Wine Tasting in Budapest
Discover the excellent Hungarian wines

Your visit to the Hungarian capital would not be complete without tasting the nation's great wines.

Altough Budapest does not have vineyards you can taste and buy wines form all the country's wine regions in the city's many tasting places and speciality wine shops.

Wine Tasting in Buda Castle
The Best Places for Wine Tasting in Budapest
Wine Festivals in Budapest
Wine Restaurants in Budapest
Wine tasting Outside Budapest

Wine Tasting in Buda Castle - Faust Wine Cellar

One of the Best Places to Taste Hungarian Wines in Budapest

Address: Hess András tér 1-3, Budapest 1014, in Budapest Castle District within the Hilton Hotel
Entrance: turn left in the Hall of the Hilton Hotel, walk till the Dominican Monastery Cloister, 54 steps lead down the cellar
Opening Hours: every day (excl. Wednesday) from 13.00 till 21.00

About Faust Wine Cellar & Pálinka Tasting

The Faust Wine Cellar & Pálinka Tasting offers a wide selection of Hungarian wines from the country's best wine growing regions as well as traditional fruit brandies called pálinka in Hungarian.

The stone cellar is part of the vast labyrinth system winding underneath Buda castle. The inhabitants of the castle carved the labyrinth out of the chalk stone to provide escape during a siege in the middle ages. On the way to the cellar you can view the restored remains of a 13th century Dominican cloister and monastery.

The Faust Wine Cellar exudes quaint, relaxed atmosphere: a perfect and romantic setting for wine tasting.

Kind and knowledgeable, English-speaking wine experts will introduce you to the wines and wine regions of Hungary. You'll learn about and sample the best of Hungarian wines in a private cellar.

Combine a Sightseeing Walk in Buda Castle with Wine Tasting in the Historic Faust Wine Cellar

The whole Castle District in Buda with its ample historic sights and wonderful panorama of the Danunbe and Pest is part of UNESCO's World Heritage Site. Wine was always an essential part of Hungarian's life and once the Buda Hills were covered with grapevines and was well-known for its wines. By tasting some of the countries best wines and pálinkás in the vaulted stone cellar you'll get a more complete impression about Hungary and the Hungarians.

Wine Tasting Packages

Each package offers a choice of a longer (consisting of 7-11 items) or a shorter (5-6 items) tasting list.

The longer tasting lists includes:

the shorter tasting lists include

Reserve Your Wine Tasting in the Faust Wine Cellar

You can reserve a wine tasting in the cellar online by paying 10% of the tasting price in advance. You pay the rest of the tasting price on the spot in Faust Wine Cellar at the end of your tasting.

Method of Reservation:

Terms of Cancellation

If something comes up and you decide not to do the wine tasting you are required to cancel it at least 3 business days prior to the date of the tasting to get a full refund on the 10 % you paid. Contact us to cancel the tasting.

Make Your Reservation at Faust Wine Cellar

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More Places for Wine Tasting in Budapest

Első Pesti Borház
Address: Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 18., V. district, M3 Arany János utca
Tel: (+36 1) 301 0699

The cellar system incorporates a wine shop, and wine museum with more than ten thousand bottles of Hungarian vintage wines. In the shop you can select from around 200 types excellent quality wines. Advanced booking is required.

Prés Ház Wine Shop and Museum
Address: Váci utca 10., V.district
Tel:
Open: Mon-Fri: 10.00-18.00, Sat: 10.00-14.00

Free wine tasting of 300 quality wines.

La Boutique des Vins
Address: József Attila utca 12., V.district, near Deák tér M 1, 2,3 metro lines
Tel: (+36 1) 317 5919
Open: Mon-Fri: 10.00-18.00

Owned by the award wining wine producer, Malatinszky from the Villány wine region. Besides the Malatinszky Kúria wines you can buy here selected Tokaji aszú wines..

Le Sommelier
Address: Régiposta utca 14., V.district, M1 Vörösmarty tér
Tel: (+36 1) 266 1315

Demijohn
Address: Margit utca 27. II.district, tram 4,6 Margit híd stop
Tel: (+36 1) 326 4984
Open: Mon-Fri: 11.00-19.00

This is the shop of the Neszmély-Hilltop winery, the main exporter of quality Hungarian Wines to the UK.

Vino Castillo (the formerTinto Fino) Hungary's 1st wine store
Address:Üllői út 5. 1091 (IX. district )
Tel: (+36 1) 215 7484
Open: Mon-Fri: 9.00-17.00, Sat-Sun: closed

A real Mekka for wine lovers: around 1000 types of wines from Hungarian, Spanish, Italian, French and other foreign producers.

Törley Champagne Factory
Address: Budafok, Nagytétényi út 64., XXII. district
Tel: (+36 1) 424 7955
Open:

You can see the world's biggest wooden barrel here that is still in use, learn about the secrets of making champagne while strolling though the more than 100-year old and several hundred kilometres long cellar complex. Advanced boooking is necessary.

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Wine Festivals in Budapest

A couple of 2-3 day festivals welcome wine lovers from all over the world in Budapest every year. The good thing is that these events offer entertainment not only for wine connosieurs but a series of dance shows, concerts, food and cheese stalls, children programs ensure that everybody finds something interesting to do.

Spring Wine Festival in mid-April starts the line of wine tasting events in Budapest. It takes place in downtown Budapest at Városháza tér behind Deák tér (M1, M2, M3 metro lines).

The next major wine event in Budapest is the Wine Village in mid August at Felvonulási tér behind the Museum of Fine Arts (Heroes' Square, M1 metro).

Here you have the opportunity to taste Hungarian wines from all the 22 wine regions of the country. This festival is less touristy and much cheaper than the next one: the International Wine Festival in Buda Castle.

