budapest tour of jewish quarter

A Walking Tour of Budapest’s Jewish Quarter

From hushed synagogues to rollicking “ruin bars,” follow history’s path through this fascinating budapest neighborhood..

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The striking Dohány Street Synagogue—the largest temple in Europe—seats 3,000 worshippers.

Photo by Artur Bogacki/Shutterstock

It is difficult to map the exact boundaries of Budapest ’s historic Jewish Quarter since—barring a two-month period toward the end of World War II—no one had previously felt it necessary to determine exactly where the city’s Jewish residents lived. (The Jewish ghetto that was precisely delineated by Nazi authorities included only a portion of a larger neighborhood.) In the early 20th century, roughly a quarter of Budapest’s population was Jewish and lived throughout the city. The Jewish community was to a large degree integrated into daily life and contributed to the city’s reputation as a cosmopolitan metropolis with leading Jewish figures prominent in artistic, financial, and scientific circles.

However, there was—and still is—a recognized Jewish Quarter, which included the city’s major synagogues. It sits at the western end of today’s District 7 and is roughly bounded by Király utca (or Király Street), Erzsébet körút (Erzsébet Boulevard), and Dohány utca (Dohány Street). While the Jewish character of the neighborhood changed, of course, with the Holocaust, there are still today around an estimated 100,000 Jews living in Hungary, with most of them concentrated in Budapest. At the same time, the Jewish Quarter has evolved into one of the liveliest centers of nightlife in the capital, drawing travelers from around Europe and the world to its “ruin pubs” and bars, drinking establishments set up in the stabilized shells of old apartment buildings, storefronts, and lots.

This self-guided walking tour, which touches on both the Jewish Quarter’s historic sites and its lively present, starts in the district’s southwestern corner at its most famous landmark, the Dohány Street Synagogue. (Dress and behave respectfully when entering the temples, which are active houses of worship: No shorts, short skirts, or tank tops.)

As you walk the neighborhood’s streets, keep an eye out for small brass plates embedded in the pavement. These memorials are engraved with the names of individual victims of the Holocaust and mark the site of their former homes.

A.) Dohány Street Synagogue

This glittering 1859 neo-Moorish synagogue with its minaret-like towers and onion domes looks like something from an Arabian Nights fantasy dropped amid the more conventional architecture of its 19th-century neighbors. It’s Europe’s largest synagogue—seating 3,000 worshippers—and the second largest in the world. (If it looks familiar to some Americans it may be because New York City’s Central Synagogue on Lexington Avenue is a near-identical replica.)

The synagogue’s complex of buildings contains much of interest: There’s a small cemetery; a memorial to Raoul Wallenberg (the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews from the Holocaust); and the Jewish Museum, which covers Jewish culture and history in Hungary and is located on the site of the former home of Theodor Herzl, the father of modern Zionism. You’ll also find the Emmanuel Tree Memorial, a sculpture in the form of a weeping willow, its leaves inscribed with the names of the 400,000 Jews murdered by Nazi and Hungarian forces.

The Carl Lutz Memorial was erected in 1991 where the former entrance to the Budapest ghetto stood.

Photo by Offbeat Budapest

B.) Carl Lutz Memorial Walk west on Rumbach Sebestyén utca and take a right on Dob utca. Down the block, where a gate in the ghetto wall once stood, you’ll find a memorial to Carl Lutz, a Swiss diplomat credited with saving 62,000 Jews. By officially designating 76 buildings around Budapest as annexes of the Swiss delegation, he created “safe houses,” off-limits to Hungarian and Nazi forces.

The interior of the Rumbach Street Synagogue before the start of the 2019 renovation

Photo by Viennaslide/Alamy

C.) Rumbach Street Synagogue Backtrack to Rumbach Sebestyén utca and continue west to the Rumbach Synagogue. Like the Dohány Street Synagogue, it was built in the Moorish-revival style popular in synagogue architecture of the late 19th century, in this case to a design by famed Viennese architect Otto Wagner. Having been neglected for years, the synagogue is undergoing a $10 million renovation scheduled to be completed by November 2019.

What used to be a quiet complex of apartment buildings and small shops is now a popular destination for diners and drinkers.

