A Budapest Highlight: Faust Wine Cellar

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If you enjoy wine, this atmospheric local shop provides a curated tasting of five wines from local Hungarian vineyards.

The Wine Cellar

Over on the other side of the river, in Buda, sits the Buda Castle.  And also…. a Hilton hotel.

But it’s an old building, with old traditional cellars. 

And in this Hilton, you’ll find the Faust Wine Cellar.  It’s not a Hilton venture. It is a local business, operated by a local man who has operated this shop for many years. 

Although I accessed the store after entering a Hilton, the entrance (an old stairwell) was really atmospheric and felt completely authentic. (And by that, I don’t mean “non-touristy” but rather that it was an existing structure that wasn’t created to give an artificial, created atmosphere.) 

There is technically an entrance/exit on the back side of the Hilton property – I don’t think this it would be as easy to find this entrance for a newcomer, but the view from this side of the building is impressive!

The Experience

Our tasting included five local wines, along with information about each. There were only four tables, and the setting was dark and candlelit, which might seem a little moody for midday but I think we’re just embracing the cellar vibe here.

The host moved to each table providing information about each bottle, rather than speaking to the entire group at any time. He moved table to table, allowing each table to enjoy their wine and conversation between his visits.

We also had the option to add some quality chocolates to the tasting, which I couldn’t turn down. There were suggestions for a chocolate to complement each wine.

Or just be like me and eat chocolates almost indiscriminately. I promise I tried to stick with the pairings, but I think they were supposed to be for two people, so… I had plenty of chocolates to enjoy with my wines.

TL; DR: Is It Worth It?

This is a quick recommendation rather than a thorough review of the selected wines.  Why? Because I am not terribly educated about wine, nor do I have a discriminating palate.

Well, not entirely.  I hate super oaky or very dry wines.  Luckily, this only seems to affect my appreciation of California wines. Sorry, California.

So these wines were really nice.  Not a lot of oak, none too dry. I even chose to buy bottles, one red and one white, to bring back home as gifts.

The shop is genuinely a cellar, down a stone staircase with stone walls. You sample the wines by candlelight. Budapest is full of these repurposed old spaces, like the famous ruin bars, and it provides a fun atmosphere for the experience.

It was memorable and felt unique, but it was in no way pretentious. I’m a big fan of that.

Speaking of “not pretentious”, the cost was 7,900 Hungarian florint when I went in 2022.  That’s less than $25 USD (before adding my chocolates and eventual wine bottles).  

Also, the host was very nice and knowledgeable. And he seemed to really love the products and take pride in their quality. 

If I were in Budapest again and actually with someone who likes wine, I’d drag them here.  It’s in a great area worth seeing and the venue and products are worth the time/cost. If you are the type of traveler who enjoys their wine or just trying local products, this is something you should try. At the price I paid, it was a steal and a worthwhile use of only a couple hours.  

Planning Tips

Seatings are very limited. They only have 4 tables for tastings, each with room for up to four people. 

If you’re a smaller party, you still get the table for your party. I was a party of one, but I wasn’t seated with strangers unless I agreed to it*.

It’s a good idea to book ahead, especially if your visit will be during high season. I booked about a week ahead, but one time (of only two seatings that day) was already booked.

Typical tastings are either at 2p or 5p, but they can cater to your tastes. I arranged my reservation via email (faustwinecellar@gmail.com) and found it to be easy enough. They responded promptly to my requests.

I did this wine tasting during my tour of Central Europe with Intrepid Travel, because there was lots of free time to arrange my own activities away from the tour group.

*Someone showed up without a reservation and no tables were free. I was able to allow the person to join me, but there was no pressure from the owner to do so. (Having wine with someone did result in better conversation than I’d have had alone, anyway.)