Ruin Bars Began As An Experiment,a Bar Set Up In An Abandoned Building Offering Affordable Drinks For The Young Creative Crowd Editorial Photo

In the early 2000s, the inner part of the VII District was made up of crumbling, abandoned buildings. Once the site of the Jewish ghetto, the historic Jewish Quarter became dilapidated in the decades following World War II, after the deportation of 10,000s Jews. In 2002, the guys behind Szimpla opened up the very first venue on Kertész utca – where you’ll find the Szimpla Café today. However, the real kick happened in 2004, when Ábel Zsendovits and his friends decided to gamble on a condemned building complex on Kazinczy street, which marked the start of the legendary ruin bar we all know and love today.Szimpla became a bohemian hub after the crumbling building got spruced up with local design and vintage, mismatched furniture. Its chaos and eclecticism has turned it into one of the world’s most famous bars.It also set a trend and a movement for alternative spaces. Other ruin bars opened up in the neighbourhood. However, while ruin bars popped up all around the city in abandoned plots and derelict spaces, some opening for a single summer only to close the next year, the spirit of the ruin bar gained traction.In the early days of the ruin bar, many feared they would get closed down – especially in the VII District