Photo by Juhasz Norbert

D.) Gozsdu Udvar Take a right on Madách Imre utca and you’ll soon reach the Gozsdu Udvar, featuring a series of interior courtyards, connected by a pedestrian-only path. The complex was built in the early 20th century with storefronts on the ground floor and apartments above. The renovated buildings now house restaurants and bars, and the area is busy from lunch until the early hours of the morning with diners and drinkers.

Try a Hungarian torta or pastry along your circuit.

E.) Fröhlich Kóser Cukrászda When you reach the end of the Gozsdu courtyards, you’ll be back on Dob utca. Take a left and continue to this kosher bakery: One of the traditional cakes or doughnuts paired with a cup of coffee will give you a boost to continue exploring.

F.) Kazinczy Street Synagogue

Around the corner, on Kazinczy utcai, this 1913 building is to this day the principal synagogue of the city’s Orthodox Jewish community. If it’s open, take a look inside at the lavish interiors with its painted blue ceiling, stained glass windows, and beautiful mosaic work. (Kazinczy Street is also one of the liveliest areas of the Jewish Quarter at night. You’ll likely find yourself back here, though farther south on the street, later in the day or evening.)

Related Budapest’s Thermal Baths for Beginners G.) Klauzál Square

Continue a little farther down Dob utca, and you’ll arrive at Klauzál Square, the park that was long the heart of the Jewish Quarter and remains a leafy oasis of the neighborhood today.

Though by no means decrepit, Mazel Tov is one of the city’s most popular ruin bars.

H.) Mazel Tov One block over, on Akácfa utca, Mazel Tov is a ruin bar and restaurant, although decidedly less ruinous than the moniker implies. While ruin bars typically leave the buildings that house them in an unrenovated but stabilized state of decay, Mazel Tov has been more extensively renovated and is slicker than most. In any case, the Mediterranean menu features excellent mezze and grilled meats, and from an after-work crowd until late at night it is often buzzing and packed.

Szimpla Kert was the first ruin bar in Budapest and started the trend of opening bars and pubs in abandoned buildings.

Photo by BFTK Veres Adam

I.) Szimpla Kert Take a right on Wesselényi utca, and return back to Kazinczy utcai. Szimpla Kert was the original ruin bar, or perhaps ruin bars , plural, is more appropriate in this case. The various rooms and courtyards of a series of derelict apartments have been transformed into an unusual series of spaces filled with antiques, works by local artists, and drinkers from around the world. There are now other ruin bars throughout Budapest, many in or near the Jewish Quarter; this may be only the beginning of a longer boozy tour.

If it isn’t time to start drinking yet, you can choose from the nearby Noah’s Patisserie for a sweet treat, while the Street Food Karavan consists of a number of food stalls and trucks set up alongside an open-air area with picnic tables. It’s an ideal place for a budget-friendly meal, especially if you are fortunate enough to be exploring the area on a warm evening.

This bleak and moving memorial marks the spot where Budapest citizens were executed by Nazis and their sympathizers during WWII.

Photo by AGE

Beyond the Jewish Quarter

Any visit to the sites associated with Budapest’s Jewish community should include a stop at the Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial . From 1944 to 1945, some 3,500 people, most of them Jews, were shot by the fascist Arrow Cross militia on the banks of the Danube. The victims were ordered to remove their shoes before the militia opened fire, and then their bodies fell into the river below. Sixty pairs of shoes, made of iron, are now affixed to the bank at the site of these executions.

The long-delayed House of Fates museum, located a few blocks east of the ghetto in a former train station that once served as the deportation point for thousands of Jews, has been mired in controversy . While the building housing this museum to the Holocaust was completed years ago, the nature of the planned exhibits has raised objections from Hungary’s Jewish community, as well as Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel (in part for downplaying the role that Hungarians played in the Holocaust). While it may open this year, it has been repeatedly delayed and may be again.

If you’d like to go a bit deeper, AFAR’s partner Context Travel offers a private walking tour of the Jewish Quarter , led by a historian and scholar.

