Kisuzem
About
Kisüzem opened up at the end of the year 2011 at the 'bar district' of Budapest at Klauzál square.Daytime everything is given to the classic coffeehouse atmosphere: 2 creative guys at the kitchen, wireless internet, fresh daily press and specially grounded coffee.The place is child and dog-friendly!In late afternoon, good wines and palinkas become more and more popular, the place is getting crowded.Starting at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Kisüzem hosts smooth jazz and other diverse concerts.Kisüzem is not a romkocsma but not a fancy bar either: the place attracts all kind of artists and hip people from the neighborhood: it's a venue for musicians, painters, actors, journalists and fortunately for a lot of foreigners lately!
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: District VII / Jewish Quarter
District VII is the very heart of Budapest and houses the city’s Jewish Quarter. Its streets are lively and colorful, its buildings narrate different histories in an assortment of architectural styles, and its cafes and bars are frequented and loved by the enthusiastic crowds. Grand and magnificent, the striking star of the district is the Great Synagogue, the largest in Europe and one of the biggest in the world. Distinctly Moorish in style, crowned by the twin onion shaped domes, the Synagogue is the very emblem of District VII and one of the main attractions in the capital.
How to get there
  • Opera • 6 min walk
  • Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út • 8 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Marshall H
    Limassol City, Cyprus98 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a try.
    We passed this bar several times on our travels and noted that, unlike many of the other restaurants on this street, it was always busy and seemed to be mainly patronised by locals. We took both of these things to be good signs. We arrived around 8pm and managed to get the last free table. The large menu blackboard was in Hungarian but there was a small, handwritten menu in English. There were only 5 dishes on offer but they all sounded good and the two we chose were excellent. The drinks were reasonably priced, although we were automatically poured 'double' measures of wine without being asked about size. I was surprised to read the comments about rude staff in other reviews as this was certainly not our experience. We have often found that people are sometimes reluctant to engage due to worries about their English and this may be construed as rudeness when it is simply natural reticence. The young lady who served us was pleasant enough and we had a very enjoyable evening. I would definitely recommend this establishment.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 March 2024
  • Thabo M
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The best bar for casual drinking!
    After the experience of a buzzing ruin club we were looking for a less noisy and crowded but cozy/lively place to get a drink. Then we found this place. Not only are the prices dangerously low (0,5 L beer for €2,50), the friendly barcrew, the music and the friendly locals who are always looking to meet new people made us go here every night of our trip. Perfect place to start your night, end your night or anything in-between.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 16 August 2024
  • COYS2019
    Sydney, Australia22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cracking Little Bar
    Popped in on my own on a saturday night, while my wife was catching up on her sleep in the hotel. Not much choice of beers, but really happy with a couple of pints of Edelweiss at 4 euros a pop. Wines and food were also cheap - I had a wonderful Russian soup of the day. Contrary to the experiences of some other posters, I observed the bar staff being very helpful and cheerful with the customers.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 14 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles146 reviews
Excellent
89
Very good
29
Average
7
Poor
6
Terrible
15

Nat S
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
A great neighbourhood bar with a friendly, laid-back atmosphere. I'd been to the famous Szimpla Kert, and while it's appealing in its way, it feels more like a bohemian theme park than a proper watering hole. Walk 5 mins to Kisuzem for a much less touristy vibe.
Written 20 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

COYS2019
Sydney, Australia22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Solo
Popped in on my own on a saturday night, while my wife was catching up on her sleep in the hotel.
Not much choice of beers, but really happy with a couple of pints of Edelweiss at 4 euros a pop. Wines and food were also cheap - I had a wonderful Russian soup of the day.
Contrary to the experiences of some other posters, I observed the bar staff being very helpful and cheerful with the customers.
Written 14 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brighde9
Edinburgh, UK48 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2019 • Couples
One of the few places in central Budapest where I felt they were pissed off to have to serve tourists, which is weird given the location. I mean fair enough I guess tourists are a nightmare sometimes but I thought we were pretty unassuming. Food was advertised but when we asked to order some we were told the kitchen was closed in a tone that suggested they thought we were total morons.

