Söntés (“Taproom”) of Matróz Kocsma (“Sailor Pub”) is the newest bar of Buda, featuring the largest Belgian beer selection in not only the capital's hilly side, but also in the whole city. We decided to try how it feels to be surrounded by the best Belgian beer specialties.

The riverfront area of Buda's Bem József Quay was never short of Flemish and Belgian restaurants, and now Söntés joins the lot with its classic Belgian-pub atmosphere. If you have ever been to Delirium in Brussels, where the beer menu is as thick as a smallish encyclopedia, you will know what we are talking about.

The minimalist furniture, neon lighting, and wood and metal surfaces give the place an atmosphere that any Western European city would be proud of. In the background, the beer taps stand high as towers and guarantee the best quality with powerful chilling features – there are 20 of these beauties, all containing Belgian beers from the best breweries. What is this, if not heaven?As if this were not enough, we can also buy some bottled beers, although it is a bit of a challenge to make our choice. The selection of Söntés includes 200 varieties, and with this they play a significant role not only in Budapest, but also in Central Europe. We can find everything here from light to wheat beers, but naturally, there are half-brown, brown, and fruity varieties, as well. If we are brave enough with a pinch of experimental spirit, we can also go for Trappist, Abbey, Dubbel, Tripel, or Lambic beers.

If we are not sure what we want to drink, the QR codes on the beer menu might provide a bit of help: by scanning them with our phone, we will be able to access a more extensive and detailed beer menu in the future. This “upgraded” menu will include a detailed analysis for every beer with flavor information, history, and reviews by previous guests. This content will be available through tablets inside as well, so anyone will be able to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of Belgian beers.

We can find rather unique variations among the bottled beers; the best of the selection are beers aged in oak barrels, coming in 0.75-liter bottles. These beers are considered top-class in Belgium as well, and are aged in barrels that previously stored cognac or wine. Brands like, for example, Kasteel Trignac, are extremely limited, producing only 9,000 bottles a year, but they also have Bush De Nuits or Bush Prestige, with a 13% alcohol content. Here we would like to note that all bottles and glasses contain 3 deciliters. If you usually feel you are a tough guy and can handle multiple glasses in a short amount of time, leave that attitude behind when you come here. Even if we only drink a few bottles or glasses here, we could end up dancing on the tabletops due to the high alcohol content in these drinks.

If you are not particularly familiar with Belgian beers, do not worry! We have a series of five that no one can go wrong with.

  • First, drink a Trappist beer of the Orval brand.
  • Then follow up with an Abbey, Tripel Karmeliet.
  • For the third drink, try a Blanche de Namur, which was elected as the best wheat beer in the world.
  • When you are finished, ask for a Duvel Tripel Hop IPA style beer. In this one, two hops are fixed while the third is different every year.
  • Last but not least comes a Trapistes Rochefort 10, which puts the crown on the night. Naturally, we do not necessarily have to stop here.
In case you do not want to test beers alone, you can enjoy these drinks in the frameworks of beer tastings in the future, where guests will be able to master the most useful tips and tricks of Belgian beers while tasting in beginner, advanced, and professional groups.

In Söntés, we can not only drink, but eat as well, although the place does not aim for restaurant-level service – the food selection mainly consists of tapas and pub cuisine. We can get some bread slices with dips, great hams and sausages, vegetables, pickles, creams, and salads. The best option seems to be ordering a huge platter with a bit of everything with our friends, so we do not have to miss anything.

In the evening, Buda's Danube bank offers a stunningly beautiful view of the Parliament on the opposite side of the river, and of the Chain Bridge. We can enjoy this view from the terrace of Söntés, and considering the huge selection and variety of Belgian beers here, we are sure that beer culture is rising in Hungary's capital. Naturally, Söntés does their part in the beer revolution as well: we will be able to see them at the next Főzdefeszt and several other events throughout the year. So let’s drink a glass of the world's best suds, and enjoy this new haven for lovers of Belgian beer!