>>Next: Plan Your Trip With AFAR’s Ultimate Budapest Travel Guide

• Best Things to do in Budapest

Jewish Quarter

Besides being very fascinating, the Budapest Jewish Quarter  hides some real treasures. The small shops and cafes that you will see around this area are characterized by real relics from the Jewish culture. More over, you will be charmed by the aristocratic buildings scattered along this area of Pest. The  Great Synagogue   located in Dohány Street represents the beating heart of this quarter.

Besides the  Jewish Museum , the Heroes Temple, the Jewish cemetery, and the memorial park – which all belong to the Synagogue – the Jewish Quarter is characterized by a  Memorial  to honor  Carl Lutz , a diplomatic who saved hundreds of Jewish during World War II. It is worth a mention also the Rumbach Utca Street Synagogue, built in Islamic style in 1872; however, today it is no longer a functioning synagogue.

Kiraly utca  is a popular shopping street, setting the northern border of the Jewish District. Around the area there are some great restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops. On  Vasvari Pal Street, hidden in a courtyard surrounded by residential buildings there is a synagogue built in Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance Style. The structure, which was renovated in 1990, it is now used as a school for Judaic studies.

The  Klauzal Square C overed Market  is one of the main Budapest’s covered markets.

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Budapest Jewish Quarter • Free Walking Tour with a Historian

Overview of the tour in Budapest

From the 18th century until the mid-20th century, the Pest side could boost with one of the most flourishing Jewish communities in the region. We will trace what remains of it and have a glimpse of its history through the monuments of the district, also commemorating the tragedy that almost put an end to it. We will see as well how the community lives nowadays. Length: approximately 2-3 hours.

This activity includes:

• Kazinczy Street Synagogue
• Rumbach Street Synagogue
• Jewish history
• Hungarian history
• Jewish District
• Jewish Quarter

Meeting point

Budapest, Madách Imre Square, Hungary

We will meet at the Elizabeth/Sisi statue at the entrance of the square.

Things to note

Entrance fees to the Kazinczy and Rumbach Synagogues are included. 13 and 14 July are off, otherwise, I am available! If you are interested in the tour at a different time&date, let me know, and we will discuss the options.

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Free Cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity starts. Late cancellation or your non-arrival is not refundable.

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Jewish Quarter Free Tour

• 9.30 / 10 108 reviews | 1,006 travellers Of the four tours we took, this was our favorite because of our guide, Gabor. He was incredibly engaging and enjoyable, in addition to having a definite command of the history of the Jewish quarter in Budapest. I’m not sure there’s a way to know which guides are doing the tours in advance, but we would have happily taken all our tours with Gabor. 10 Fred Elledge

Discover the heroes of World War II with this Jewish Quarter Free Tour around Hungary's capital. Explore one of Budapest's must-see neighbourhoods while you find out about its abundant history. 

At the scheduled time, we'll meet at Mádach imre Tér in Budapest and begin a tour around the Hungarian capital's Jewish quarter .

One of the important stops on the tour will be the exterior of the 19th-century  Great Synagogue , we'll admire the intricate details which reflect the mix of Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic styles. During the Second World War, the surroundings of this temple were turned into a concentration camp. The next stop will be at the Raoul Wallenger Holocaust Memorial Park , a monument built to honour all the victims of the Holocaust. 

Next, we'll go to the Carl Lutz Memorial . Did you know that Carl Lutz helped hundreds of Jews in Budapest to escape? it was the largest rescue operation of Jews during the Second World War. The sculpture was created to always remember the important Swiss diplomat.

The tour will also take us to the mural dedicated to the Spaniard Angel Sanz Briz . This painting was created by the artist Okuda in memory of the Spanish diplomat who saved the lives of 5,000 people by giving them a Spanish passport.

Later, we'll go to the Status Quo Synagogue  and learn more about its history. This Mozarabic and Islamic place of worship was designed by the architect Otto Wagner. Then, we'll go to a building in Király Street to see the last remains of the Budapest ghetto in its courtyard.

To conclude the tour, we'll stop in front of the famous Budapest Opera House  and discover its importance through the years while we appreciate its impressive facade.

Lastly, the Jewish Quarter tour will end at the Opera's entrance.

More Information

2 hours 15 minutes.

The activity takes place with a guide that speaks in English.

