John Bull Pub is a chain restaurant named after the cartoonish, union-flag wearing personification of Great Britain. Which means, I think, that their intention is to serve ex-pat friendly food. The inside is pubish: dark Mahogany bar, dim lights and a bevy of St. Patrick’s Day kitsch. In wintertime, the lighting from the scarlet lampshades is more reminiscent of an old west bordello than a restaurant. But in the summer, the patio opens up with its misting fans and giant television and it’s a pretty comfortable place to hang out. It’s also a place to be seen, which I mention in fair warning if, like me, you’re not the type who needs to be noticed during dinner.
They have a nice selection of beers, which is why the establishment attracts a lot of Austrian, German, English and American tourists. But I think the beverage highlight is their homemade mint lemonade. Yum. Even though it’s pretty expensive, I always order about a liter. We all have weaknesses.
The menu is way too big to be done well, but they have a seasonal chef menu that always features something satisfying. Usually I order a salad because it’s one of the few places in town that makes a salad that isn’t saturated with canned corn or a gallon of mayonaise-dressing. Last week I had the duck-breast pasta salad.
The duck was cooked perfectly and the whole salad was chilled and light (to the extent that a pasta salad can be light). It was the exact hot-day lunch I had been hoping for. Gyorgyi had a strawberry soup with fresh basil and cream. She said it was great.
We sat for almost an hour eating and watching the early round of Wimbledon. It was pleasant, which is what John Bull in Szeged has to offer. I can say this fairly assuredly, as I’ve been at least a dozen times, and almost never because of the food, though it’s always good. The waiters all speak English and are quite accommodating, and the restaurant is large enough to hold a party, which many exam-passing medical students regularly do.
Though there are several John Bulls in Hungary, the one in Szeged is located at the cusp of the city center. Cheers!
John Bull Pub
Oroszlán utca 6
06 62 484-21
b u d a j e s t 
With its terrace, on summer nights when you walk into the square from the city center it is neat because it’s like you’ve happened upon, uninvited, to a quiet party.
Yes, I think it’s the best in the nicer weather. There are always people out having a nice time there. I saw a John Bull in Pecs too and it was the same thing.