Pulling in Budapest (II): Where the Girls Are

As we explained in Part I of our guide to picking up girls in Budapest, there are several different species of prey you are likely to run into while out on your hunt. Here are some of the capital's most productive hunting grounds for these and other wild things, or otherwise places you are likely to run into something worth bagging, pulled from our sister site Caboodle.hu's giant list of bars and clubs.

Teen Temptresses

When it comes to discovering the delights of Budapest's teen crowd, there are two sure-fire bets in Budapest. The first is E-Klub, a giant meat market outside of the center stocking large cuts of heavy euro-techno and a bouncy young crowd - and, if you're lucky, even bouncier topless dancers. The second choice, near the Nyugati (western) railway station, is Bank, but we would suggest going slightly older and heading to the nearby Bahnhof. Living Room is extremely popular with a younger crowd while Morrison's Music Pub always packs 'em in with some ridiculous offers on drinks, such as free beer on Mondays. Finally, there is the School Club, in the basement of a building belonging to one of Budapest's bigger universities. You can do the math on that yourself.

Next Door Girls

These girls don't have any pretensions, so they tend to hang out in less pretentious venues, such as West Balkán, Cha-Cha-Cha, Szilvuplé Varieté and Szóda. Easy to approach, but more difficult to get home - still, it's fun trying and these venues are great for just getting blind drunk. If you don't mind paying the Ft 4,000 cover charge on weekends, the Moulin Rouge is also a good bet. And in summer, Rudas Romkert is a happy hunting ground any night of the week.

Party Chicks

To get close to the girls that party till dawn, you might need to sacrifice some of the things you hold dearest, like your music taste and fashion sense. Still, it's all worth it if you can keep up. Party chicks tend to congregate in venues like Retro77 (Copacabana Beach in summer), Café del Rio and School Club, where the music is familiar and there are plenty of people buying drinks. In the winter months, Portside and Fat Mo's are packed with girls sweating it out on the dancefloor or waiting for a rich foreigner to look their way. Jam Pub and Kaméleon Club in the Mammut II shopping center also attract this crowd, but have a more strictly Hungarian clientele.

Showbabes

For those that like to take their time drooling before making a move, Budapest's out-of-town discos/clubs are where Hungary's hottest women let it all hang out. Many of the top venues, such as Dokk Club, Bed Beach (summer only) and Studio (alternate weekends) can be found on Shipyard Island and another great club is Bed, packed to the rafters with lithe bodies whenever it's open, check the website for more details. If you don't want to venture too far out of town, the classic central venue for the Plázacica (mall kittens) is Tabu, also in Mammut II.

Bohemians

Bohemian girls can be found at film screenings, folk concerts and anywhere there is something unusual going on. But you can also challenging them to a game of csócsó (table football) or ping pong at one of Budapest's makeshift arty pubs/bars/clubs, such as Szimpla kert, Kuplung and West Balkán. And for the hard-up expat Boho crowd, there are all kinds of surprises in store at Klub Vittula.

Expat-ettes

Foreign chicks in Budapest tend to gravitate towards the well worn expat networking spots. Those Norwegian doctors like to hang out in Beckett's and international chicks really dig the live bands on weekends. Budapest's Tex-Mex bar Iguana also gets lively in the evenings and the legendary Cinco de Mayo street party is not to be missed.

Not Picky

If you prefer to hedge your bets rather than single out a particular sub-species, a large number of venues attract all five types of Budapest lady in large numbers. These are generally the venues in the chameleon café/restaurant/bar/club category, morphing from one to another depending on the time of day or night and the day of the week.

Classic venues include Old Man's Music Pub, where the bar staff have their own sexy calendar, Club Seven just down the road and the prison themed Alcatraz. These three are all within spitting distance, so if one is too crowded or you bomb out, you can always pop down the road. Not far from the overpriced summer people-watching (but not touching) paradise of Liszt Ferenc tér, you'll find Cactus Juice, an underground cellar complex that comes alive on weekends. Macskafogó (Cat Catcher, named after a classic Hungarian animated film) also attracts a mixed Hungarian crowd.

In summer, the focus moves outdoors and the selection expands, which means the people tend to disperse, too. The obvious choice is Buddha Beach in the heart of town; two clubs in one, plus some romantic wooden huts overlooking the Danube. However, a short taxi ride to Shipyard Island is rewarded with a dozen clubs and bars spanning the entire female and musical spectrum.

Drunk Beggars Can't Be Choosers

If the night is getting old and you still haven't gotten anywhere, there is still hope. Piaf is jumping after the sun comes up - but make sure your catch doesn't shrivel in the sunlight when you emerge above ground.