Anastasia Chukovskaya
Jewish Quarter in District VII today is the funkiest neighborhood in town packed with bars, restaurants and clubs. But it hasn't always been like this. After Nazi troops occupied Germany in 1944, they hastened to send people to death camps – 500,000 died, another 100,000 fled and the once-wealthy district stood abandoned and dilapidated.
The beginning of the 21st century changed everything – Hungarians turned the loss to benefit and handed the houses in the ghetto to super trendy romkocsmák or ruin pubs. Shabbiness become their major concept – dance floor in a living room, bar in a bathroom, chill out in a bedroom, movies on the wall, wallpaper falling off, ruined plasterwork, stone staircases, shabby armchairs and old TV-sets made for the best design ever.
Szimla kert, Lokál Bar, Fogaskert, Urimuri, Super 8, Ankert are just a few on the list to spend the night talking and drinking. However, you can find ruin bars in other parts of the city.
