Great wine experiences in Budapest
While Hungarian wine can be found in almost every restaurant and wine bar in Budapest, there are times where you want something a bit more special. Whether its a celebration with friends, a romantic date night with that special someone, or just a simple act of self care there are times when you want an experience, not just a drink. So where are the places in Budapest that you can go when you are looking for that little bit more? Well in this post we’re going to discover some of the best wine experiences in Budapest.
A traditional Medieval Wine Cellar anyone?
If you have a couple of hours to spare and want the full on experience of sitting underground, literally metres from the Fisherman’s Bastion, then you need to head over to the Faust Wine Cellar. Owner Gábor Nagy is somewhat of an aficionado on Hungarian wines, travelling the length of breadth of the country to source some of the best examples, many of which are exclusive to his cellar.
First off, the cellar is located beneath the Hilton Hotel on the Buda side of the city. If you have time on your way down you can explore the remains of the Cloisters, or have a coffee and cake in the Hilton hotel bar. You enter the cellar by descending a couple of storeys by staircase, and arrive in the small candlelit tasting room. This is definitely an intimate setting with only 3-4 tables, and its all very personal and attentive service. Alongside your wines, you will get water and Pogácsa (Hungarian scones). Should you choose there are also chocolate pairings of handmade chocolates, which compliment the wine well.
Wine tastings consist of 7 wines, well 6 really, with the option to have a second try of your favourite at the end. Tasting are in various themes: red, white, a mix, premium, and even palinka with varying prices. Gabor will serve each wine (tasting samples) with a brief explanation of the wine, where it was sourced from and guide you through both the tasting and the food pairings if you chose the chocolate option. The vibe is super relaxed, but you always feel like you’re being looked after. At the end, should you wish, there are bottles available to buy. As I said earlier in the post, many of the wines cannot be found anywhere else, so you can get some pretty unique wines here!
Booking is essential. More information at: http://www.gbwine.eu
Join the Hungarian Mafia
Hungary is a pretty safe country, crime rates are far lower than most Western cities. The Mafia I’m talking about here is not the Italian Mafia, but Wine Mafia. Wine Mafia is a fun tasting game held at the Bortodoor wine bar every Wednesday evening. Over the course of the evening you will taste 6-8 wines and the aim of the evening is to try to match the wines based on their characteristics to ones on the cheat sheet. There are also smells to try to identify and trivia questions. But don’t worry, there aren’t any snobby wine people in sight, this is very much a mix of complete beginners and those with a little more experience.
The vibe is very much a group of friendly ex pats who are having fun, not taking the evening too seriously and a bit of fun competitive spirit. The hosts are great fun, and its a great place to meet new people. If you win the evening, you get the next one free, so it could turn out to be an absolute bargain! Its suitable for couples, groups and solo travellers alike, and the wine bar itself is a great place to hang out, so you can always arrive early and grab a drink from their extensive menu. This is a good option for those who like to do something a bit more active. There are also food options here, including ordering in from Hoff House a local eatery. And if, like me you’re a Brit, and you’re missing some traditional British fayre, you could do worse than call in at Bob’s Kitchen beforehand for a stunning British style classic.
Booking in advance usually necessary at https://bortodoor.com/
Wine tasting on the Danube
Budapest is a river city, and one of the best places to see the city’s architecture is from the river itself. I’d recommend anyone who visits do a river cruise, but why not turn this into something a bit special by doing a wine tasting? Friends in the city have given very positive reviews of the unlimited prosecco cruise, although I haven’t done that one myself, and it obviously only works if you like prosecco quite a lot! However, I have done the wine tasting dinner cruise. The cruise has 5 wines matched with food to taste and also has a live Gypsy band to accompany you while you eat typical Hungarian food and sample Hungarian wines. It is a little more expensive, and this is going to feel a lot more touristy than the Faust Wine Cellar or Wine Mafia, but its quite a nice way to enjoy a river cruise.
This one probably works best for couples, friends or groups. Sitting on a boat at a table on your own can feel a little uncomfortable! Be sure to dress appropriately in winter as it can get pretty cold, and you’ll almost certainly want to go and take photos of the scenery. The opportunity to go out on deck very much depends which boat they are using (I’ve done larger boats where this was possible, and smaller boats which much less outdoor space).
The unlimited prosecco cruise can be found at: https://budabestboat.hu/
The river cruise dinner can be found at: https://budapestrivercruise.com/
A guided tasting
For those who want to make the focus of their evening the wine, then I’d recommend a guided tasting at Wine the Gap. You are going to want to clear 2-3 hours to do this one, and its worth it to not be rushing. Wine bar owner, wine judge and wine writer Mickey will guide you through the basics of Hungarian wine. Whether its discovering the light whites, deep reds, or sweet dessert wines, you can be pretty sure you will be tasting some of the best examples in Hungary.
Accompanied by some Hungarian delicacies – think cheese, paprika spiced sausages, bread and other goodies, you will explore multiple wine. I would tell you how many, but honestly Mickey is such a good host, and loves wine so much, he’ll keep you there all night if let him. And honestly, for me, that’s never really been an issue! Depending on the weather you can taste indoors or outdoors in the semi pedestrianised area outside the bar which has a really nice atmosphere. I’d say this one can be done solo, as a couple, as friends, or in a group – Mickey will look after you whether you’re on your own or travelling as a group. I really recommend this at least once while you’re in Budapest, and honestly many of the locals would enjoy it as well.
Booking is required. The activity is available on various sites, but you can also just contact Wine the Gap directly: https://www.facebook.com/winethegap
Whatever you decide to do, be sure to have your journey home planned out in advance, as once you start the Hungarian wine adventure, you won’t be driving anywhere! In the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!