Respected US lifestyle magazine ‘Wine Spectator’ has garlanded Budapest’s Felix Kitchen & Bar and Fiaker with its annual Awards of Excellence. Running for nearly 40 years, the ratings honour establishments from California to Australia. Sleek Felix, in a historic building by the Danube, numbers more than 300 items on its wine list while Fiaker in the city centre harks back to the days of the Habsburg Empire.
Founded in 1976, presenting awards since 1981, America’s Wine Spectator is one of the most respected voices in the global industry. For 2020, the experts at Wine Spectator have selected two restaurants in Budapest to receive an annual Award of Excellence: Felix Kitchen & Bar and Fiaker.
Felix Kitchen & Bar has become one of the most exciting wine destinations in Budapest. The restaurant opened its doors in the former Várkert Kiosk building in 2019, developing a wine list comprising more than 300 labels, champagnes included, and gaining international recognition.
According to Felix sommelier Máté Horváth, the award acknowledges their innovative approach: “I am extremely proud to receive this award – it is not only a one-man success, but also the result of a serious teamwork. It was acknowledged that our work has a place on the international stage. In the future, gastronomy will change, and it will be a privilege to meet the unique needs of discerning guests, providing excellent food along with fine wine. We place emphasis on both”.
“This recognition proves that a regional offering can also be elevated to such a standard that it stands out globally,” says Fiaker. This downtown wine bar and restaurant does not sit in the exclusive category, but rather the more niche, quality bistro variety common in Europe, with a strong wine component.
The list is based on the Austrian wines showcased for many years at stablemate KisBécs (‘Little Vienna’) in Buda, further developed to encompass examples from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Transylvania, Slovakia and northern Italy as well as, of course, Hungary. Special vintages, champagnes and magnums also feature.
Felix Kitchen & Bar
District I. Ybl Miklós tér 9
Fiaker
District VII. Madách Imre út 11
