- Stacey Shevlin
Ruin Pubs – what pubs? – Only In Budapest
Check out a list and Map of Ruin Pubs HERE
Ruin pubs are my dreamboat. I love old items, some may consider trash. Back when I was living in a permanent residence, I used to collect things off of the side of the road that other people considered useless, and repurpose them around my house. Ruin pubs have done just that, on a very large scale.
Old tables and chairs, old bicycles, clocks, TV’s, children’s toys.. you name it, you’ll find it decorating these huge dilapidated warehouse spaces.
From what I gather they popped up in the early 2000’s when there were many vacant buildings. People started using them as clubs and bars.
Ruin pubs used to move to new locations, or close, then open in a new place again. At night they function as bars/restaurants and music venues. But they are are not only good places to drink and have fun but they also function as cultural community areas with film clubs, theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions, and farmers markets. No two are the same there is no specified design, and there are no rules on what they have to be.
These photos are from a daytime trip to Szimpla Kert. Our night time visit was packed to the gills with people, therefore it was very hard to get good photos. There are many different ruin pubs scattered around all with different themes – some have DJ’s, some live music. Some have taco carts, others make burgers. They all share a common feel though they feel very DIY, very off the radar and very special. I had never encountered spaces like these until this trip to Budapest. When I return I’d like to visit many more of them.
To visit their website click HERE
