"Stepping into the "ruin pubs" in Budapest's seventh district can be a sensory overloading experience. Blending the old and the older, the vast spaces within these eclectically decorated bars celebrate forgotten and re-purposed items of all kinds, which are themselves housed in crumbling structures that were abandoned and left in a state of pseudo-decay since the 1940's.
Szimpla is a hodgepodge of whimsy. A cavernous structure that was a former factory, and later residences, the multi-level building features a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, multiple bars of all sizes, and plenty of smaller rooms tucked away throughout. The second floor bar overlooks the main courtyard with a dazzling cornucopia of visual stimulation: Some of the diverse décor includes old computer monitors blinking with bright images and surrounded by Christmas lights, creating an artistic low-tech mural; bicycles suspended in the air; a chessboard with neon-colored pieces mounted sideways; a claw-foot bathtub sawed in half and spray-painted, and an antique car transformed into a picnic table, all accented by lampshades of all shapes and sizes tied together with mismatched patio furniture."