Anyway otherwise it is so great that I doubt they will lose any sleep over this review! I would be too scared to go back. Which is sad tbh. New Yorkers might love it.
Written 23 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fatima D
Budapest, Hungary55 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Friends
We made reservation for 12 people a week in advance: arrived sharp on time (7.30PM) only to find that there was nothing set up. Just some paper with the reservation name on 3 separate tables. We had to beg people to give us OUR tables and chairs and even then we only got 6 chairs. When we approached the staff, we were told that we could sit on empty beer kegs by keeping our coats on them, and then sitting. Would not go back there unless I wanted something up my a**.
Written 2 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Scottieboy
Edinburgh, UK2,213 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Couples
It was really heavy with the rain so plonked ourselves down in here, it was quite a good relaxed vibe, locals and us, this was during the day, not overly busy and the lady behind the bar had here kid helping here, it really was a lovely afternoon. very good service there.......

So we made our way out to go do something else and found ourselves back at the bar at in the evening. What a difference a few hours make and staff change, the mood was very different. So i went up to the bar to ask if the barman could let me know what a few things were on the blackboard for eats, ehh, you thought id asked him to sing rule britannia with a straw hat on! He was just so rude! Not being perturbed by the odd behaviour we went to order, there is not table service by the way, not that we were told that, but hey when in Rome!

My wife went up with the English menu and asked to order and took her glasses off to look at him and he said 'please don't take your glasses off, I understand English'? No joke, what on earth is that about, then he just started to be rude. Its was the strangest thing. We got our food, then i asked it there was a bill or go to the bar, as he was walking past, he waved in a flustered manner 'get up the bar'.

Honestly, whats going on here, got the girl at the bar, paid, she was not better, never even said thanks, so money in hand, I got every penny back, not tip for you rude people, then on the way out we saw the barman outside smokin' a joint and having a large glass of red wine.

Sorry this is very bad, rude service, with staff who have not got a clue, personally id never give them a penny, but then again I may never be back in that area, shocking.
Written 27 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chiefexpert
Munich, Germany7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I love the feeling in this pub.
You can try rums all of the world.
Waiters are helpfull, after a several visits she knows your favorite drink.
I will come back again and again...
Written 23 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Larry O
Salisbury, UK167 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Unpretentious neighbourhood bar, in what could be said is a pretentious neighbourhood.

Nicely spaced tables around a breeze block bar, which had ample stools for sitting around.

Food was great beer food, we shared a pork knuckle plate & a Balkan plate. Very satisfying. The chef did point out the daily specials one of which was Saag Aloo. Menu not extensive, but a little something for everyone.

Decent selection of drinks, my Soproni IPA could have been a little colder, but the label says to serve at 8-11c. Who am I to argue?

This is the kind of bar we all want on our corner. Special shout out to Johnny the chef who was super helpful.
Written 24 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Girlsguidetotheglobe
London, UK101 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2019 • Friends
We found this place whilst staying nearby whilst on a weekend away in Budapest. It looked a bit run down from the outside, but we decided to give it a try. We found the staff to be extremely rude, two dishes ordered were lovely, the rest were inedible. Would not recommend this place in the daytime, perhaps it has a different vibe at night but we felt extremely unwelcome.
Written 5 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

samfugill
Harrogate, UK29 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Solo
Everything about this bar is just right. Good range of food and drink, lovely staff, the right prices, lively but not heaving, chilled decor, cold beer and good wine. It was my last stop off before my hotel and they made a solitary traveller feel very welcome. Much recommended.
Written 15 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for the lovely words;) Best, Laci Kisüzem
Written 16 March 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Konstancja S
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Friends
For a place that markets itself as an open and artistic space for all, our experience at Kisüzem left us feeling belittled. I had been to this place once before and my experience was entirely different simply because I was with some locals. This time as I went in with a group of my friends from the U.K. we felt gawked at and received sub par service. I’m really not the type to leave angsty reviews and have never before given a one star rating anywhere but the waitress with the black hair seemed annoyed with us from the moment we walked in. It took forever for us to get served despite the staff not doing much but hanging around and stopping for snacks. When I made eye contact and smiled at the waitress who had previously been mentioned in other negative reviews (of course I didn’t know this at the time) she simply shrugged with an unbothered look. Once we finally got served my boyfriend had his hand stretched out for the change and receipt so it’s easier for her to hand it to him. She looked directly at the hand, paused, and then placed the change and receipt on the bar right next to his outstretched hand. I wish I could say this seemed like an accident. Everything seemed very passive aggressive. The experience left us disappointed. As young creative people we love to see places like this thrive, but when you personally decide to single people out and make them feel less than out of your own sense of entitlement these spaces begin to lose their purpose. If it hadn’t been for the staff I’m sure we would’ve had a great experience. Unfortunately they still have a lot to work on.
Written 8 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Kisuzem - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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