Nightlife

Budapest is definitely a cosmopolitan city with a tremendous variety of varied cultural events all throughout the year. There is no event that is unaffordable to the average tourist if you don't have your heart set on a particular section of a theater, but even then, seats are bargains as compared to New York, San Francisco, or London. At the opera house, one of Europe's finest, tickets generally range from 300 Ft ($1.60/85p) for the nosebleed balcony to the ultraluxurious royal box once used by the Habsburgs for 10,900 Ft ($59/£31) Almost all of the city's theaters and concert halls, with the exception of those hosting internationally touring rock groups, offer tickets for 1,000 Ft to 5,000 Ft ($5.40-$27/£2.85-£14). Of course, higher-priced seats are available also at the same venue if you want a closer view. In some cases, it is wise to choose performances based on the venue. For example, you may not particularly be a fan of ballet, but if that is all that is offered during your stay, you may want to consider less expensive tickets just to see the opera house up close and personal. You won't regret it; its splendor is superlative and it can be appreciated with any performance.

The opera, ballet, and theater seasons run from September through May with some sporadic events in June, but most theaters and halls also host performances during the summer festivals. Bear in mind that none of them are air-conditioned and heat rises. If you are sitting in a balcony on a hot evening, you may be miserable. A number of the better-known churches and stunning halls offer concerts exclusively in the summer. While classical music is ingrained into the culture in Budapest, the country, jazz, blues, rock, disco, and every other variation you left at home is here also. Stylish and unique new clubs and bars open and close regularly. The bar and club scene starts late and lasts until morning; sometimes until the last patron leaves. Only the bars in residential areas have strict closing times. Restaurants and bars in these areas in the summer have to bring in their tables at 10pm by district law in consideration of the neighbors. So whether you have dancing feet or a taste for opera, whatever your entertainment preference, Budapest nights offer plenty to choose from.

Program Listings -- For the most up-to-date information, go to www.jegymester.hu and click on the English link. This site includes information for the opera house as well as the major theaters in the city. A complete schedule of mainstream performing arts is found in the free bimonthly Koncert Kalendárium, available at any of the Tourinform offices or you can check it online at www.koncertkalendarium.hu; there is a link for English. The Budapest Sun and Funzine also have comprehensive events calendars; the weekly Budapest Times includes cultural listings. Budapest Panorama, a free monthly tourist booklet, offers only partial entertainment listings, featuring what the editors consider the monthly highlights. All of the publications mentioned above are in English.

Ticket Offices -- If you are looking for the easy way out, you can look at ticket availability online for purchasing opera, ballet, theater, or concert tickets for a number of different venues at www.jegymester.hu. It shows how many tickets are available with a seating chart to help you decide how much you want to spend for what seat. Its secure server allows you to make your purchase online. You can also prepurchase special museum exhibitions on this site also, but it may require your printing an e-ticket. If you don't have Internet access, you can save time by going to the Cultur-Comfort Ticket Office (Cultur-Comfort Központi Jegyiroda), VI. Paulay Ede u. 31 (tel. 1/322-0000). The office is open Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm. It is easier than going to the individual box offices. They sell tickets to just about everything, from theater and operettas to sports events and rock concerts. Schedules are posted for a variety of choices and they will show you a seating chart. If none of the cashiers speaks English, find a helpful customer who can translate for you. For last minute tickets or performances that are looking like they are sold out, try the venue box office for no-show tickets about 30 minutes before the performance. For opera and ballet, go to the Hungarian State Opera Ticket Office (Magyar Állami Opera Jegyiroda), VI. Andrássy út 22 (tel. 1/353-0170), open Monday through Friday 11am to 5pm. Try Concert & Media, XI. Ülloi út 11-13 (tel. 1/455-9000; www.jegyelado.hu), for classical performances as well as pop, jazz, and rock concerts. For just about everything from rock and jazz concerts to opera, ballet performances, and theater tickets, try Ticket Express, VI. Jókai u. 40 (tel. 1/353-0692; www.tex.hu), open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 7pm. Further Ticket Express offices can be found at V. Deák Ferenc u. 19 (tel. 1/266-7070), open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 9pm; VI. Andrássy út 18 (tel. 1/312-0000), open Monday through Friday 9:30am to 6:30pm; and VIII. József krt. 50 (tel. 1/344-0369), open Monday through Friday 9:30am to 6:30pm.

Note: For cheaper tickets, look online at one of the sites above and then try going to the actual box office of the venue. Some of the ticket agencies only carry the higher-end price range of tickets. You may also find that agencies charge a commission (usually about 4%), especially for hit shows or international performers.

