From the ever-increasing number of restaurants lining the streets of Budapest, it’s hard to find ones that serve authentic Hungarian dishes without trying to twist or distort them.
Easy Wine, on the corner of Hold utca and Báthory utca, does just that, made possible by chef Attila Nagy, formerly of Costes, Bori Mami and Lou Lou. Although he excels at fine dining, traditional Hungarian cuisine and the flavours of the countryside are also close to his heart. The menu offers a number of international dishes as well, mainly among the starters and the tapas selection.
The tapas suit the other most important feature; wine. Apart from the sheer number of them, the method of filling your glass is equally special. A self-service system allows beginners as well as more advanced oenophiles to explore freely and playfully here, which can make even a standard Thursday evening feel like you’re at a special wine-tasting event.
Picture windows, the eclectic yet sophisticated use of colours dominated by pastels, the blue and natural shades, as well as the modern wine cabinets, provide an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere.
Getting back to the wines and cabinets, the management decided to offer a laid-back and fun way to allow guests to pick and choose from the selection and see the bottles for themselves. Those who enter Easy Wine receive a card that can be attached to the cabinets and, after choosing the preferred wine and quantity (half, one or 1.5 decilitres), the wine is poured into your glass, and its price is added to the card. This allows visitors to taste a whole palette of wines while adding a unique feature to the venue.
While the card method offers 88 labels, there are more than 100 wines available at the bar. These are grouped according to their inherent character, starting from light white all the way to full-bodied red. For the entire repertoire, ask for the wine list, or consult the staff, who are happy to help at the self-service cabinets as well.
A fine selection of tapas plates or easy bites may accompany the wines, including cheese by local producers, mini-burgers and French-style rillettes. Perhaps the most outstanding is the octopus in red wine sauce with chorizo and bell peppers (2,990 HUF), which has a strong Galician feeling to it.
The seasonally changing menu is based on Hungarian cuisine, although you can find fusion and international items as well, especially among the starters.
The poultry liver parfait with quince, onion jam and homemade brioche (2,850 HUF) is a truly delicious dish. The layer of butter made the parfait even softer, while the quince and the jam enhanced its taste. The homemade brioche was dense yet light.
In an entirely different vein, we must mention the tuna tartare from the Maldives, which came with avocado, kaffir lime and rice crackers (4,200 HUF). This Asian-style dish was served with a bold use of spices and a beautifully decorated rice cracker.
From the main courses, we tried the pan-fried veal liver with mashed potato, Lyonnaise onions and caper sauce (4,500 HUF). It was perfect in a simple, effortless way; the liver slices were creamy and delicate, the mashed potato light as a cloud, while the onions added crunch.
Among the weekly offers (two courses for 2,500 HUF, three for 3,000), we found the fried mushrooms the most intriguing. The juicy mushroom was coated with crunchy breadcrumbs, and came with a side of rice and peas, and silky herb mayonnaise.
The popular Hungarian dessert of aranygaluska (1,850 HUF) is also worth a try. This sweet dough came covered in walnut pieces, mild, warm white chocolate and vanilla custard.
Given its location, Easy Wine is ideal for both a quick, affordable lunch and a relaxed dinner. Its innovative cuisine and wide wine choice should also ensure repeat custom.
Easy Wine
District V. Hold utca 23
Open: Mon-Tue, Thur-Sun 11.30am-midnight, Wed 11am-midnight
