Only in Budapest by Duncan J.D. Smith

119 District VII Szimpla kert is the granddaddy of Budapest’s ruin pubs They come here to party well into the night, fuelled by a broad selection of beers, wines, and cocktails. It’s another world, and little wonder that a reader survey conducted by respected travel publisher Lonely Planet placed Szimpla amongst the Top 5 best bars in the world. Only the A38 Bar on-board a converted river barge moored on the city’s Danube embankment proved more popular (see no. 13). The Ruin Pub movement has subsequently expanded beyond the borders of District VII, taking the city’s increasingly popular new Bohemian culture with it (for a list of those currently in opera- tion visit www.ruinpubs.com) . Nor does the burgeoning movement encompass only vacant lots. These days it includes other intriguing spaces such as rooftops, a great example of which is the Corvintető at Blaha Lujza tér 1 (District VIII), which promotes itself as an under- ground club in the open air. And it probably needs to since much prime Ruin Pub real estate in District VIII, the former Roma Quarter (Nyócker) out beyond the József körút, is in the process of being lev- elled and replaced with anonymous office blocks, displacing the local community in the process (see no. 57). To participate in a fascinating tour of what’s left visit www.beyondbudapest.hu. Other places of interest nearby: 62, 63, 64