In the past year, countless restaurants have come and gone, but there is one restaurant that has not only held steady, but is one of the best on the North Shore. Find out the story of the Big Family and Wine Friends on Lake Balaton.
I met István Nagy, the owner of Borbarátok, exceptionally not through my work. 4 years ago I treated my father to a wine tour of Badacsony for his birthday and we booked accommodation nearby. One day we walked past the cosy terrace, full to the brim, and the aromas really drew us in. Since then, I never miss them when I'm in the area, because I know it's impossible to leave disappointed.
Hospitality from A to Z
Work on the restaurant began in 1989 and since then it has achieved countless milestones. The cellar restaurant opened its doors in ’91, and they continued to build upwards throughout the winter season. A few years later, they wanted to be able to accommodate their guests, so they set to work on the pension. Initially only 6 rooms, today there are 9 cosy rooms, each named after a grape variety.
For those who would like to hide away from the world for a while, I recommend the guesthouse, which is only 4 km from the restaurant. The guesthouse on Badacsony hill was designed with nature in mind, with rustic furnishings and warm wooden panelling. Besides the picturesque views, visitors can enjoy the undisturbed tranquillity. The restaurant has been designed with a relaxed elegance to seat 50 guests comfortably, and the terrace is even more inviting thanks to the recent addition of new furniture. It can seat 120, but it's still not worth leaving it to the last minute if you want a secure seat, as it's often full.
Wine, intoxication, Badacsony
For wine lovers, Wine Friends is a little paradise, as it is here that you will find the family cellar, the Fata also. The foundation stone was bought by István's great-grandfather in 1927, and later his father expanded the estate with the Korkovany vineyard. They now offer 8 types of their own wine to accompany their meals, of which around 40,000 bottles are produced each year. The most popular is the light, fragrant Italian Riesling, but my personal favourite is their sparkling wine, which I heartily recommend for at least a glass (or rather a bottle). They have entered their wines in several national competitions and have plans to compete internationally. Here, the emphasis is as much on the wine as the food, so the menu includes a recommended pairing for each item. István believes that restaurants have a major role to play in promoting gastronomic values, and that this has led to a tangible increase in the openness of their guests to new things.
Grandma's best bistro cooking
The kitchen has been conquering the world with Hungarian classics since the beginning, but not just any way! The menu changes seasonally, with a strong emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. The pasta and jams are made locally, the sausages are made for them by the nearby butcher, the bread (which is, by the way, quite amazingly delicious) is supplied by Éva Bárány, a local baker, and everything else is supplied by Matusz-Vad. Our company has been supplying them for almost 15 years, mainly meat. In spring we supply them with one of their most popular dishes, rabbit paprikash the raw material, while the current repertoire includes the red wine shank of beefstews worth tasting.
Despite this, I am catfish stew served with cottage cheese, sour cream and, of course, mangalica sponge. As I said, the pasta is homemade, which you can taste, and the cottage cheese is homemade. What's extra about it is that the dough is put in the oven before serving, so the top gets a little toasted. The fish and sauce are flawless, a real flavour bomb, yet not too overpowering. If you're looking for the perfect catfish stew, don't think for a minute, this is the place to be. The other thing that has to be mentioned is the chowder, if only because it's a sure way not to miss the bread. The soup can be ordered in small or large portions, of course, and I particularly liked the fact that it has a slight piquancy, but it doesn't sting at all, so it's safe for children to eat it. The small portion can be eaten with the bread, so it's just a matter of deciding whether to have cottage cheese dumplings or coconut milk Belgian chocolate cream for dessert...
2022 brought many guests to the Wine Friends
When I ask him about the success of the season and the composition of the guests, István says that he thinks it's becoming less and less a season in the classical sense. The annual turnover has become more and more balanced since COVID, and thanks to the incomparable beauty of Badacsony, the resorts are full from early spring to the end of autumn. Interestingly for me, he reported that German and Dutch tourists predominate in the first half of the year, while in the summer they tend to receive more Hungarian guests. Despite this, there are more last minute bookings, and those who can, after the last two years of closure, go abroad first and then (or instead) look inland. In terms of consumption, despite high inflation, he does not see a downturn, he says, guests are willing to spend on quality and relaxation even in this situation.
Considering the natural features of the area and the proximity of Lake Balaton, Badacsony is an attractive destination in many ways, but the one thing that makes it worth a visit is the Wine Friends!
Address: 8258 Badacsonytomaj, Római út 88.
