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

Kazinczy Pince (Tabdi Borozó)

Kazinczy Cellar (Tabdi Wine-Cellar)

VII. Kazinczy utca 5

By far the most original, old-style wine-cellar of the neighbourhood. The Bolsevita, an avant-garde pub which opened a couple of years ago tried to outdo it using a cold-concrete kind of artificial decrepitude, but collapsed roughly at the same time as its eponym, though much faster. So the Kazinczy Pince remained as the last “citadel” of the real bolshevita, with its pensioners in jelly-bag caps and their snifters. By one wall, in a great grey chrome leather coat sits the goalie for the Csepel team of 1938. Dusty old barrels are used as tables. This is where I met Pedro and his singing dog Zsivi. Pedro is turning grey, and so is Zsivi. One winter morning they sang for me, the two of them, sitting on a bench by the entrance, hugging each other round the neck. Pedro was wearing overalls, ready to go housepainting, Zsivány had donned the uniform of Admiral Clsakov, prior to having his picture taken. Not so long ago 1 noticed two men, both around thirty, dressed as barbers but looking like policemen sitting at one of the barrels wearing cowboy-style spurred boots. Perhaps they’re recently signed on mounted gorillas.

Síp utcai Borozó The Wine-Tavern of Síp utca

VII. Síp utca 24

The regular customers roughly correspond to those of the Kazinczy Pince or the Rókalyuk. The difference is that this pub has a kitchen. They make wonderful tripe and onions and gizzard stew. Pedro is a favourite here too. There used to be a wine-cellar in Síp utca and one was called the little wine bar and the other the big wine bar of Síp utca so you could tell them apart. Fortunately the better of the two is the one that hasn’t been closed down. Yet.

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