Kocsis Irma: A tour of our Locals. (A very quick one) - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1993)
Alpár utcai Borharapó The Wine-Cellar of Alpár utca VII. Alpár utca 12 This is perhaps the place with the most regular of regular customers. When I pass by I always sneak a look in through the cellar through the narrow little window, and see the same old grannies and granddads sitting on the benches, with their snifters ready to hand on classic shelves above their heads. On the counters in the centre, tin film cans from the film studio are the ashtrays. It is early in the afternoon, I stand in line, the bartender comes out from behind the bar counter and tacks up a notice. The scrawny old man standing behind me asks: “What’s up, someone died or what?” “Mo, it’s just that we’ll be open on Sundays too from now on.” I once had a long chat here with somebody, and he asked me to drop in again sometime, and try the Családi Kör, another of his haunts, if I happened to miss him. Családi Kör “Étterem” The Family Circle Restaurant VII. Sajó utca 2 This is the principal pub of Garai tér. It is on the corner of Sajó utca, opposite a privately owned pastry-shop. To all intents and purposes, it is the market’s pub. There are two spacious, high-ceilinged, smoky rooms. These are simply and plainly furnished, the customers are all beer-drinkers. Any time I went there, there was always just one person sitting at each table. Hangulat Borozó Atmosphere Wine-Cellar VIII. Mária utca 5 A brick-faced wine-cellar near Gutenberg tér. Football rules are in force: anyone who misbehaves gets a yellow slip, continued bad behaviour earns you a red one. The key to the ladies’ lavatories is handed over on demand 37
