What's Offbeat?

Parts of Budapest and Vienna have been transformed by mass tourism, making it difficult for visitors to discover the side of the city locals know, places they go to. Offbeat is a curated but not sanitized city guide, also featuring stories about art, architecture, urbanism, and food. Enjoy your stay!

About me

Hi, everyone! I'm Tas Tóbiás, I was born and raised in Budapest before spending ten years living in New York. I currently split my time between Budapest and Vienna. Outside of Offbeat, I've written for other publications including the New York Times, the National Geographic, and Eater. Some of my articles have appeared in Hungarian translation. I'm currently working on a biography on the architect-designer, Marcel Breuer; the book is expected to be published in 2028.

My newsletter

I write a weekly newsletter about urbanism, art, architecture, and current exhibitions in Budapest and Vienna.

My audio tours

I planned, wrote, and recorded several tours on VoiceMap. The app uses your location to play audio automatically at the right time and place – you can put your phone away and roam the city with me, so to say. I have three Budapest tours (City Center, Jewish Quarter, Andrássy Avenue) and one Vienna tour (City Center). I hope you'll give them a chance!

Supporting my work

Offbeat exists thanks to a small group of loyal advertisers and the support of readers. If you have found my work helpful, please consider making a one-time payment (PayPal, Venmo). This allows me to remain independent and to present a side of Budapest and Vienna that I am passionate about. For advertising questions or just to say hi, you can reach me at [email protected].

Offbeat t-shirts

You could support my work by purchasing an Offbeat Budapest t-shirt! The shirts are sold at Massolit bookstore cafe in the old Jewish Quarter and available in unisex sizes of small (S), medium (M), large (L), and extra large (XL). The price is €30.