English–speaking guide with expert knowledge in the history of Budapest's Jewish Quarter

Not included

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You can book up to the start time, as long as there are places remaining. Book now to guarantee your spot.

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Meeting point.

Mádach imre Tér, Budapest

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Welcome to The Hub for online Jewish classes and events. Find an upcoming event hosted by Jewish organizations across the world, or explore our on-demand section to view recordings of past events.

Virtual Walking Tour: Jewish Budapest (Agi Antal)

Hosted By: Orange County Community Scholar Program (CSP)

In a city that has seen extremes of both ruin and redevelopment in the last 100 years, Budapest’s Jewish Quarter is a perfect depiction of past and present cohabiting and is a must-see for its unique contrasts of old and new–and sometimes, old as new. The Jewish Quarter is a network of lively, connecting streets that sit in amongst the central VII district, a neighborhood scattered with historical relics, as well as all manner of trendy drinking holes buried within the ruins of the old city. On this live, virtual walking tour with our guide Agi Antal, we’ll explore the heart of the historic Jewish quarter of Pest, visit the neighborhood’s “Golden Triangle” and get an introduction to the main synagogues, including an outside visit of the magnificent Dohany Street Synagogue, Europe’s largest. We’ll explore the origins of Pest’s Jewish community and will learn why its congregations separated and the differences between the Neolog and Orthodox communities. And we’ll hear the stories of some of the Righteous Among the Nations who saved Jews in Budapest during the Holocaust. You’ll be fascinated by the rich heritage of this thriving community, still 100,000 strong.

The event listed here is hosted by a third party. My Jewish Learning/70 Faces Media is not responsible for its content or for errors in the listing.

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A Guide To Budapest's Jewish Quarter (Party District/District 7)

Budapest's old Jewish Quarter has become the city's party district but it would be a mistake not to look beneath the surface of this culturally rich neighborhood.

• Offbeat Budapest
• Neighborhoods

Use this map to find all places mentioned in the article below.

A little history

The Jewish Quarter is considered to be the inner part of Budapest's District 7 – the area enclosed by Király Street, Erzsébet körút, Dohány Street, Károly körút. It was here that Jewish people started settling in the late 18th century (the medieval Jewish Quarter on the Buda side was decimated during the battle between the European allied forces and the Ottomans in 1686). Budapest's rapid urbanization and economic development at the time presented plenty of business opportunities for Jews, drawing them in increasing numbers. They, in turn, participated in its progress.

By 1867, around the same time as in Western Europe, Jews in Hungary gained full civil rights. As a result, the Jewish population continued to rise and by 1910, more than 23 percent of Budapest’s population was Jewish (over 200,000 people). The Jewish Quarter became a buzzing neighborhood, teeming with retail stores, kosher restaurants, and three synagogues near one another.

The mutually beneficial relationship between Budapest Jews, most of whom were highly assimilated and thought of themselves as Hungarians, and Christians began to deteriorate after WWI and culminated in the tragic events of the Holocaust – in the winter of 1944, German and Hungarian Nazis turned the Jewish Quarter into a ghetto where thousands died of famine and starvation.

The ghetto's walls ran along today's Rumbach, Király, Kertész, and Dohány streets. In January 1945, the Soviet army liberated the ghetto and saved its residents from mass deportations ( more information about Budapest's Jewish past and present.) There are several Holocaust memorials in the neighborhood today.

The Jewish Quarter declined during the Communist era (1947-1989) as residents moved out en masse or fled Hungary altogether. In the early aughts, reckless real estate developers did plenty of damage to the natural fiber of the neighborhood. Today, fewer Jewish people live here and most, but not all, signs of Jewish life have disappeared. The densely built streets and three beautiful synagogues, known as the "synagogue triangle," still stand as a reminder of the past.

The Dohány Street Synagogue is by far the best known and also the biggest in Europe; it's nearly empty throughout the year, but fills up for High Holiday services. The orthodox synagogue in Kazinczy Street has fewer than a hundred members, and the Rumbach Street Synagogue is no longer functional. The neighborhood has a few glatt kosher restaurants and Jewish-style places have started to appear thanks to the booming tourism.

