Highlights

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Behind the Lens in Budapest

Explore Budapest with Nori Golacs who is joining VCARB at the Hungaroring

Budapest-born

photographer

Nori

Golacs

(@norigolacs)

joining

VCARB

the

Hungaroring

our

Creator

Platform

photographer.

Known

for

capturing

the

moments

that

others

miss,

Nori

brings

eye

for

the

details,

emotion

and

energy

that

make

race

weekends

unforgettable.

Inspired

movement

and

fast-paced

environments,

her

photography

tells

authentic

stories

both

and

off

the

track.

But before the lights go out, we asked Nori to take us somewhere she knows best: her hometown. From local restaurants to the colourful chaos of Szimpla Kert, here's her guide to the best places to eat, drink and explore in Budapest.

Budapest Castle

Budapest is a pretty walkable city, so I recommend walking around anyway, but especially for people visiting for the first time, I highly suggest walking around the castle! There are so many things to see, although it can get pretty crowded, especially during periods like sunset and such. My favourite of our main museums is the Hungarian National Gallery up here, which has classics, a Dolce Vita exhibition, as well as a pretty good Hungarian contemporary collection. You can also go all the way up to the dome and out to see the view with a regular ticket, and there are significantly fewer people up there.

BudaCastle

Kelet

Opened by a group of 7 guys, a chef, two actors, a rapper, a tattoo artist, a bar manager, and a content creator, Galamb has one of the coolest stories in the city. (The name means pigeon in Hungarian, and they really do hang around the nearby park.) Inspired by homey Parisian restaurants, the focus is on community, with interiors reminiscent of 80s Hungary with a modern twist and a menu full of the founders' favourite dishes. The beef tartare is a musttttt try!! Open from 4:00 pm on weekdays, and from midday until midnight Friday through the weekend.

Kelet

Cabrio

The restaurant with the nicest atmosphere, in my opinion. Quiet and classy, with loads of ambient light by day and candles that really set the scene at night. They describe themselves as a modern European bistro, and they genuinely live up to it. The menu is made up of small plates, but everything is high quality, satisfying, and pairs perfectly with their great selection of natural wines. It has outdoor seating on a quiet street that you can visit during the day as well, but it really shines in the evening. Minimalist yet incredibly chic, just make sure to book ahead for dinner, as it fills up quickly.

Cabrio

Gozsdu Courtyard

Basically, a courtyard made up of bars, restaurants, and all kinds of things to explore. On weekends they hold flea markets, on Thursdays it's live jazz from 5pm, but on a usual day you would find people sitting around talking, eating, and watching whatever they put on TV - usually sports like the recent World Cup and, without question, the Hungarian Grand Prix. I don’t have a singular recommendation; go around and see what you would like - they have some bits of everything.

Gozsdu

Gangshikdang

Beloved, truly authentic Korean restaurant by the riverside. It’s a classic, with very cozy, high-quality Korean food. Locals and foreigners all love the restaurant, and you will find a lot of Korean celebrities' signatures, as they all visit when they’re here.

Gangsikdang

Központ

The name is very telling, it translates to "centre." Close to Deák Ferenc Square, it is usually buzzing with people. They have great drinks and atmosphere, and they also do DJ sets and techno in the downstairs spaces.

Kozpont

Palazzo Permanens

Built originally in 1901, this place used to serve as a meeting point for all kinds of artists. Now it has been transformed a bit to accommodate events, gallery openings, and a ton of concerts and sets. The atmosphere is extremely unique compared to a lot of other buildings of this type, and they do have the craziest parties, with mostly electronic music and some live music events. The garden area is free to visit; it has a bar and loads of seating options, while the parties are upstairs. They’re open mostly from Thursday through Saturday, but you can usually find when they have an event and who is playing on Palazzo’s socials.

PalazzoPermanens

Akvárium Klub

A classic and solid music venue + bar. Don’t let the outside construction scare you away, the stairs go down and lead to the entrance, so you don’t even really see all of the building work that is happening. The outside has nice seating options and bars, as well as screens that will be broadcasting the Hungarian Grand Prix. Inside are 3 different rooms, and you can usually find out who is playing on their Facebook or Instagram. It has a vintage photobooth in front that is fun, but don’t fall for the other tourist stands, like the chimney cake and lángos.

AkváriumKlub

Szimpla Kert

A ruin bar that can sometimes be considered touristy, but I definitely recommend it. There’s always something happening in every corner, and the whole atmosphere is so unique. Extremely colourful, loud music in some parts, but they also have quieter, more talk-friendly spaces and great drinks.

SzimplaKert

Rakpart

The Pest embankment really comes alive in summer. Vehicular traffic is closed from 5:00pm to 5:00am every day, turning the riverfront into one long pedestrian space to explore. Sections beneath the Tram 2 line have been transformed into bars, exhibition spaces, and pop-up venues hosting everything from painting workshops to flea markets. I don't have one specific recommendation, but places like Tuna and Dunyi usually have live music, while other sections host DJs and all kinds of events.

Rakpart

Pontoon

Live music venue with a great view riverside. They usually have shows every day, followed by DJ sets next to a really good bar. People either sit on the embankment next to the Danube or at the limited number of tables, but the energy is unique either way. I recommend checking out the schedule on their socials, but they by far have the best live music jam sessions.

Pontoon

Boat tours

No specific recommendations, but especially for first-timers, I do think a boat tour is worth it to see the city from the river. The unlimited prosecco tour is quite famous on socials, but make sure to book after the sun has gone down for the best view.

BoatTours

Rudas Thermal Bath

Budapest is famous for its thermal baths, and if I had to choose one, I’d choose Rudas. It has a variety of Turkish-era baths, normal swimming pools, and thermal water. The top has a panoramic outdoor thermal pool, but it can get pretty crowded up there.

RudasThermalBath