Sherlock Holmes

It claims to be a Scottish bar, but it isn’t. Well not really, it's as much a Scottish bar as is Sir William on Raday utca, a wannabe. As far as I know Sherlock Holmes was not Scottish, however his character was created by the Scottish writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Anyway what this bar is, is a cosy little spot serving up inexpensive drinks, including an incredible selection of whiskys.

Check out the ribbons on the whisky bottles as this will indicate how much you pay for a tipple. The barmaid with the steel rimmed glasses and piercings seems to be a permanent fixture at this 13th district pub, she’s nice to look at, and is always up for a laugh - unlike many Scotish barmaids ;)

Go for: Bushmills Black Bush
Go to: Pannónia u. 3, 1136 Budapest


Platos



Platos is one of Budapest’s most underappreciated craft beer bar’s situated on Dohany Utca. Good in the winter (even better in the summer) as they have a pretty kicking air conditioning system that appears to come through an old fashioned tranny (the word for radio in Scottish).

This was my go to place in the summer of 2015, I sat here with a girl in blue denim shorts, escaping the relentless sun, chatting and enjoying the dirt cheap brew on tap. I recently returned a few short weeks ago with my best pal in Budapest and I was delighted to see the bar has not changed one bit since that summer, inexpensive yet full of character(s).

Go for: HUF 500 craft on tap
Go to: Dohány utca 30/A, 1074 Budapest


Liquid Rock



A recent discovery and I am so glad I found this self-proclaimed hard rock bar, as it has real personality. Eddie The Head (The Iron Maiden mascot) stares down menacingly from the posters on the walls reminding me of my big brother's room when I was six. He adored Iron Maiden at the time and Ed The Head gave me many a nightmare, now it's fun to remember those days, hope you may too.

So getting back to Liquid Rock, it’s a dive bar in the best sense of the word. Extraordinary characters will pour you cheap wine by the gallon and cut price Horizont beer just for a laugh. You can also have Trooper (Iron Maiden’s official beer) whilst Nirvana, Peral Jam, the boss and other’s pour over the bars speakers.

Go for: Bernard Czech Beer
Go to: Rákóczi út 10, 1072 Budapest


Filo



First up, full disclosure: My friend, Marci is a part owner of this place & since I started writing for xpatloop he has promised me a brown envelope stuffed with cash if I include Filo in one of my top five lists. Well, Marci you finally won. In all seriousness, Filo was always going to be included anyway and I am clearly joking about the bribes. Maybe. I had one of the best birthday parties of my life here a few years back.

It is an intimate, enclosed space and every time I come back I feel like I am meeting an old friend. Put your thinking cap on as you go all Will Hunting and try to solve the mathematical puzzles that decorate the bar. Take one of the high chairs, grab a cocktail or a beer and give your night a great kickstart.

Go for: The bottles of Bigfoot
Go to: Dob u. 32, 1072 Budapest

Start



30 seconds from Szimpla but somehow always empty, Start is again another place that has gone under the craft beer radar. Which is a real shame considering how 'budget' the beer is here.

My friends Lewis and Dave and I would come here every Thursday night without fail after football training for a couple of beers and a quick catch up. You won’t see us in here that often now-a-days but I will still make the odd visit to Start. The husband and wife owners of the bar are super enthusiastic about their beers, and they’ll offer up good conversation to any solo drinker.

Go for: The Maharaja curry beer
Go to: Kazinczy u. 20, 1075 Budapest

By Joe McCann for XpatLoop.com
Photos courtesy of the venues