The Jewish Quarter today

The neglected streets and dilapidated buildings of the old Jewish Quarter are home to a revitalized Hungarian culture today, bristling with shops, bars, cafés, and restaurants. This neighborhood is also the cradle of ruin bars , these quirky drinking joints that started to mushroom inside the vast courtyards of vacant pre-war buildings and have since taken Budapest by storm (the most famous, Szimpla Kert , is also here).

Unfortunately, the Jewish Quarter is becoming a victim of its own success. Skyrocketing tourism is driving the prices up and the local residents away. New places are often absent of the spirit that made the neighborhood special. Nonetheless, this is still a unique area worth visiting, you just need to navigate the tourist-heavy streets with care. This primer is here to help.

Downtown may have more Michelin-decorated restaurants , but the Jewish Quarter is giving it a run for its money with the diversity of its options. For example, within a few minutes from one another, you could have kosher cholent at Hanna , barbecued meat at Bp BARbq , Japanese food at Komachi , or old-school Hungarian fare at Frici Papa .

In addition, many of Budapest's hottest restaurants are also in the Jewish Quarter, including Gettó Gulyás , serving simple but tasty Hungarian stew dishes, Mazel Tov , an updated ruin bar, and DOBRUMBA , a chic Middle Eastern-themed restaurant. Know before you go that tourists account for most customers at these places because of the relatively high price points (still, they're cheaper than comparable spots in Western Europe).

With almost every street lined with attractive-looking drinking joints, the Jewish Quarter's saturated bar scene can feel overwhelming at first. Kisüzem , exuding bohemian vibes, managed to retain a mainly local clientele and serves a broad selection of premium rums from the top shelf. Nappali Kávéház plays in a similar league, except it's stronger on the whiskey front and usually less crowded.

Központ and Telep are where Budapest's trendy hipsters hang out. Fekete kutya and Dzzs bars occupy the in-between territory: part bohemian, part hipster. In the outdooor season, you can enjoy low-priced drinks at Kőleves Kert under a canopy of trees. ( Here's the full list of the best Budapest bars, many of which are in the Jewish Quarter.)

Ruin bars have become a tourist attraction and unfortunately they can bring out the worst of English stag party crews. Nonetheless, Szimpla Kert , despite packs of camera-wielding tourists, is still the best one and worth experiencing at least once.

Throngs of local teenagers and college students who've been priced out of the Jewish Quarter drink away happily for a fraction of the prices just blocks away at bare-bones bars along the Grand Boulevard (Erzsébet Körút). If you're curious, stop by 4es6os Wesselényi before you hit the Jewish Quarter.

When it comes to craft coffee, I often find it difficult to choose from the individual providers because they can be so similar in terms of decor and offerings. I usually end up at My Little Melbourne or Massolit , the latter doubling as a used bookstore. For craft beers, both Hops Beer Bar and Hopaholic have an incredible array of options and knowledgeable bartenders. If you're serious about your drink, be it a classic martini or a contemporary Penicillin cocktail, Boutiq Bar and Hotsy Totsy will not disappoint.

Gozsdu Udvar (Gozsdu Courtyard) consists of a long stretch of bars and restaurants right in the heart of the Jewish Quarter. You should proceed with caution as Gozsdu is another favored hangout of stag parties and it's the type of place where scantily clad hostesses and grouchy bouncers abound. But a few exceptions exist. 2 Spaghi Pasta Bar serves up tasty traditional Italian pastas in a fast casual setting. Spíler delivers everything you'd expect from a trendy bistro and doing it without outrageously high prices. Sáo is the go-to Asian fusion restaurant for the city's fashionable crowd.

Just beyond the Jewish Quarter and dominating the Grand Boulevard (Nagykörút) is the New York Palace. This dramatic building is best known for the New York Café on its ground floor, a famous hangout of journalists and artists of yore. Today, instead of cigarette smoke and alcohol, tourists, sipping €8 cappuccinos and listening to live cabaret music, fill this ornate space complete with bronze statues and a frescoed ceiling.

The outer part of District 7 beyond the Grand Boulevard is the opposite of the old Jewish Quarter – a sleepy, residential neighborhood. For a journey back in time, grab lunch at Kívánság Étkezde (don't sleep on the schnitzel-like mátrai borzaska).

