Symbol Budapest, Hungary

"Have you checked out the Budapest nightlife yet? That city parties until like 8am on Friday and Saturday; seriously, it is like nothing you have ever experienced before!" 

After three months in the Balkans, we were yet to experience the infamous Budapest nightlife. (Or any nightlife for that matter.) I know, I know, lame-o! I try to blame it on my age, but let's be honest, that excuse doesn't even work yet. When I think of "nightlife," I envision a dark, sticky establishment where scantily clad, under aged sorority sisters do everything and anything for a free (watered down) cocktail in a plastic cup. The guys all look the same and they stand around the bar making bets to see who will get the hot chick in the red tube top. No one dances until they've had a few too many shots, and once the dancing starts, you can expect to have at least three beers spilled on your new Express dress. It appears that the bathrooms have not been cleaned in years and they never have paper towels once you get desperate enough to use their toilet. Just wipe your hands on your Express dress and get on with your night. Gross. 

Ohhh the joys of the American pick-up bar. Other than the occasional bachelorette party or night out with the girls, I didn't even like going to those places when I was single. Now that I'm married, I have lost all desire to check out the local "nightlife." 

Since we live so close, Chris and I agreed that we had to see what everyone was talking about in Budapest. At least once. What made their "nightlife" any better than the sticky places we avoided in the States? We wanted to go, but we did not want to go alone.

When David excitedly announced that after the fashion show, we had VIP tickets to Symbol (Nightclub) Budapest, I knew that we were in for a treat. David was the perfect person to introduce us to the infamous Budapest scene. The man rarely does anything half-assed. For instance, if David drinks, he drinks only the most quality red wine and champagne. He loves ambiance and David would never be seen in a seedy, sticky pick-up-bar, so I knew my Express dress and my dignity were safe with him. 

Symbol Budapest is a nightclub you might expect to see in New York or on a Hollywood movie set. Imagine walking into a world where you can instantly transport yourself to any sort of bar/club/restaurant. Below is a picture of the room you walk into, and from that room, you can choose to hang out in a sports pub, cafe and lounge, Italian fusion restaurant, art gallery, live music club, 200 year old wine cellar and restaurant, or outside garden. We stayed in the live music club where only fashion show attendees grooved to hip club music and sipped Torley champagne. The models from the fashion show ditched their designer duds and slipped into jeans and tank tops ready to dance the night away with a room full of short people. Everyone danced, and while the models were constantly being hit on, it didn't seem that people were there JUST to hook-up. Sure, some of that probably happened, but overall, it seemed that most were there to simply have a good time. 

It was about 2 a.m. when we left Symbol, and there was a line of 300-ish people waiting to get into the club. It is quite a happening place, and I would recommend it as a "must-see" if you are the clubbing type. Even if you are not into the club scene, it is a great place to do a little people watching. I did a lot of that!

I didn't take many pictures, but I posted the few pictures that I did take below. There are some great pictures of the Symbol Budapest website if you're at all interested. 

Photo taken off the Symbol website.

The main room you walk into. They were hosting a beauty pageant when we arrived. 

The live music bar we stayed in all night. The cover band was pretty funny. 

This is what the main room looked like when we left at 2 a.m.

Don't pay a fortune for Cirque du Soleil tickets. . . just visit Symbol Budapest.