Did you know?
- Unicum, the richly aromatic bitter that some call "Hungary's national drink," is a taste worth acquiring.
- The distilled fruit brandy pálinka is another variety of Hungarian "fire water," which is often brewed at home from apricots, plums, or pears; in folk wisdom, it's acclaimed for its medicinal value.
- Did we say the wine was good? The most renowned red wines come from the region around Villány, a town to the south of Pécs by the Croatian border. Red wines from Eger, especially Egri Bikavér (Eger Bull's Blood). The country's best white wines are generally believed to be those from the Lake Balaton region, though some Hungarians insist that white wines from the Sopron region (by the Austrian border) are better. Tokaj wines--száraz (dry) or édes (sweet)--are popular as apéritifs and dessert wines.
Budapest Bars and Beers Guide
PUBS
Pubs in Budapest come in a variety of styles: some are like German or Austrian beerhalls, some like elegant turn-of-the-century restaurants, others are modern bars. This all reflects the many and varied political and cultural forces which have influenced the city. It seems everyone from touring social rugby sides to pinstripe-suit-wearing yuppies converges at Becketts informal HQ for Budapest's expatriate scene. If it’s choice you’re after, D-2, Liszt Ferenc tér and D-6, Ráday utca are both lined with fashionable bars and restaurants.
BEER
Unlike its Austrian, Czech, and Slovak neighbors, Hungary does not have a beer culture; as a result its beer is unexceptional. A number of European beers are now produced under license in Hungary. Among them are German beers (Holsten and Hofbrau Munchen), Austrian beers (Gösser, Steffl, Schwechater, Gold Fassl, and Kaiser), a Danish beer (Tuborg), a Dutch beer (Amstel), and a Belgian beer (Stella Artois). Even Rolling Rock is produced in Hungary now! To our taste, however, all these beers tend to be inferior to those under whose license they are sold and only marginally better than the best Hungarian beer - Dreher. Your best bet in Hungary is clearly Czech beer, such as Budvar, Staropramen, or Pilsner Urquell. Czech beers are not produced in Hungary under license; they are the real thing. Hungarian wines, on the other hand, are excellent!
