Wine Tasting in Budapest: 10 Places You Have to Try

Hungary was one of Europe’s most important wine producers, with Hungarian reds and whites lauded throughout the continent. But after the efflorescence in Medieval times, the phylloxera epidemic, and World Wars, Hungarian wine production experienced severe damage and traumas. Thankfully, the country’s wine industry is bouncing back, with 22 Hungarian wine regions producing a multitude of premium wines.

If you’re looking for a destination to start your wine journey in Hungary, there’s no better place to go than the country’s capital, Budapest. While the city doesn’t have vineyards, it’s easy to find wine shops, bars, and restaurants offering wine tasting in Budapest. It’s also a popular base for thrilling wine-tasting tours, where you can sample top local wines and explore wine regions, such as Eger, Tokaj, and the Etyek-Buda wine district, located at the city border.

There are plenty of other exciting things to do at night in Budapest if you’re only available after work hours. Besides wine tastings in wine bars, you can enjoy sightseeing tours or an evening cruise while sipping a glass of Tokaj wine and admiring spectacular sights along the Danube River.

Don’t forget to drop off your bags at a Budapest luggage locker. This way, you can make the most of your wine adventures, going on wine tours and visiting wine bars and cellars without burden.

Tasting Table

For wine lovers and tourists looking to enjoy Hungary’s wine tourism, head to the Tasting Table in the city center. It’s a wine cellar and bar housed in a historic building in the city’s prestigious Palace District. It’s only a short walk from the Hungarian National Museum, so it’s not hard to miss. Just across the street from the cellar is the Tasting Table Wine Shop, featuring a curated selection of local wines, cheese, and spirits.

Taste Hungary & Tasting Table offers daily group wine tastings, private and custom tours, wine tours, and more. In addition to the daily wine tastings at the wine cellar and bar, its kitchen is also open for winemaker dinners and private events. And if you’re in the area on Thursday or Friday, be sure to stop by for wine by the glass and wine flights.

Tasting Table Budapest is a great place to sample delicious Hungarian wines. Its cellar houses the best selection of Tokaji Aszú, including old and rare vintages. Make a reservation to enjoy its daily Budapest wine tasting. Its wine, cheese, and charcuterie tasting starts at 3 PM, while the Hungarian Wine Tasting event is available at 6 PM.

Location: Budapest, Bródy Sándor u. 22, 1088

Dobló Wine Bar

Established in 2010, Dobló is one of the first wine bars that opened in Budapest. It is stationed in the heart of the Jewish Quarter with its colorful and lively streets and between Kazinczy Street Synagogue and Rumbach Street Synagogue.

The building of this charming lovely bar was a former shop, with exposed bricks and arched ceilings adding more character to the interior. Thanks to its cozy and dim interior, it’s one of the warmest and most atmospheric wine bars you can find in the city. There’s also live music, including DJs and jazz, so what else could be more welcoming than this place?

Dobló Wine Bar offers two dozen Hungarian wines by the glass. Although the wine menu isn’t extensive, it changes weekly, offering visitors something new and delightful every time. You can also pre-order themed guided wine tastings.

Charcuterie plates, cheese plates, and fresh pickles are also available to accompany your wine. Plus, you can get craft beer, premium palinka, or wine spritzers if you want to try something else.

Location: Budapest, Dob u. 20, 1072

Faust Wine Cellar

Faust Wine Cellar is one of Budapest’s best places to sample Hungarian wines. It’s part of the labyrinth system that winds beneath the historic Buda Castle, a castle and palace complex that dominates the city from the Várhegy hill. Also known as the Royal Palace, the Buda Castle is home to the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Library, and the National Széchényi Library. This makes Faust Wine Cellar an obligatory stop during your tour to one of the country’s most significant symbols.

The medieval atmosphere inside the cellar perfectly matches your Budapest wine tasting experience. It provides an exceptional backdrop as guests learn the history of Hungarian wines, the wine regions, and the country’s main wineries. A friendly wine expert will be your guide, introducing you to the Hungarian specialties.

The cellar is undoubtedly the most authentic setting to broaden your knowledge about pálinka and Hungarian wines close to downtown. You can also approach it via Hotel Hilton through the Dominican Cloister. Groups and individual guests are welcome, but a reservation is highly recommended.

Location: 1-3 Hess Andras Square, Budapest, 1014

Press House 47

Press House 47 is a wine lover’s paradise tucked in Budapest’s Fifth District, the inner city of Pest. It is surrounded by some of the city’s most notable old buildings, museums, and churches, including the Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church and the Central Market Hall. So stop by during your cultural travel and discover some great wine and food in an intimate and casual wine tasting in Budapest.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a wine expert looking to find new flavors or a beginner discovering the colorful world of wine. At Press House 47, you’ll be treated like royalty as you savor each glass of Hungarian red wine, whites, or rosés. An experienced and hospitable host will design the best wine tasting for your needs, so you’re guaranteed a fun and informative night.

Visitors will also be introduced to the Hungarian dining and drinking scene. The food studio is housed in a 130-year-old building without a storefront on the street. That’s why you need to book an appointment to enjoy its social dining events and wine tastings.

Location: Váci utca 70, Budapest 1056

Kóstolom Wine Bar

Kóstolom is a wine bar and shop in the heart of Buda on the left bank of the Danube. Although it’s only a small wine bar, it has a fine selection of great wines, including ones you probably haven’t heard of before. It’s a destination for wine enthusiasts to converse, talk to the winemakers, relax, and meet new people over a glass of delicious Hungarian wine.

