6Mazel Tov Budapest
Head to Mazel Tov if you like the ruin bar concept in theory but prefer things more upscale. This Middle Eastern restaurant inside Budapest's buzzing Jewish Quarter does have a disintegrating facade like other ruin bars, but the inside is a different story: Cheap drinks have been upgraded to cocktails, ham & cheese sandwiches to mezze plates, self-service to hostesses, and weathered furnishings to modern fittings with lush greenery.
Mazel Tov's Israeli and other Mediterranean dishes are reliable and arrive without delay to ensure that tables turn over quickly in this wildly popular restaurant. I enjoyed the shawarma plate (€10) and also the spicy merguez (€12), a North African sausage made from beef here and paired with beets, tahini, and matbucha (skip the undersized and underseasoned beef kebab). Cocktails and plenty of Hungarian wines are also available. Reservations are an absolute must as the place gets mobbed by people every day of the week. Fogasház, a more traditional ruin bar, is next door if you'd like to compare and contrast.
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