Are you heading to Hungary for a weekend trip to go to the spa in the city's classic bathhouse, shop and enjoy the beautiful, European metropolis? Then there is also a good chance that you will find restaurants that serve other than paprika-based dishes, root vegetables or goulash. The city actually has several star restaurants and has in recent years invested heavily in profiling itself as a destination for foodies. Voyage has made a visit to the wine tavern Borkonyha.

The Hungarian capital, Budapest, is one of Europe's largest – and most beautiful – capitals. The city is divided into two parts by the Danube River. Originally, it was two separate cities: Buda on the west side of the Danube and Pest on the east. In 1873, they were merged into one city.

Those who want to experience magnificent castles and old city districts should head to the Buda side. Here is the former royal district with elegant residential areas. High up is the magnificent medieval Matthias Church, and from the nearby Fisherman's Bastion's towers and terraces there is a view of the Danube and the eastern side. On the Pest side is the city's financial and commercial center with lots of modern shops and large department stores.

Budapest is also famous for its many architecturally beautiful baths and spas offering thermal baths and health treatments. Beneath the city flows an underground sea of thermal water, which is both warm and full of minerals.
The Hungarian capital may not be a city that we primarily associate with fine dining and fantastic dining experiences. But the fact is that Budapest has several restaurants with one star in the prestigious Michelin guide and one restaurant with two. Hungary as a country is investing heavily in becoming known as a food nation. In the last Bocuse d'Or (Chef World Championship, the world's most prestigious international cooking competition), the Hungarian team had hired the Danish star chef and multiple medalist, Rasmus Koefod, as a consultant. And it paid off. Hungary received an admirable bronze medal, and the year before, the same team had won the gold medal in the European Championship, which took place in Budapest. It was the second time in six years that the competition took place there - another sign that the Hungarians want to be a food nation to be reckoned with.

When Voyage visited the beautiful Hungarian capital, we took the opportunity to dine at some of their most well-known restaurants. One of these was Borkonyha Winekitchen, which has been awarded a star in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant is located on the Pest side. Set your sights on the magnificent St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest's largest church, walk across the open space in front of the basilica and round the block and you will enter a cozy cobblestone street. After less than a hundred meters, the restaurant is on the left side of the street.

When you step into the upper threshold of Borkonyha, you are greeted by a relaxed and convivial atmosphere. The environment instills more of a bistro feel than one of the Hungarian capital's best restaurants. The furniture is modern and at the same time unpretentious with bare wooden tables without the white linen tablecloths that we are used to seeing in fine dining restaurants. On the day we visited the restaurant, it was packed and the room was filled with a pleasant murmur of guests. In the summer, it is also possible to have your gourmet meal on the tavern's spacious outdoor terrace, which they then build on the sidewalk outside.

As the name suggests, Borkonyha has a strong focus on wine with a wide and varied selection that includes around 200 different, mostly Hungarian, wines from both the large, more well-known wineries, but there are also lesser-known small producers of local wines on the wine list. There are always around fifty wines available to order by the glass.

For most people, Hungary is known for its sweet Tokaj, but the country knows much more about wine than that. Wine production has a long tradition that stretches back to the days of the Roman Empire. Today, they have a large domestic consumption and significant exports. Tokaj is still big, but in recent years they have also produced many interesting drier wines, not least white wines made from the Furmint grape.

Borkonyha's cooking style is a mix of French bistro and a modern Hungarian restaurant, offering most of the local cuisine. Chef Ákos Sárközi likes to prepare dishes with deep flavors and is open to influences from all over Europe. In his youth, he dreamed of becoming a photographer and the visual arts have always been important to him.

“I always think in terms of colors and vision when I cook a dish and strive to show the beauty of the food to my guests,” he writes in an achievement about himself.

The small dishes from the tasting menu come in a steady stream, each one a small work of art, both in terms of aesthetic appeal and flavor combinations. They taste heavenly and would fit in any top international restaurant in the world.

There are a number of dishes to order from the à la carte menu, but we recommend their six-course tasting menu with accompanying wine suggestions to ensure you get the best experience of the Hungarian starred wine restaurant.

BORKONYHA WINE KITCHEN
Sas Utca 3, Budapest
www.borkonyha.hu