When we traveled to Budapest, Hungary in early May, we had a serendipitous surprise.
One of our goals for the trip was to increase our familiarization with Hungarian wines. Paulina of Spoon Food Tours sent us a list of the best wine bars in Budapest from her Hungarian friend Diana. We visited four of the eight wine bars on Diana’s list, including the Borkonyha Wine Kitchen.
When we stopped by Borkonyha on a rainy afternoon in Budapest, we were expecting a wine bar that also served food. Instead, we found that the Borkonyha Wine Kitchen is an upscale restaurant requiring reservations. Immediately making a reservation for 6 pm that night, we were surprised that it came with a 2 hour time limit. Kind of strange, we thought, for a wine bar or a European restaurant, but we showed up at 6 pm.
What we discovered was the best meal we’ve had in years.
Borkonyha Wine Kitchen has a small but elegant dining room that was practically empty at 6 pm. Soon, however, it was completely crowded, including several noisy large parties. Our window table in the back corner was quiet.
While we went for the wine, we quickly discovered that the food takes the starring role. Once we selected our courses, we asked our waiter to recommend glasses of wines to paired with each course. While the waiter’s recommended pairings were excellent, some of the Hungarian wine labels required a closer look.
This is a closer look at a wine labeled as “cappuccino oil”. It was a slightly sweet white wine that paired perfectly with the tuna appetizer.
The menu included unusual food combinations such as this marinated tuna in spicy crust with corn cream and capers butter. The corn cream was a spectacular combination with the slightly spicy crust of the seared tuna.
Mr. Jones ordered the fish soup with coriander, mangetout and noodle as his starter. He enjoyed every bite, including the mangetout (immature peas.)
For the main course, this one duck with Jerusalem artichokes was a daily special. It was paired with a Pinot Noir.
This hazelnut crusted cod with spring salad and yellow carrots featured perfected cooked fish on a bed of yellow carrot ribbons lying in a rich buttery sauce. The dish was paired with a light, fruity red wine.
This dessert we shared was simply described as “bitter chocolate with citrus”. It was an explosion of chocolate flavors paired with fresh orange segments. Our waiter recommended a Tokay wine for pairing; it also paired well with a Hungarian pinot noir.
Terrific wines. Knowledgeable and gracious service. World class food.
We found serendipity in Budapest.
Have you dined at the Borkonyha Wine Kitchen? What was your impression?
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To learn more about culinary delights in Budapest:
Food Wine Budapest (The Terroir Guides)
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- Cruising into Bordeaux, France
- A Taste of Barcelona in an Atlanta Wine Bar
- A Perfect Lunch in Sonoma Wine Country
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