Description of the area

Bercsényi Apartments are located in a culturally prominent area of Budapest, next to the Bartók Béla Avenue and St. Gellért Thermal Bath!

Bartók Béla Avenue (map) is a true cultural and community hub of Budapest.

In 2021, Time Out magazine ranked it seventh out of the 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world. It rivals the likes of Neukölln in Berlin and Versterbro in Copenhagen. 

In one of Budapest’s most exciting neighbourhoods, it is home to a wide range of galleries and cultural and artistic institutions, old and new cafés, beer bars, restaurants with a diverse range of offerings and buildings with a rich history.

This boulevard stretching from the St. Gellért Thermal Bath to Kelenföld train station has become a hub of cool cafes, trendy bars, fun restaurants, and private art galleries. You won’t find the hordes of tourists strolling the wide boulevard, but rather Hungarian locals into the local arts and gastronomy scene.

There is plenty to discover around Bartók Béla Avenue. You can head up on the side streets sloping up Gellért Hill to a picturesque area populated by old villas and disused pools once belonging to the Gellért Baths. If you head in the other direction, downhill from Bartók Béla, you’ll come to Budafoki Avenue that hugs the grounds of Budapest’s neo-gothic BME University.

Further up, Bartók Béla Avenue will bring you to Móricz Zsigmond square, a busy junction stacked with street food, cafes, and transportation that will take you to any part of the city. 

If you’re an art lover, then Bartók Béla Avenue has you covered. Between the Danube river and Móricz Zsigmond Square, you’ll find many art galleries, antique shops, and design boutiques. You can see original art as well as the occasional exhibition launch in Bartók 32 Gallery, Faur Zsófi Gallery, Godot Gallery, Gross Arnold Gallery, to name a few. 

Architecture lovers will love the buildings around Bartók Béla Avenue. It’s easy to get lost among the exciting cafes, bars, and galleries, but make sure you look up to spot detailed friezes, statues, and other art nouveau accents.

The most spectacular part is around Gárdonyi square, especially the art nouveau building that’s home to the famous Hadik Cafe and the neighbouring block of apartments built by Ödön Lechner, Hungary’s answer to Gaudi.

BOHEMIAN HANGOUTS

Lying at the heart of Bartók Béla you’ll find the Hadik Cafe. This cafe used to be a literary hangout for Hungarian writers in the early 1900s and was one of Budapest’s classic cafes until it underwent a modern renovation, that combines the aesthetics of a new wave cafe with a few accents from the old.
Neighboring Szatyor Bar looks more like a ruin bar with its quirky decor, bright colors, and eclectic items.

Across the road, Kelet Kavézó offers third wave coffee, gourmet teas, spicy toasted sandwiches, and cakes in its book clad cafe. Kelet functions as a free book exchange, bring a book you don’t want to read – in any language – and pick one up off the shelf you’d instead take home.

A little further up beyond towards Móricz Zsigmond, Gdansk polish bar is a tiny shabby-chic bar with some 4-5 tables. It’s stuffed with Polish books for sale, but even if you don’t speak Polish sit down with some delicious homemade pierogi, a good beer, or a shot of vodka.

An old favourite is the Bajor Pub, which caters for all ages: some with juicy burgers, others with ice-cold beer or the like. 

If you swear by craft, Rizmajer Beerhouse is the place to be, where whether you’re thirsty for a basic beer or a seasonal guest, you’ll be warmly welcomed.

Back towards the river, Béla is the new kid on the block, a colourful bar and restaurant that has been packed since the day it opened, while KEG Beerhouse is the new place in town for craft beer lovers.

It’s great to see newer, more classic pubs surviving and opening up alongside the new wave, new generation places around here. For example, the Bölcső (Cradle), which leaves no one unsatisfied gastronomically, but also the Kispolszki, the Mag Pub and the Műhely Pub bring the pubby feeling to life.

GASTRONOMY

Near St. Gellert Thermal Bath, at Szeged Restaurant you can enjoy the finest Hungarian cuisine in an inviting atmosphere.

Whether you’re looking for vegan burgers, hummus, or Mexican food you’ll find a wide choice on Bartók Béla Avenue. Although many of the places are chains, like Hummusbar, Wömbät or Arriba!, there are few independent curiosities.

Try the fantastic vegan burgers and hot dogs at Vegan Love, or the creative tapas dishes at La Nube. Head away down Zenta street from Bartók Béla to Bölcső, a gastropub with an excellent beer selection and great craft burgers!

As you move along Bartók Béla Avenue, you’ll immediately find two Asian places that are quicker, more functional: the Buddha Original Wok Bar and Vin.Vin City offer mainly wok-based one-off dishes, hot soups and even a fair choice for a hurried lunch. 

For fans of Vietnamese food,  PHO 74 restaurant on Gárdonyi Square offers a real gastronomic experience.

When it comes to pizza, there are exactly two great places to go when you’re near Móricz and crave Neapolitan pizza.

MOTO Pizza Bartók brings a youthful flow with its hipster vibe, and you can throw in a hot 32 cent pizza for a pretty good price. 

Amore di Napoli on Budafoki street makes the best pizzas, and we’re always happy to go there too.

If you’re looking for a place to eat or meet on Móricz Zsigmond square, Semmi Extra (Nothing Special) has long been a good choice. They also serve lunch from 12:00 to 15:00 on weekdays, but it’s ideal for any kind of date or friendly chat. 

In the middle of the Móricz Zsigmond roundabout you’ll find 4 Street Coffee, which brings you a generous selection of coffee chains with additional pastries, sandwiches, free choices, in a casual way. 

Arán Bakery‘s team of Irish-international pastries and exceptionally fine breads are at the forefront of the city’s bakery scene.

If you want to spend time enjoying your shopping, the Allee shopping center is the closest store with world brands.