While this isn’t the first sports bar to have hit Budapest, it’s one that seems to raise the bar so far in comparison that it leaves competitors trailing in its wake.
A cramped, smoky basement affair this is not, and the fact that the space resembles the best bars of the genre in the UK and the States is no accident – Canadian part-owner Robert Longworth has done his research. A detailed checklist was worked from when realizing the concept, headed by the likes of atmosphere and customer service. And the place certainly has both covered, in the form of warm yellows, reds and ochres, low, warm lighting, slick but sink-into-them comfy booths, a bright, airy bar and a well-laid out restaurant cum bar space. A top ventilation system leaves the place feeling smoke-free, and it’s scattered with fresh-faced waitresses (I did spot one guy) with wide smiles, Nike shorts (the heating was on), a high level of English and an eager-to-please service culture evidently having been instilled into them.
The venue contains over 30 variously-sized screens, all of them HD – one so big you can see it from the Chain Bridge (186 inches of viewing pleasure, to be precise), and they’re able to air more games simultaneously in more languages than anywhere else in the city. All the heavyweights are obviously covered – NBA, Champions’ League, the Premiership, Rugby Union, NHL and the like, as well as a spectrum of smaller games and channels. One of the three sound zones, enclosed in glass and dubbed “the living room”, houses super-comfy beanbags and resembles a swish city bachelor pad; it’s available for private hire, with a capacity of around 30, so you can avoid cleaning the peanut debris up yourself after the big game.
There are also seven booths, where smaller groups can catch a game on private screens. A strong focus on high-end quality has remained from the venue’s former life as the renowned Ocean Bar and Grill – also spearheaded by Robert – and high-quality seafood dishes have refreshingly made their way into the menu. Of course, classic sports bar fare’s there too, including specially imported onion rings, Argentinean steak, Quesadillas and the like, all with a fine dining twist, thanks to part-Argentinean (and Barcelona’s gourmet El Buli trained) chef Patricio, who reigns in Legends’ open kitchen. Though still fresh off the starting block, through its focus upon quality and attention to detail, Legends, it seems, is clearly off to a real head-start, offering something genuinely new to Budapest – and not just for hardened sports fans.
Tel.: +36.1.266.1826