I wrote this up last year but then missed the deadline for a new id
I am a local if you have any questions or visiting just send me a pm
So here it goes, nightlife places in budapest in no particular order
Trafiq - Hercegprrimas 18 - Guys 2000/2500 HUF (1000 drinkable) / Girls 1000 HUF (1000 drinkable)
Trafiq is the main representation of the high end club scene in budapest. The girls are hot and with plenty of attitude to boost. After midnight they will start to pile in in pairs and fours. If you are into the VIP/bottle service game this should be your spot but by all means get the table next to the DJ booth as the others are not so good. The DJ spins a good tune so the dancefloor is always busy. You will always see a group of 4-5 guys with a single Tier-1 girl here.
Gozsdu udvar
Plenty of open-air or semi-open/heated tent areas. I dislike this place along with the ruin pubs as there are many seated sets, most of them mixed and nothing ever happens in places like this. If however you think is your niche by all means go for it.
Some bars here have a smaller/medium dancefloor downstairs.
Mignon - 2000 HUF
A very long bar facing the dancefloor gets extremely busy. Lots of mixed sets, music/dj and talent is rather mediocre.
Otkert - 2000 HUF
I think Trafiq is what Otkert wanted to be but did not manage to get there. There are lots of other bars in the neighbourhood of the cathedral.
Morrisons 2 - Szent Istvan 11
Free before 2100 and 500 HUF after. Thus this places peakes early. The bar queue is 4 deep right after 2100 but afterwards everyone goes to the dancefloors. Lots of 5s/6s and this means that the 7s feel their value is in the sky. Good warmup place if you want to start the night early. Popular with university students. One of the few places thats busy earlier in the week.
Hello Baby - Near Oktogon
Been here only once and the doorman let us in without any charge at 2am and inside it was rather sparse, more than half empty. Not sure if this club can achieve critical mass on any given night due to its location being just outside the central areas.
Doboz - Klauzal - Guys 1000 HUF drinkable / Girls free
This is the bread and butter of the mid-range club fare. Plenty of young talent and some out-of-towners prefer. Every friday/saturday the dancefloor is packed and a good layout means there are plenty of spaces where you can have a normal conversation as well. If you arrive at 11pm it might be still empty with chairs on the dancefloor while after 3am people will be leaving.
Peaches and Cream - Nagymezo - Free before midnight; 1500 HUF after
Calls itself an RnB club but the music is just normal mainstream clubfare. You better join the queue at 2315 on saturday if you want to get in free. Wednesday is student night and this is the place to go on that day. The white sofas are great places to chill and/or escalate and they are free (some clubs in the west would call these VIP tables as well)
Cheers - Nagymezo
A pub opposite Peaches where you can get drunk cheaply while waiting for Peaches to open and fill up. You will see who has the bands for the club already and it is quite obvious that everyone there is doing this.
Barrio Latino - Jokai st - usually free
This is the latin/salsa/reggeaton place. Has classes upto 2100-2130 and people stay on to dance to a DJ late night.
Symbol
A restaurant during the daytime transforms into a nightclub, where the VIP section is bigger than the normal bar/dancefloor area. Local businessowners and their girls frequent this place. Taxi costs about 2000 HUF from the centre
Urimuri - 2000 HUF Guys / 1000 HUF Girls
While the name/outside of the place suggest something high-end it is anything but. The paint is peeling off the walls and the toilets are a dump. However the dancefloor is covered by a tent and thus you can smoke while dancing if that is your thing. It can be a really bad sausgefest here, definitely not worth it. Since I have been there this place has moved to a new location.
Corvinteto - 500/1000 HUF
This is an electro/dubstep place with specific DJ lineups so check out their website on who is playing. Drinks are cheap so local students who are into the music frequent this place. Upstairs there is an open air terrace while the weather is good with the best views of budapest a nightvenue can offer.
Bars
Szimplakert
Rather expensive and full of tourist as it is on every backpackers list of places to visit in Budapest.
Mixx - Eiffel square
A high-end bar/club that used to be busy last season now almost completely empty. The focal point of the nightlife shifted towards the centre
B-City Pub - Zichy Jeno 32
Open 24h and has wifi. Need I say more.
Instant - Nagymezo st - Free allnight
A latenight bar with multiple dancefloors and an insane layout including one-way systems. Gets busy from 1am onwards and at 3am there are still people coming in from other venues. If you come with a group, you will lose your friends most easily here.
Comics shottail bar - Dohany u.
A rather expensive place but if you have an inner geek you will like the decor.
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Places I have not been yet
Moulin Rogue - Nagymezo
From what I have seen from the crowd outside, the regulars are kinda older
Club Play
A club that aims to lure in great DJs and acts from the west. For club/house/electronic music lovers
Alcatraz
Apparantely owned by the ukranians and looks like a prison inside
Morrisons Liget
Has 30+ nights where you can get in for free if you are old. Have not figured the rationale for me to visit this place yet.