International Wine & Champagne Festival in the Castle District is usually on the 2nd weekend of every September. Both Hungarian and international wine makers introduce their best wines.

This festival is rather crowded due to its premise which is one of the most popular tourist areas in Budapest without the wine festival.

Admission: approx. 2000 HUF/adult: a wine tasting glass with a small bag to carry the glass in it and a couple of tasting coupons are included

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Wine Tasting in Wine Restaurants

Perhaps the best way to find out which wines appeal to your taste is to sample some in a good wine restaurant and then buy the ones you like in a wine shop. This way you avoid buying pig in a poke. Here are a few wine restaurants in Budapest where you pamper your taste buds with delicious Hungarian dishes that you can rinse with Hungarian wines from the best producers:

Bock Bistro
Address: Erzsébet körút 43-49. 1073, (within the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal) VII. district, tram 4,6 Király utca
Tel: (+36 1) 321 0340
Open: Mon-sat: 12.00-24.00

Bock Bistro is one of the best restaurants in Budapest that is among the couple of nominees expected to get a Michellin star. Owned by one of Hungary's most famous and talented wine maker József Bock from Villány Wine Region the Bistro has the best wines to offer.

The food is of exceptional quality too. Staff is kind and attentive. Table reservation is highly recommended because this lively restaurant in the city center tends to be busy. Bock Bistro is a first class place and it is reflected in the prices, but it also provides good value for the money (two can dine for about 60-80 Euro incl. starters + main dishes + a bottle of wine).

Ráspy Restaurant
Address: Király utca 53., Budapest 1077
Tel: (+36 1) 789 9807
Open: 11.30-23.00 every day

Following Ráspi's succcess in the countryside (at Fertőrákos nearby Sopron town in northeast Hungary) the owner opened a joint in the capital in district VI. Perhasp quoting thier philosophy ums up the best what will you experience in Ráspi Budapest "we are not into trends and we do not fulfill expectations or do what the market dictates. We simply make everything in harmony with nature's beauty and flavor, by preserving the flavors nature has created."

Every meal is made fresh on the spot from seasonal ingredients. A nice selection of Hungarian and international wines and champagnes are included in the wine list. Meal prices are on the expensive side (soups: cc. 1100 HUF, main dishes: 3200-7500 HUF) but Ráspi is definitely worth a try.

Maligán
Address: Lajos utca 38., Budapest 1036, III.district
Tel: (+36 1) 240 9010
Open: 12.00-23.00 every day

Maligán used o be a good wine resturant where you could eat great food and drink fine wines. Due to the recent changes in management and staff the place is still recommended for its extensive wine list but no so much for the so-so quality of food.

Borbíróság Restaurant
Address: Csarnok tér 5. 1093, next to the Great Market Hall
Tel: (+36 1) 219 0902
Open: Mon-Sat: 12.00-23.30

60 Hungarian wines are offered by the glass, a selection of tasty Hungarian fare, central location (5 min. from Váci Street) and homey atmoshphere make Borbíróság an excellent choice if you want to have a taste of local wiens and food.

Borkatakomba
Address: Nagytétényi út 64., 1222, XXII. district
Tel: (+36 1) 424 7955
Open: 18.00-24.00 every day

Housed in the spacious wine cellars of the Budafok Winery. You can sit in a large barrel and enjoy wines by candlelight. You can chosoe from a wide variety of typical Hungarian dishes including goulash, stuffed cabbage, roast duck/goose etc.

New-Nádor Wine Restaurant
Address:Nádor utca 30., V. district
Tel: (+36 1) 302 3086

You can choose from 70 Hungarian wines to go with a traditional Hungarian dish.

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Wine Tasting Outside Budapest

If you come to Budapest for more than just a couple of days do visit the nearby wine regions to get a first hand impression about the country's wines and viticulure.

The best way to get to these places is by car, if you came to Budapest by air you need to rent a car.

Altough there's a fairly good train service in Hungary, for first time visitors and foreigner it is a bit difficult to know your way around train timetables. Moreover driving is more flexible than train travel, you can stop when and where you wish to.

Etyek-Buda Wine Region

Lying about 40 km far from Budapest this wine region is the nearest to the capital city.

The climate and the soil provide good conditions for producing quality whites. This region produces the base wines for champagne making too.

If you come in the second half of May or on the first two weeks in September don't miss the Etyek Wine Festival.

Major grape varieties: Chardonnay, Italian Riesling, Királyleányka, Sauvignon Blanc

Eger Wine Region

Location: 130 kilometres north-east of Budapest, at the foot of Bükk Hills

It's worth visiting Eger not only for the famous Egri bikavér (Bull's Blood) red wine, but for the town's rich history and sights.

Eger is one of my favourite towns: I love the charming, Baroque city center, the crooked streets, great restaurants and cafés.

The Szépasszony-völgy (literally Beautiful Lady's Valley) has many old wine cellars carved into the hill: you can taste and buy wines from the local producers.

The more than 200-years old National Wine Museum and the István Cellar of the Hotel Korona besides wines from the Eger region introduces you other Hungarian wines and history of wine making.

Major grape varieties: reds: Kékfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Kékoportó, whites: Leányka, traminer, Italian riesling, Muscat Ottonel

Address: Hotel Korona, Tüdérpart 5., Eger
Tel: (+36 36) 313 670
Web: Hotel Korona

Other Recommended Wineries in Eger:

Pók-Polányi Cellar
Address: Eger, Verő-szala utca 66.Tel: +36(36)436 021

Istenes Pince
Address: Eger, Szépasszony-völgy Tulipánkert út 40.
Tel: +36(36)522 222

Kőporos Winery
Address: Eger, Nagykőporos út 11.
Tel: +36(30)945 0327, +36(36)516 241

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