As the city shines once again, so does a selection of excellent places to stop for a glass.
Budapest is practically unrecognizable to me compared to my first trips here in the early ’80s, when everything seemed grey and bullet holes from the 1956 revolution and the Second World War were still visible on pockmarked buildings. Over the last couple of decades, Hungary has spent billions of euros to rebuild and restore everything from the underground metro to high castle turrets. Budapest is once again the beautiful city it was during la belle époque, when it was known as the Paris of the East.
The wine industry too has experienced a massive makeover. In the early ’90s, the industry was in post-Soviet shambles. Hungary is now one of the most exciting and original old-world wine countries. Quality producers have grown from a handful to hundreds, and they have been busy recuperating great terroirs, rediscovering traditions and exploiting old Carpathian varieties.
Today, sophisticated wine bars dot the capital. A younger generation of Hungarians is thirsty for genuine wine culture, and cosmopolitan tourists are fuelling a rapidly growing wine scene.
Kadarka Wine Bar in the buli negyed (“party quarter”) is a perfect starting point to explore Hungarian wines, over 150 of them by the glass — or take a bottle to go — including seven types of Kadarka, an ancient Hungarian variety, naturally. If you’re among the serious tasters, go early to avoid crowds (reservations recommended), before lights are dimmed and disco reverberates off concrete floors. Wines are sourced mostly directly from producers (major distributors are shunned), many available nowhere else. Try a tasting flight or two to get your bearings. The kitchen offers a full menu, cold and hot, from traditional Hungarian (goulash) to homemade burgers.
I could pour by the glass what most could not afford by the bottle. Ádam Hébenstreit
Palack Wine Bar (palack: “bottle”) is one of the few wine bars on the Buda side of Budapest, next to the famous Géllert Hotel and Spa, making it a convenient post-treatment stop for a glass or three. It’s also an excellent spot to sample Hungarian wines with a special emphasis on those from around Lake Balaton, with dozens available by the glass. Check the schedule of events too, as you’ll regularly run into winemakers pouring their wares in the back room. The menu is limited to mainly cold plates, but for a full selection of traditional Hungarian dishes (chicken soup, rare duck breast, roasted goose liver), visit sister operation 0,75 Bistro, opposite St. Stephen’s Basilica in the center of Pest. The wine list mirrors Palack’s.
At DiVino, all wines by the glass are selected from the association of young winemakers called Junibor. Established to support the professional development of future generations, Junibor counts some 30 winemakers, who must be under 35 to join but, once in, may linger to the grand old age of 40. Since its founding in 2011, DiVino has evolved into a franchise with two locations in Budapest — DiVino Bazilika and DiVino Gozsdu — as well as pop-up trucks pouring wines at city festivals.
And if you tire of sipping Hungarian wines, head to Drop Shop near the Parliament Buildings. Ádam Hébenstreit opened this combination wine importer/shop/bar business in 2010 to capitalize on growing local interest in premium international wines not available in Hungary. Import and retail quickly evolved to include a wine bar so, as he says, “I could pour by the glass what most could not afford by the bottle.” You’ll find big international labels, with particularly deep selections from Italy and France, including more than 70 champagnes.
–BY JOHN SZABO MS
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