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The 9 best things to do in the Jewish Quarter, Budapest

For history, culture, cuisine and out-there nightlife, enjoy the best things to do in Budapest's Jewish Quarter

Budapest is a seriously cool city, and the Jewish Quarter might just be its coolest bit. The neighbourhood is basically a microcosm of all the great things there are to do in Budapest, from wacky cafés and restaurants to independent art galleries. 

So whether you’re looking for a full-on night out, some casual drinks or just to explore what the city has to offer, the Jewish Quarter is a great place to start. We’ve rounded up its very best things to do, from its best food offerings to where to go shopping. Here’s everything you should do in the Jewish Quarter. 

RECOMMENDED: 🚋 How to spend a weekend in Budapest 🪩 The best Budapest nightlife spots 📍 The best things to do in Budapest

Dan Nolan is  a writer based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our  travel guides  are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our  editorial guidelines . 

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Best things to do in the Jewish Quarter

1.  Dohány Street Synagogue

Constructed in the 1850s and restored to its original glory in the 1990s, this is the world’s second-largest synagogue and one whose design influenced many others worldwide. The beautiful Moorish building – on the edge of what became the Jewish Ghetto – looks mosque-like from the outside and is strangely reminiscent of a Christian church inside. Unusually, it houses an organ, once played by gentiles, including Franz Liszt. This reflected the mildly reformist nature of ‘Neolog’ Jews who built the synagogue and populated the district before the Holocaust, the victims of which are honoured in a memorial garden. Decent guided tours and the informative Hungarian Jewish Museum offer historical background on the synagogue and the district itself, which thrives today, happy to leave behind the tragedies that occurred here in the 20th century.

2.  Museum of Electrical Engineering

Located in a decommissioned modernist power station, the Museum of Electrical Engineering  has nine permanent exhibitions that guide guests through the history of electrification and electrical engineering. A specialist library on the premises is available for researchers. This and five other Budapest institutions, including the chemistry and metallurgy museums, make up the Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport (tickets are cheap at 800 HUF). Across the courtyard, you’ll find techno club Tesla, fittingly named after the visionary Slavic genius Nikola, who helped set up the Budapest phone exchange when he lived in the city as a young man.

3.  Jancsó Art Gallery

This dinky Kazinczy Utca basement gallery is for artists, aesthetes and aspiring collectors. Before it was Jancsó Art Gallery , the space was once the private studio of painter Zoltán Jancsó but now exhibits the work of some 30 artists (with paintings available to buy). Sometimes the works are exhibited at nearby Szimpla. You don’t have to be a professional painter to have your work displayed here, and amateurs are encouraged to try their luck.

4.  Kisüzem

Local bohemians, film industry travellers – director Lars von Trier was a recent visitor – and clued-up tourists mix at this Jewish Quarter staple. Kisüzem takes its whiskies and rums seriously and has separate drinks lists for each. Its playlist and kitchen are excellent, too – try the  marhapörkölt  (Hungarian beef stew) or the tasty ciabatta sandwiches. Kisüzem is that rare find: a place equally suitable for a quiet weekday lunch or a weekend session. Run by a socially conscious bunch, Kisüzem distributes free food to those in need on Klauzál Tér outside.

5.  Dobrumba

Ideal for groups, Dobrumba is a hip Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurant promising cuisine that spans ‘Atlas to Ararat’. Since opening on Dob-Rumbach corner in 2017, Dobrumba has blended a laid-back atmosphere with consistently high-quality food with Jewish, Lebanese, Moroccan and Spanish influences. Starters include  muhammara  and baba ganoush. As for mains, the shakshuka and lemon chicken tagine come highly recommended. Shareable mezze is the house speciality, and vegetarian and vegan dishes abound. Advance booking is advised, although a table can sometimes be nabbed on the spot.

6.  Printa

Also on Rumbach Sebestyén Utca is design shop, café, concept store and gallery Printa . For classy souvenirs, check out its remarkable Budapest collection: shirts, posters, tote bags and maps depicting city streets, bridges and landmarks. A regular venue for workshops on screen printing and other techniques, Printa values environmental consciousness and sells plastic-free clothes, tote bags and other zero-waste items. It also showcases designer clothes and accessories, homeware, posters and notebooks. Due to its high standards, Printa is one of the district’s pricier design outlets.

