Awesome places to drink Hungarian wine in Budapest?
Budapest is one of my favourite cities in the world. Sat on the banks of the Danube the city combines the ancient cities of Buda, Pest and Óbuda. Its stunning architecture, hearty cuisine, passionate culture and arts and affordability have placed it firmly on the must see tourism list. The city is an amazing place to visit at pretty much any time of the year. Its thermal baths, vibrant museums, year round river cruises, castles, authentic markets, music festivals, concerts, opera, and amazing restaurants are just a few reasons to visit. Oh, and did I mention its pretty affordable compared with other European capitals as well?! But where can you drink Hungarian wine in Budapest?
Tourism is thirsty work and, if you are anything like me, you’re going to want to try some local wine during your visit. And wow are you in for a treat! Hungary has a huge range of wines made from both International and Hungarian grape varieties. There are frequently Gold Award winners in the Decanter Awards from Hungary and the wine scene is thriving. But, which are the best spots? Well stick around, I’m about to tell you!
Wine bars
Budapest is of course the city of the ruin pub, and many ruin pubs are serving Hungarian wines. But for something truly special I recommend one of the following three places in the city. I only ever recommend places that I have personally visited, and usually places I have been to more than once.
Bortodoor City – Zichy Jenő utca 32
This is a wine bar with a lot going on. Each week on a Tuesday (they are closed on Monday) they refresh their weekly wine menu with a new offering. The wines include many Hungarian wines, all of which are carefully selected by the owners, who are passionate wine lovers and really know their stuff. The vibe is very chilled out, and if you are worried about being stared at by a bar full or regular Hungarian locals, this place is frequented mostly by expats, so tourists will fit in very easily.
On a Wednesday, they offer a Wine Mafia activity, which is a great fun blind tasting game which can be played by beginners and experts alike. It lasts around 2-3 hours, includes around 6-8 sample sized glasses of wine, and is a great bit of fun if you are looking to fill a Wednesday evening. On other evenings you can pay for the weekly wine tastings, which include 6 wines.
On a Sunday they have ‘drink the losses’ where all the wines on the menu are reduced in price until all the bottles have been drunk. This is a great opportunity to try some amazing wines at a much cheaper price than the rest of the week. The vibe at weekends is more a wine pub feel and they regularly have live music.
The owners and staff are all really friendly, so this is a great place for the solo traveller to pop into. In the summer they have an outdoor terrace which is great for chilling out in the evenings in the warm weather. You can also buy bottles to take away, and some are also included in the ‘drink the losses’ discounts.
You can find out more on their website including food offers: https://bortodoor.com/
Wine the Gap – Tompa u. 26
A little further outside the centre of the city is this true gem of a wine bar. The owner, Miklos (Mickey), is a Hungarian wine expert, wine judge and wine journalist, who is very knowledgeable on the Hungarian wine industry. As a consequence, this is the place you are most likely to find the truly exceptional wines of Hungary. Despite the fact it is a little out of the centre, it is just a few stops on the 4/6 tram line, so its no problem to get to.
While you can just rock up here and order from the wine list, I’d highly recommend booking a wine tasting. Mickey will take you through the different regions of Hungary, different types of wine, and you’ll also get a very decent food platter to accompany the tasting which is always nice. Make sure you allow 2-3 hours for this though, its a very relaxed pace and a really great activity for groups. If you are lucky, in addition to the Hungarian wines, you may get to try some of Mickey’s wines from Israel or other parts of the world as well!
This bar is on a pedestrianised area of the street, which means that the outdoor seating is much calmer than it would be in the city centre. This is perfect for taking advantage of the warm evenings from late spring through to autumn. Mickey is a great host and is sure to make everyone feel welcome, he is very relaxed and the vibe is very much about enjoying the wine and environment. It is also possible to arrange through Mickey tours to other wine regions in Hungary, so be sure to have a chat to him about that if you want to explore further afield.
More information at: https://www.facebook.com/winethegap
Wine Not? – Nádor u. 20
This is a great wine bar not far from the Basilica with wines sourced from throughout the 22 wine regions of Hungary. The bar is very tastefully decorated and has a chilled out vibe about it, with a few tables outside to take advantage of the sunshine. They claim to offer 50 different Hungarian wines by the glass and over 300 by the bottle, so you are definitely not going to struggle to find something you like here. Food options are also available here for snacks to accompany your wine selections.
The staff here seem to be knowledgeable about the wines which is nice, and service was friendly and attentive. Prices are reasonable and even bottle prices are ‘shop’ prices plus a corkage fee if you buy a bottle to share. If you choose to buy a bottle to take home, they will bubble wrap it for you to keep it safe in your suitcase, and give you a 5% loyalty bonus to spend next time.
The bar itself is very comfortable seating wise, and the road seemed pretty quiet, so being sat outside was not a problem. From here you are also only a stones-throw away from the Hungarikum Bisztró, which is a great place to eat, although you will likely need to make a reservation. Its also only a 10 minute walk from either the parliament or the St Stephen’s Basilica which are stunning in the evening.
More information at https://winenotbudapest.com/
If you do visit one of these places, let me know how you get on! In the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!