Bistros: For the Sophisticated Night Owl -- If you're looking for a late-night cocktail but want to avoid the typical bar and club scene, try Cream Restaurant. It is drawing a crowd with their eye-opening decorating scheme and varied music styles to suit any mood. Being centrally located close to either the körút or Astoria, a bar/bistro, it draws a mixed crowd. Paris, Texas on the popular Ráday utca, is a pleasant place to sit down and talk or eat after a concert, but their food comes from the Pink Cadillac.

Bar Scene

Bar Warning -- The Longford Irish Pub, V. Fehérhajó u. 5 (tel. 1/267-2766), has been reportedly gouging both tourists and Hungarians alike. Due to numerous complaints sent to the Budapest Times, the paper did an "undercover" investigation and reported their findings in the June 18-24, 2007, issue. What they reported was that the bill received at the end of the meal was illegible and incomplete in details, thus allowing the bar to include higher-priced items or items that had not been ordered at all. Although this practice has been reported at some restaurants in the Castle District, this is the first experience with an establishment in Pest.

Gay & Lesbian Bars -- The bar scene regardless of orientation is volatile, most likely due to the low wages of the local working stiffs regardless of their profession. There is not much discretionary income to spend in bars. Gay bars open and close in the blink of an eye. The gay bar scene in Budapest is largely male-oriented though progress is being made for women; it comes and goes even faster than the regular scene. For reliable and up-to-date information, visit www.budapestgaycity.net, www.gayguide.net, or subscribe to the free Yahoo Gay Budapest Information group by sending an e-mail to gaybudapestinfo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Casinos

Budapest has a couple dozen casinos. Many are located in luxury hotels: Casino Budapest Hilton, I. Hess András tér 1-3 (tel. 1/375-1001); Las Vegas Casino, in the Atrium Hyatt Hotel, V. Roosevelt tér 2 (tel. 1/317-6022; www.lasvegascasino.hu); and Orfeum Casino, in the Hotel Béke Radisson, VI. Teréz krt. 43 (tel. 1/301-1600). Formal dress is required. Other popular casinos include: Grand Casino Budapest, V. Deák Ferenc u. 13 (tel. 1/483-0170), Tropicana Casino, V. Vigadó u. 2 (tel. 1/327-7250; www.tropicanacasino.hu), and the most elegant Várkert Casino on the Danube side, Ybl Miklós tér 9 (tel. 1/202-4244; www.varkert.hu). There are a number of smaller independent casinos around the city, but we do not recommend patronizing them.

Movies

A healthy number of English-language movies are always playing in Budapest. The best source of listings is the Budapest Sun or online at www.budapestsun.com. Movies labeled szinkronizált, m.b., or magyarul beszél mean that the movie has been dubbed into Hungarian; feliratos means subtitled. Tickets cost around 800 Ft to 1,800 Ft ($4.30-$9.75/£2.30-£5.15). Most multiplexes provide the option of seeing movies in their original language even if the movie itself was dubbed, but they are the most expensive theaters. For their addresses, check the Budapest Sun when checking the schedule. The art cinemas where English-language movies are commonly found are Corvin, VIII. köz 1 (tel. 1/459-5050; tram no. 4 or 6 to Ferenc krt.); Európa, VII. Rákóczi út 82 (tel. 1/322-5419; no. 7 bus to Berzsenyi u.); Hunnia, VII. Erzsébet krt. 26 (tel. 1/322-3471; tram no. 4 or 6 to Wesselényi u.); Muvész, VI. Teréz krt. 30 (tel. 1/332-6726; tram no. 4 or 6 to Oktogon); Puskin, V. Kossuth L. u. 18 (tel. 1/429-6080; metro to Astoria, Red line); and Uránia, VIII. Rákócxi út 2 (tel. 1/318-8955; metro to Blaha Lujza tér, Red line).

Going to a movie at one of the cinemas above can be a cultural experience in and of itself. Some theaters are smaller than most people's living rooms. Seats are assigned in all of the theaters. Jobb means right and Bal means left. First, find the sign to see if that theater uses right and left as you face the seats or as you are facing the stage; it is not a uniform custom. Then find your row number Sor, and finally your numbered "chair" Szék. If you do not sit in your assigned seat, you may find an upset Hungarian hovering over you telling you that the seat is theirs. As a throwback to earlier times, you will find a half-empty theater with people insisting they have to sit in their assigned seat when better seats are freely available. If popcorn is sold in the theater, don't expect any butter or other topping. As much as the Hungarian diet is made up of fats, they don't use any for their movie munchies.