Budapest has many great craft beer bars. We’ve put together a list of our favorites here. Let us know how you like them, or if there’s any we should add to this list!
Our Favorites: Top 3 Craft Beer Bars in Budapest
If you’re only going to visit a few craft beer bars in Budapest, these three would be our choices!
Craft Beer and Whiskey: InVitro Beer Bar
Of all the craft beer bars in Budapest, InVitro is one of the best. It’s a quiet bar, in a basement a few minutes’ walk outside of the main “party area” of the 7th district. While they don’t brew onsite, InVitro takes advantage of “guerilla brewing”, contracting the use of equipment from breweries that have extra capacity. The taps here are mostly filled with their own beers, but you’ll find some guest taps as well, usually from other local microbreweries. The whiskey selection is also impressive.
A Brewpub with an American Diner Twist: Ruin Brew: Brunch & Beer
Nestled in the heart of Budapest’s Jewish Quarter, Ruin Brew is one of only three true brewpubs in the city center. (A brewpub is a pub that brews beer onsite.) Usually boasting anywhere from 6-9 beers on tap, the prices are great for a craft beer bar, and they even offer 50% off their own draft beers from 5-6pm Monday-Friday. While they specialize in American-style IPAs, you can usually find a sour or gose on tap too, and often a stout in the winter. If you’re hungry and you go before 3pm (Friday-Sunday), you can enjoy the full breakfast menu. It’s also rumored that Ruin Brew has the best bloody mary in Budapest.
The Dark Side of Budapest Craft Beer: Gravity Brewing
A basement brewpub in the 9th district, close to trendy Ráday street, Gravity specializes in dark and high alcohol content beers. Another of the three brewpubs in the city center, you’ll always find a good stout or imperial IPA here. While Gravity doesn’t serve food, there are many good restaurants nearby. Order online with Wolt or grab some takeaway before you arrive! (The link contains an affiliate code for up to 2000 HUF credits for new users.)
More Craft Beer Bars in Budapest Worth Visiting
After our favorite craft beer bars above, the next ones are also great. Budapest has many many more craft beer bars than this (about 30 total), but these are the ones we think are the best.
Can a Dive be a Craft Beer Bar? Hopaholic
Just down the street from Ruin Brew, Hopaholic has a very wide selection of bottles and cans from many countries. If you’re looking for variety and range, this is the place to go in Budapest. Be warned that on busy Friday or Saturday nights, the street outside Hopaholic can be quite intense, as it’s across the road from one of the biggest and craziest clubs in the city.
Address: Akácfa utca 38 (VII. District)
Facebook: @hopaholiccraftbeer
Instagram: @hopaholic_budapest
A Classy Beer Garden: Élesztő
Élesztő is actually a large terrace and beer garden. Featuring the biggest selection of local craft beers on this list, there’s plenty of space for large groups, and a variety of food options.
A Counter-Culture Craft Beer Bar: Hops Beer Bar
Just a stone’s throw from iconic ruin bar Szimpla Garden, Hops Beer Bar is a small, counter-culture dive, featuring some nice local and international craft beers.
Bottle Shop or Tasting Room? Csakajósör
Almost more of a bottle shop, Csakajósör has a great international and local selection for take-away or in-house consumption. It’s a great place if you’re looking for unique beers you won’t find elsewhere in Budapest.
Similar articles from other sites
- Offbeat Budapest – The 10 Best Craft Beer Bars in Budapest (Last updated: 2023-03-10)
- The Guardian – Top 10 Craft Beer Bars in Budapest (Last updated: 2015-06-05)
- We ♥︎ Budapest – Budapest’s 10 best craft-beer bars (Last updated: 2019-07-19)
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