Kocsis Irma: A tour of our Locals. (A very quick one) - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1993)

money for the crosswords, the old man would solve them.

He hasn’t come by for months now, he’s run up an account. All the same, he has always paid off his slate. Look for him in the Partizán!

Partizán - Lángos büfé - Western (Lángos italbolt)

Partisan - Lángos Snack-bar - Western (Fried Dough Wine Shop)

VI. Eötvös utca 42

Everyone uses the first word of its name, though they’ve had the place repainted and had spotlights set up beside the entrance, and a trophy, animal’s head. They’ve also had a relatively clean little dining area put in. But this is all beside the point. The highlight of the neighbourhood is the Harmos’ soda water shop:

DR. HARMOS SÁNDOR SZ1KVÍZKÉSZÍTŐ IPAROS (DR. SÁNDOR HARMOS SODA WATER MANUFACTURER)

VI. Eötvös utca 41

Mr Sándor is burly, jovial and grey-haired. Miklós, his brother, is much thinner. They always stir me up, we are old friends. Mr Miklós delivers the soda in a World War II jeep. They supply half the pubs in Pest with soda. 1 could write a book about them. Recently, the residents of the district almost elected Mr Sándor as their local MP. Which gives you some idea of his conseguence. The Harmos brothers are an institution.

Hunyadi Gödör Hunyadi Hole

VI. Hunyadi tér 7

The wine-cellar for pensioners, greengrocers and students of the Art School. When you come to the bottom of the stairs, there is a cheap Serbian eating-house to your right with a nice old woman who does the washing- up. The two bartenders have been here for donkey’s years. Even if 1 don’t go near the place for two years, they give me as big a welcome as if I had stood in line every day for my marc, anchovies, or bread and drip23