This wine bar and shop has over 150 different wines from more than fifty wineries. Many of them are displayed on the open shelves on the wall. It has enough chairs and tables for a small group and serves a limited food menu to go with your drinks.

Kóstolom Wine Bar also hosts regular private wine tastings and temporary events in its chill and inviting space. You can also rent the wine bar for company events, business get-togethers, presentations, and sales meetings.

Location: Budapest, Káplár u. 19, 1024

VinoPiano

Head to Budapest’s diverse District 9, inside Élesztő, a famous craft beer and traditional pub in a stylish, warehouse-style venue, and you’ll find VinoPiano. It’s a unique below-ground wine bar just a one-minute walk from Trafo House of Contemporary Arts. It gives off a bohemian-laidback atmosphere and an easy-going feel but offers an authentic Mediterranean experience to guests.

Come and visit to taste flavorful fines, including the natural wine labels in Hungary. There are also craft beers, coffee, and an impressive menu of salads, tapas, and Hungarian cheese. It’s nothing too fancy or intimidating; just a place where you can feel good and have a great time with loved ones or by yourself.

Keep an eye out for its regular wine tasting events. If you’re lucky, you might get a chance to meet and talk with the winemakers and delve deeper into the country’s wine regions. Otherwise, you can enjoy independent tastings with the help of its reliable staff, who’s happy to give you recommendations.

Location: Budapest, Tűzoltó u. 22, 1092

Törley Sparkling Wine Cellar

A hidden gem in Budapest’s Budafok neighborhood, in the southwestern part of Buda, Törley Sparkling Wine Cellar is one of the country’s largest wineries. It was founded 140 years ago and now owns nearly 1000 hectares of vineyards in the Etyek wine region. It produces ten to twelve million bottles each year and remains the leader in domestic with its 35 percent market share.

Its sparkling wine shop offers a range of Francois, Hungaria, and Törley sparkling wines you can purchase by the bottle or in bulk. You can also buy souvenirs, bottle relocking devices, ice buckets, champagne glasses, and more.

The company regularly hosts guided tours in the English language. It typically lasts up to two hours, including a visit to the cellar and the Törley Museum, plus sparkling wine tasting. The Museum can accommodate over thirty people with a knowledgeable tour guide. Just keep in mind that the temperature in the cellar is around 54-57°F (12-14°C), so guests are advised to wear warm clothing.

Location: Budapest, Anna u 7, 1221

Lics Wine Cellars

Another Budapest wine-tasting destination in District XXII Budafok is Lics Wine Cellars. It was founded by the Lics family in 1992, featuring steel containers, steel containers, and barrique barrels as storage for the wine coming from its vineyards in Etyek-Budai and Szekszárd wine regions. It’s a nine-minute walk from Törley Sparkling Wine Cellar, making it an ideal stop during your wine tour.

Groups and private individuals are welcome for wine tasting in the Budafok wine cellar. The wine tour can accommodate up to twenty-five people who can visit the cellar and taste seven different types of quality wines. It comes with dinner or snacks, which include cheese plates, salt cake plates, dripping bread, Hungarian cold plate, cucumber pickle, cheese scones, and more.

The 1,738-square-meter cellar can store up to 310,000 gallons of wine. It has a courtyard where visitors can find a specialist shop and heated tasting rooms in two labyrinth passages. Book at least two days before your visit to enjoy two to three hours of cellar tour and wine tasting.

Location: Budapest, Kossuth Lajos utca 44, 1221

Wine Tasting Tours Budapest

Excellent tours and programs await locals and visitors looking for extraordinary experiences in Budapest and beyond at Wine Tasting Tours Budapest. It specializes in custom wine and food tours throughout the country and hosts cooking classes to take you on a journey of delicious flavors and cultural adventure.

Perhaps, you want to taste natural red wines in the city of Eger or see the historical Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region. No matter the case, Wine Tasting Tours Budapest ensures your trip will be an everlasting memory. It’s a wonderful opportunity to understand the difference between the wine regions and learn about Hungary’s history through thrilling and educational tours. Its programs are also available in Italian, German, and English to accommodate every guest.

Location: 1097 Budapest,Drégely utca 2-4. A. 6.em.6

Wine Tasting Cruise

Immerse yourself in the unique Hungarian food and wine scene through a delightful tasting cruise on the Danube River. You will cruise under downtown Budapest’s bridges and sample a wide variety of wines on board, including the prestigious Tokaj wine. It’s a perfect blend of sightseeing and wine tasting for two hours on an evening cruise.

A wine-tasting cruise is a fantastic way to enjoy the capital’s sights and attractions from a different vantage point. You can take photos of the city with clear, unobstructed views and relax on a cruise along the river. You can also enjoy the complimentary snacks, and if you’re impressed with a specific bottle, you may be able to buy one on deck.

Location: Budapest, Széchenyi rkp. 6, 1054

Sample the Best Hungarian Wines

What better way to immerse in one’s history and culture than food and wine? With Budapest wine tastings and gastronomic tours, you will have a great time drinking and eating while learning about Hungary’s colorful past and culinary tradition.

Don’t worry if you only have 3 days in Budapest and can’t go far to travel around Hungary’s expansive wine regions. You can tour the wine cellars in the city or visit the wine bars and tasting rooms to sample your favorite local and natural wines.