu

 

Bar Domby

The place has a New York feel, with a gold and black interior and large mirrors on the walls (it sounds gaudy, but it’s stylishly carried off). The crowd is chic but not pretentious and the music fits the bill. But it's the drinks that are, of course, the real draw. A vast array of bottles line the walls behind the bar, all the best brands plus lots of more obscure tipples; the bar staff know what they’re doing and drinks are invariably very well mixed, with attention to detail elevating these drinks from merely good to magnificent.
Anker köz 3. Budapest, 1061 Telephone: +36.1.266.0966

Fregatt

Another English-style pub near to Budapest's Elizabeth Bridge, which retains its popularity with the English speaking expat community. A gentle crowd and relaxed atmosphere make this a decent place to share a few pints.
Molnár utca 26, Open 3pm-1am Mon-Fri, 5pm-1am Sat-Sun

 

 

Janis' Pub

Named after Texas' most famous blues songstress, Janis Joplin, this downtown pub boasts decent live music as well as Guinness and Gösser beer on tap. Easy to find and situated close to Budapest's major hotels.

V. Király Pal utca 8. Open 4pm-2am Mon-Thur, 4 pm-3am Fri-Sat

Website: www.janispub.hu

John Bull Pub

As the first English-style pub to open in Budapest, not surprisingly the clientele here are mainly English and American expats. Located behind the Budapest Marriott Hotel, the John Bull Pub, with the presence of Double Diamond on tap suggests that you have somehow managed to slip into a weird 70s time warp.
Apáczai Csere János utca. Open noon-11pm daily

 

 

Incognito

A large, trendy bar with loud jazz sounds and an adventurous cocktail menu. As you'd expect, the place gets rather packed during the summer, with the young crown alternating between here and Café Mediterranean just across the street.
VI. Liszt Ferenc tér 3, Open 10am-midnight Mon-Fri, 12pm-midnight Sat-Sun

 

 

Portside

Hugely popular at weekends and with a distinctly young clientele, Portside is as good a place as any to start an evening in Budapest. In between rounds, you can try a dish from the extensive bar menu, play pool, or just boogie the night away.
VII. Dohány utca 7, Open: noon-2am Mon-Thu, 11am-4am Fri-Sat

Website: www.portside.hu

 

Universum

Café/club nicely located in Budapest's most famous shopping district. By day, the snazzy enough café attracts a mixed crowd, although as the sun sets it's predominantly twenty-something clubbers who turn up for the sounds of the in-house DJ. V. Vaci utca 33, Open 11am-4am Mon-Sat, noon-3pm Sun