During a stay in Budapest, Neverland stands out as an original venue that combines an escape game, bar and pizzeria in one space. Located in the city centre near the Astoria crossroads, the establishment offers a unique experience in the Hungarian capital, combining games and dining.
In the cold of January, we visited and tested this iconic venue among Budapest’s escape rooms with high hopes. The overall atmosphere is neat, cosy and welcoming on several levels. The decor immediately creates a setting conducive to escape and conviviality. The welcome we received at each activity was professional and super friendly.
Neverland offers eight different escape rooms with varied themes in the basement. This wide choice, which is well described on their website, allows you to choose an experience suited to your desires and level. We chose and tested the “Jailbreak” room.
The “Jailbreak” escape room offers a clear and effective prison escape scenario. The principle is simple: players find themselves locked in a prison and have 60 minutes to escape. As soon as you enter the room, you are immediately immersed in the scenario. The decor is realistic and consistent, without unnecessary clutter.The elements of the cell, the bars and the accessories help to create a credible and immersive atmosphere without being gloomy. The puzzles are well integrated into the environment and require observation, reflection and cooperation. The progression is fluid and logical, making the experience accessible, even for players who are not familiar with escape games.
One of the major strengths of this room is the cooperation required between participants: original and dynamic, it has increased the enjoyment of playing tenfold! We won’t say any more so as not to spoil the surprise.
The natural distribution of roles within the group allows everyone to participate actively. Some focus on finding clues, others on analysing mechanisms or connecting information. The pace is fast and the puzzles follow one another quickly.
‘Jailbreak’ room is suitable for both regulars and those new to escape games, as the theme is universal and easy to understand.
To give you a taste, here is a video about this escape room:
We really enjoyed this room and recommend it to everyone!
The Neverland Pizzeria
Another of Neverland’s assets and strengths is the on-site pizzeria, which allows you to prolong the experience without changing location. After your gaming session, it’s very nice to be able to sit down for a meal without having to go anywhere else!
The pizzeria, located on the ground floor, is a Neapolitan pizzeria with a cosy décor and an impressive scarlet red oven in the centre.
The pizzas are made from sourdough, giving them a light and healthy texture (the dough contains organic grains ground on site). The menu offers classic recipes as well as some more original variations.
We tried the delicious Campagnolo pizza (San Marzano PDO tomato sauce, Campagnolo salami, Pecorino Romano PDO sheep’s cheese, Fior di Latte mozzarella, 36-month aged PDO Parmesan, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil from Cordoba) and the Burrata pizza (fresh homemade pesto, burrata from Campania, Sicilian pistachios, Fior di Latte mozzarella, 36-month aged Parmesan PDO, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil from Cordoba).
We loved them both and they are among the best Neapolitan pizzas in town.
For dessert, don’t miss the Hungarian speciality called “Aranygaluska’: it’s a soft, slowly fermented butter dough, generously sprinkled with roasted walnuts, topped with silky vanilla and flavoured with tonka beans.
Neverland also features a stylish cocktail bar where you can prolong the experience with a drink. The friendly atmosphere is conducive to lively discussions after an escape room session. The cocktails are varied, and we particularly liked the signature cocktails “Cloud Seeker” and “Mermaid Lagoon”.
Neverland is definitely one of the best escape rooms in Budapest in terms of quality and also stands out for its bar and restaurant, which surprised us with their atmosphere and the quality of their offerings!
In short, it’s a fun oasis in the centre of Budapest that we highly recommend.
For more information and booking, visit the official website of Neverland on this link.
Address: Neverland, Budapest, Dohány u. 22-24, 1074. – map – Open daily.
