In addition to the popular sights and pleasant baths, our capital also has surprises – the top 7 wine tasting places in Budapest – for those who like quality wines. For a good nectar, you no longer have to visit an elegant restaurant or a local liquor store. Especially in recent times, very cozy wine bars have become widespread, where the guest can get an experience in addition to the classic wine tasting. It doesn’t matter if you are in Buda or Pest. Next to the famous Pálinka, wine also has a folklore in our country. Not to mention how much the country’s wine merchants enjoy presenting fresh nectar to wine lovers who are in Budapest for the first time.
Best Hungarian wine regions
The best-known wine regions of our homeland are the followings:
Northern Transdanubia
Balaton
Pannon Plain/Danube
North Hungary
Tokaj-Hegyalja
In these wine-growing regions it is really worth producing wine, because – beside the traditions – the grape has a brilliant quality here. Think of the city of Eger, where the world-famous and popular Egri Bikavér (Bull’s Blood of Eger) comes from. If you like good wines, but you have only a couple of days in Budapest, you may still taste the remarkable nectars of the popular wine-growing regions in the seven best-known Budapest wine tasting places. Of course, the ranking is subjective. But we know that people have so many points of views. Let’s see what kinds of places we can visit:
Szalonspicc: a special place in Buda
Being already special in its name, this wine bar welcomes wine and coffee lovers in the Buda part of the capital, in Lövőház utca, next to the Mammut shopping center. The brands generally come from the domestic wine regions, which we could see above, while those looking for sophistication can experience the flavors of Spain, France, Italy, and even Chile or New Zealand. The essence of a good business is versatility. In addition to the diversity of tourists, a varied offer should be presented. That is why the drink menu here contains not only wine, but also beer, Pálinka, rum, and vodka. When visiting such a bar, the guests usually would like to eat, too. The bar menu, therefore, also includes various meals. Taste and choose from the best burgers.
Doblo: the house of experiences
Doblo Wine Bar offers various sorts of wines from the best-known Hungarian wineries. Besides, the visitors can enjoy live music, too. As for food, a traditional selection of meats can be chosen, such as ham, sausage, salami, and even crispy goose skin. Handcrafted cheeses are also served, and the breads and pickled zucchini and crown are traditionally prepared in the kitchen.
Enjoy the special downtown experience here! What about tasting? You can enjoy it for approx. 1 hour. This unique place offers normal wine and traditional Hungarian Pálinka tasting as well.
Adante Borpatika: everything about wine
This place has a special meaning for the locals. It was founded by Ákos Kovács and his business partner, the former of whom was the lead singer of the popular synth-pop band Bonanza Banzai. He is currently known only as „Ákos”, and has run out of business for a few years. In addition to all this, Adante is not only a wine bar, but you can also buy traditional Hungarian wines in the restaurant section after tasting. However, it is worth visiting only for tourists because the prices of this high quality are not for the domestic wallet.
“Cintányéros”: discover the “nyócker”!
This place is the odd one out because it is rather a drink bar than a wine bar. Where did it get its name from? The name refers to the shape of a wine meter used formerly. It is a real peculiarity that this wine measurement is still used in this unique place. Disadvantage: Although Cintányéros is located in the formerly infamous “nyócker”, the area is already safe. Advantage: The owners, Kata and Imre, have lived in Switzerland for a long time, so they know what the clients like. And if you want to take a real, authentic downtown walk instead of visiting the districts described in the guidebooks, this area is a must-visit place!
DiVino: the best wine bar in the city center!
Located at the corner of St. Stephen’s Basilica, this bar is modern and favorable for young customers, and it focuses only on wines in terms of equipment. You can see that it’s decorated with simple furniture. The bar has a terrace, so after or during a great sightseeing trip you should relax here and enjoy the experience of almost 25 local grape varieties. Because, indeed, we have to get experiences here! The bar has a food section, but, of course, the main idol is WINE!
Kadarka: the home of the tourists
This pleasant and comfortable place deserved to be added to our list. The locals have good impression of it and the newcomers visiting the capital would be happy to come and taste the nearly 100 domestic nectars. Therefore, it is not surprising that we can taste the grape varieties of the most famous wine regions of Hungary. You don’t have to travel to the countryside to have a perfect traditional Hungarian experience
Palack: wine and tapas!
The Palack is at the bottom of our list, but it could even be the first. You know that the last ones will be first! If you want a delicious tapas with a good wine, while looking at the Buda side of the capital, you have to come here. In the wine bar near Szent Gellért tér you will also find the Hungarian virtue that we mentioned earlier. Don’t hesitate to ask the waiters and they will be happy to help. And if you like the nectars, you can also buy them as a souvenir here for good value for money. During a good wine tasting, you can also enjoy the wonderful panorama of the magnificent city from the terrace of the bar.
The decision
As we can see, the selection is very wide in our capital. We are a real wine nation with great brands and excellent grapes. It is very important that the wine bars listed above not only offer delicious nectars, but also offer fantastic experiences within a fair price range (the latter is a big advantage for many tourists). In addition, we can also experience an excellent service at these places. These top Hungarian wine tasting places have almost no disadvantages, and therefore, it is more than worth trying them while visiting the Hungarian capital. With this we can also raise the image of Budapest!