The first romkocsma to open and still probably the best is Szimpla Kert in Kazinczy utca 14. There are others in Dob utca and Kiraly utca. All these photos were taken at Szimpla.
These joints are for the young and the hip, based on Berlin squat hype and a bohemian atmosphere. They all differ but what they have in common is a maze of raw brick rooms following each other which open out into a spacious covered courtyard, thrift shop decor, mismatched furniture and artworks, drinks, a buzzy atmosphere, funky decor and often entertainment.
It is apparent that romkocsmas are now a pemanent part of the Budapest cityscape. They are popular and well patronised by locals as well as foreigners.
The couple below are sitting in an old Trabant that has been turned into a funky drinking table.
and for those who don't know - almost everyone I imagine - Trabants were East German automobiles that those who were lucky enough to be able to afford a car in Hungary drove back in the Communist era. Here is one well and alive around Budapest that is not in a romkocsma.
The entertainment on the night we visited was belly dancing. A large number of very attractive young women dressed in oriental finery performed a series of very attractive gyrations that had very little actual belly dancing. Not sure what they were learning and it looked very nice but it was not belly dancing.
It was a very lovely spectacle nevertheless. This woman in particular was very good, one of the teachers I gather. But still not belly dancing :-)
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