Budapest's Lazy Lion Wins Europe’s Best Restaurant and Bar Design

The Lazy Lion cocktail bar has won the prestigious Restaurant & Bar Design Awards Best Europe Restaurant/Bar title. The interior of the venue located on Szabadság tér was designed by Barcelona-based Astet Studio.

October 8, 2026 – Budapest’s Lazy Lion became the regional winner for Europe at one of the world’s leading hospitality design competitions, the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. For its 18th edition, the competition received 1,155 entries from 73 countries, from which 44 international experts in design, hospitality, and lifestyle selected the winners. The Lazy Lion won the title of Overall Regional Winner – Best Europe Restaurant/Bar.

Located next to Szabadság tér in the Adria Palace built in 1902, the cocktail bar’s interior architecture was created by Astet Studio. This is not the first time the Barcelona-based design studio has been among the winners of the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards: in 2021, it also won the Best Overall Restaurant award with the Leña restaurant in Marbella.

Opened in 2025, the design of the Lazy Lion was heavily influenced by both the historical features of the building housing the bar and the unique character of the venue. The high-ceilinged spaces feature dark wood paneling, natural stone surfaces, rich textures, warm tones, and art deco details. The bar area is given character by a ceiling painting depicting exotic plants by restorer-painter Zsuzsanna Herling, animal motifs, and custom lighting, while the interior spaces blend the elegance of old metropolitan hotel bars with contemporary details.

The design is also connected to the concept of the Lazy Lion. The bar’s name was inspired by the story of a legendary traveler who, according to rumor, sailed the world on the steamships of the Hungarian maritime company once operated from the Adria Palace, under the alias Lazy Lion. The atmosphere and several details of the venue build upon this story, while combining the elegance of classical American cocktail culture with the directness of Mediterranean hospitality. Alongside a seasonally renewing drink menu available from Wednesday to Sunday, the bar also prepares weekly themed events and a special beverage selection.

“What is so exciting about cocktail culture is that it offers almost endless possibilities: you can return to classic recipes, discover new ingredients, and interpret the same drink in many ways. Cocktailing is experiencing a renaissance right now because it is simultaneously interesting, varied, and a communal experience. We wanted to create a place where everyone can feel at home, providing a great foundation for a lively evening, so it means a lot to us that this is now reinforced by such prestigious international professional recognition,” said Tamás Langó, manager of the Lazy Lion.