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One mans meat, it is often said, is another mans poison. The French have 'chacun à son goût? and others may suggest 'whatever turns you on?. From eating and drinking well (and inexpensively) through classical music and opera to rock concerts, discos and lap-dancing, Budapest offers pretty much as wide a choice of things to do as you'll find in any city of a comparable size. Restaurants The city guide lists scores of restaurants of different tastes and budgets. Just about every ethnic style is available: Mexican, Jewish, Greek, Japanese, French, Slav and many, many others. The top-of-the-range Gundel is where visiting royalty and heads of state get taken by the government. Your local corner etterem will offer an impossibly large menu-choice of usually fried foods and a piled-high plate (expect chips and rice together) for not much money. A tip ' Hungarian wines range from undrinkable plonk to award-winning well-made and delicious Cabernets. If you don't have time to experiment, stick to wines from the Villany region, preferably Cabernet Sauvignons, or Chardonnays from Balaton. The prices are very reasonable. Local beers are also good value. Try Dreher on draught ' a light, lager-style beer. Cinemas There are about 24 cinemas in the city ' ranging from the newest 14-screen multiplex in West End City Center down to small art movie houses. At any one time, there are usually around 40 movies playing in English (original soundtrack with Hungarian sub-titles) ' check the weekly English paper The Budapest Sun for a full listing. Films arrive here relatively early (often before a London release). Dubbing of movies is a big business, and some ' usually those appealing to children ' are shown only in a dubbed version. The paper can sometimes get it wrong, so if its not obvious from the cinemas listings, check by asking felirat? (sub-titled'?) at the cash desk. Pay no more than about 550 ft ($2) and load up with coke and popcorn as the Hungarians love to do. Opera and Classical Music You'll pay very little money to hear the Budapest Philharmonic at, say, the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. Concerts are often held at the Vigado Concert Hall, though the acoustics could be better. Concerts are occasionally held in the domed hall of parliament, and Bach organ music is a delight to hear either in the castles Matthias Church or the Basilica on the Pest side. Opera is performed at the state Opera House on Andrassy ut (mainly in Italian with Hungarian sub-titles), or at the 3000-seat Erkel Theatre on Koztarsasag ter, near Keleti station. This latter tends to concentrate on Hungarian operas. During its season, the Operetta theatre on Nagymezo utca generally tends to stage Hungarian operettas. For tickets to everything, check the Central Booking Office on Vorosmarty square. Theatre Hungarians love their theatre and performances are usually well-attended. Of course, these tend to be predominantly in Hungarian. The Merlin Theatre (in Gerloczy utca 4, behind Deak ter), sponsored by the city council, puts on performances in English ' these are either by visiting troupes or local ex-pat residents. Folk and Gypsy Music Performances are regularly held in the Duna Palota (Zrinyi utca 5, off Roosevelt ter) or the Budai Vigado (Corvin ter 8). Many restaurants think that a gypsy band is an expected accompaniment to a meal, so you can get your fill at no extra cost (other than the obligatory tip to the violinist!). Discos Petofi Csarnok occupies a cavernous hall at the rear of City Park(Varosliget). This is a stage and disco complex that serves as a venue for local and international rock bands where you can dance the night away every night of the week. E-Klub is next to the Planetarium. It is open on Fridays and Saturdays and is always packed with Technical University students. The ex-pats make for Made Inn (on Andrassy ut, north of Oktagon) which has a nice patio and garden and where summer brings out the girls. When groups like the Rolling Stones or U2 come to town, they play the Nepstadion which has the largest seating capacity of any venue. Children Children obviously deserve to be entertained as much as anyone. A good area for them is around the Varosliget. Here you will find the Zoo, the circus and the Amusement Park (Vidam Park). In the park itself is a lake which is used for boating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter. Many of the museums would be of interest to children (the Postal Museum or the War Museum). Another interesting spot for children is the Buda Castle Labyrinth ' an underground exhibition of the citys early history. Alternatively, them swimming ' Gellert Hotel and Baths has artificial waves in the large pool and the paddling pool is full of very warm water. Further afield, you could take them up the Cog-Wheel Railway to the top of the hills, then onto the Childrens Railway, where all the signal-men and conductors are children. |
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