I am a local if you have any questions or visiting just send me a pm
So here it goes, nightlife places in budapest in no particular order
Trafiq - Hercegprrimas 18 - Guys 2000/2500 HUF (1000 drinkable) / Girls 1000 HUF (1000 drinkable)
Trafiq is the main representation of the high end club scene in budapest. The girls are hot and with plenty of attitude to boost. After midnight they will start to pile in in pairs and fours. If you are into the VIP/bottle service game this should be your spot but by all means get the table next to the DJ booth as the others are not so good. The DJ spins a good tune so the dancefloor is always busy. You will always see a group of 4-5 guys with a single Tier-1 girl here.
Gozsdu udvar
Plenty of open-air or semi-open/heated tent areas. I dislike this place along with the ruin pubs as there are many seated sets, most of them mixed and nothing ever happens in places like this. If however you think is your niche by all means go for it.
Some bars here have a smaller/medium dancefloor downstairs.
Mignon - 2000 HUF
A very long bar facing the dancefloor gets extremely busy. Lots of mixed sets, music/dj and talent is rather mediocre.
Otkert - 2000 HUF
I think Trafiq is what Otkert wanted to be but did not manage to get there. There are lots of other bars in the neighbourhood of the cathedral.
Morrisons 2 - Szent Istvan 11
Free before 2100 and 500 HUF after. Thus this places peakes early. The bar queue is 4 deep right after 2100 but afterwards everyone goes to the dancefloors. Lots of 5s/6s and this means that the 7s feel their value is in the sky. Good warmup place if you want to start the night early. Popular with university students. One of the few places thats busy earlier in the week.
Hello Baby - Near Oktogon
Been here only once and the doorman let us in without any charge at 2am and inside it was rather sparse, more than half empty. Not sure if this club can achieve critical mass on any given night due to its location being just outside the central areas.
Doboz - Klauzal - Guys 1000 HUF drinkable / Girls free
This is the bread and butter of the mid-range club fare. Plenty of young talent and some out-of-towners prefer. Every friday/saturday the dancefloor is packed and a good layout means there are plenty of spaces where you can have a normal conversation as well. If you arrive at 11pm it might be still empty with chairs on the dancefloor while after 3am people will be leaving.
Peaches and Cream - Nagymezo - Free before midnight; 1500 HUF after
Calls itself an RnB club but the music is just normal mainstream clubfare. You better join the queue at 2315 on saturday if you want to get in free. Wednesday is student night and this is the place to go on that day. The white sofas are great places to chill and/or escalate and they are free (some clubs in the west would call these VIP tables as well)
Cheers - Nagymezo
A pub opposite Peaches where you can get drunk cheaply while waiting for Peaches to open and fill up. You will see who has the bands for the club already and it is quite obvious that everyone there is doing this.
Barrio Latino - Jokai st - usually free
This is the latin/salsa/reggeaton place. Has classes upto 2100-2130 and people stay on to dance to a DJ late night.
Symbol
A restaurant during the daytime transforms into a nightclub, where the VIP section is bigger than the normal bar/dancefloor area. Local businessowners and their girls frequent this place. Taxi costs about 2000 HUF from the centre
Urimuri - 2000 HUF Guys / 1000 HUF Girls
While the name/outside of the place suggest something high-end it is anything but. The paint is peeling off the walls and the toilets are a dump. However the dancefloor is covered by a tent and thus you can smoke while dancing if that is your thing. It can be a really bad sausgefest here, definitely not worth it. Since I have been there this place has moved to a new location.
Corvinteto - 500/1000 HUF
This is an electro/dubstep place with specific DJ lineups so check out their website on who is playing. Drinks are cheap so local students who are into the music frequent this place. Upstairs there is an open air terrace while the weather is good with the best views of budapest a nightvenue can offer.
Bars
Szimplakert
Rather expensive and full of tourist as it is on every backpackers list of places to visit in Budapest.
Mixx - Eiffel square
A high-end bar/club that used to be busy last season now almost completely empty. The focal point of the nightlife shifted towards the centre
B-City Pub - Zichy Jeno 32
Open 24h and has wifi. Need I say more.
Instant - Nagymezo st - Free allnight
A latenight bar with multiple dancefloors and an insane layout including one-way systems. Gets busy from 1am onwards and at 3am there are still people coming in from other venues. If you come with a group, you will lose your friends most easily here.
Comics shottail bar - Dohany u.
A rather expensive place but if you have an inner geek you will like the decor.
------
Places I have not been yet
Moulin Rogue - Nagymezo
From what I have seen from the crowd outside, the regulars are kinda older
Club Play
A club that aims to lure in great DJs and acts from the west. For club/house/electronic music lovers
Alcatraz
Apparantely owned by the ukranians and looks like a prison inside
Morrisons Liget
Has 30+ nights where you can get in for free if you are old. Have not figured the rationale for me to visit this place yet.