Hungarian Wine Challenge – Vinatus, Villány
Like lots of people, I love a challenge! In September 2024, I set myself the challenge, while visiting Hungary, of travelling to multiple wine regions, tastings, festivals and other wine events in order to find some of the best wines in the country. The challenge started on 1 September and finished towards the end of the month.
Along the journey there were a number of places I visited. Among them was the Vinatus cellar and restaurant in Villány.
About the winery
Villány is an amazing wine region. The region is among the best red wine regions in Hungary and the wines here are in many cases, competition for some of the far more expensive wines from famous regions throughout the globe. The town itself is charming, and there is no shortage of wineries. But with all that wine drinking, you may also be wondering where to eat?
One option you may want to consider is Vinatus. Of course if you’re after a high end meal, you may opt for the exclusive Sauska restaurant. But not every meal needs to be Michelin quality. Indeed, when I am travelling and tasting wines, my emphasis is often on getting good value food, at a good price, and spending as short as possible time eating. I am, therefore, often looking for good hearty meals. And Vinatus has no shortage in this department.
Vinatus has a nice restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. And it is conveniently located on the walk back from Sauska to the town centre, which put it directly on my route. And I’m glad it was. The offering is good solid food with a Hungarian focus and includes classics such as Schnitzel, Confit duck leg, and beef stew. The menu is simple with a few starters, 8 main courses and a couple of desserts which makes selecting easy.
Vinatus is also a winery and so the wine list is also impressive. I counted around 16 wines on the list which were all made in the winery. The Irsai Olivér I ordered with my food was nice and refreshing. Nicely floral with some good fruit notes and decent acidity. Other wines are also very well made and there is a wide enough selection to match everthing on the menu. Obviously being Villány, there are a number of Villány Francs on the menu.
Food service was swift and the quality and quantity of food impressive. Despite arriving just an hour before they closed on a Sunday, they made me a very enjoyable meal. The bar also doubled as a shop for people calling in to pick up cases of wine, and there was a steady flow of people doing exactly that while I was enjoying my lunch. Despite this, the service was attentive and I was looked after well.
The restaurant itself is a nice space, and it has a good atmosphere. The decoration style is simple and rustic which is very inkeeping with what I was expecting in Villány. The space has 4-5 tables which could accommodate 8 – 10 people, and feels a little like a country pub in the UK. There are further dining areas outside, and I believe there is also a very pretty cellar which unfortuantely I didn’t get a chance to visit.
I cannot claim to have tried a lot of the wines here, but others I trust have and seem to say good things about them. I do know that the wine I had was a good entry level wine and the food that I ate was very well made. The service was also very good and the atmosphere was enjoyable as well.
Overall, I found this a nice contrast to Sauska where I had just come from. Decent food and wine in a nice place to eat it. And of course at an affordable price. The guy who served me spoke very good English so communication was easy, and he explained the dishes well when I asked questions. All in all, everything you want in a lunch stop.
I highly recommend Vinatus for lunch or dinner. I intend to pop back and actually do a tasting, which they offer, as I really want to try some more of their wines. So if you do pop in, let me know if you do a tasting. And in the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!