7.  Mazel Tov

Mazel Tov – literally, ‘congratulations’ or ‘good luck’ – is where to head for top-notch Middle Eastern cuisine. To start, you can choose za’atar sticks (deep-fried pitta slices with herbs), Yemeni chicken soup or Moroccan lamb soup. It also offers first-rate salads as well as grilled and non-grilled plates, including homemade houmous and falafel – all against a brilliantly leafy backdrop. The events programme includes jazz concerts, Jewish celebrations and rotating exhibitions.

8.  Ludovika

Vintage fashion aficionados visiting Budapest should drop by Dóra Gyöngyösi’s lovely store. Ludovika sells ’70s and ’80s designer clothes, dresses with Hungarian  matyó  folk motifs, blouses, trousers, shoes and accessories. The selection expresses a devotion to Asian couture, as reflected by the imports on the shelves alongside Dóra’s own pieces (look for the Ludovika label). Better prices than the high street, psychedelic tunes and late opening hours make this a great place for a treasure hunt.

9.  Fekete Kutya

Just down the road from Kisüzem and completing the expat Bermuda triangle alongside Beat on the Brat is Fekete Kutya . Ever so slightly more expensive than the pubs on the main Kazinczy drag, the ‘Black Dog’ earns its status thanks to regular and guest craft beers such as Francin, plus very well-executed tapas. A huge mural on the back wall bravely attempts to depict the entire history of art: Fekete Kutya is that kind of place – strictly for the free-spirited and open-minded.

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Great Synagogue

Top choice in Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

Budapest's stunning Great Synagogue is the world's largest Jewish house of worship outside New York City. Built in 1859, the synagogue has both Romantic and Moorish architectural elements. Inside, the Hungarian Jewish Museum & Archives contains objects relating to both religious and everyday life. On the synagogue’s north side, the Holocaust Tree of Life Memorial presides over the mass graves of those murdered by the Nazis.

Inside this Neolog (or Conservative) synagogue, built according to the design of Viennese architect Ludwig Förster, don't miss the central rose window and the sumptuous organ, dating back to 1902.

The museum includes items such as a 3rd-century Jewish headstone from Roman Pannonia, ritualistic silver and a handwritten book of the local Burial Society from the late 18th century.

The leaves of the Tree of Life Memorial, designed in 1991 by Imre Varga, are inscribed with the names of some of the hundreds of thousands of victims of the Holocaust. Nearby in Goldmark Hall you'll find the Jewish Quarter Exhibition with interactive displays, video and artefacts, documenting what life was like in this area from the 18th century onward.

VII Dohány utca 2

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https://www.greatsynagogue.hu/gallery_syn.html

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Nearby Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter attractions

1 . Hungarian Jewish Museum & Archives

Upstairs in an annexe of the Great Synagogue, this museum contains objects related to religious and everyday life, including 3rd-century Jewish headstones…

2 . Holocaust Tree of Life Memorial

In the Raul Wallenberg Memorial Garden on the Great Synagogue’s north side, the Holocaust (or Emanuel) Tree of Life Memorial, designed by Imre Varga in…

3 . Rumbach Sebestyén utca Synagogue

The Moorish Rumbach Sebestyén utca Synagogue was built in 1872 by Austrian Secessionist architect Otto Wagner for the Status Quo Ante (moderate…

4 . Hungarian Electrical Engineering Museum

This place might not sound like everyone's cup of tea, but some of the exhibits are unusual (and quirky) enough to warrant a visit. The staff will also…

5 . Orthodox Synagogue

Once one of a half-dozen synagogues and prayer houses in the Jewish Quarter, the Orthodox Synagogue was built in 1913 in what was at the time a very…

6 . Vintage Galería

This private gallery with banker's hours features some striking contemporary photography.

7 . Károly Garden

A pleasant place to take a breather, this flowered-filled garden was built for the Károly Palace, which now houses the Petőfi Museum of Literature…

8 . Makovec Office Building

This office block was designed by Imre Makovec (1935–2011), who developed his own 'organic' style using unusual materials like tree trunks and turf.