DiVino occupies a position that most bars can only dream of: an outdoor terrace on the square directly in front of St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest's largest church and one of the city's defining landmarks. On summer evenings, the neoclassical facade catches the low light and turns the colour of warm honey, and the bar fills with people who have come specifically to sit in front of it with a glass of Hungarian wine in hand. This is one of the most purely pleasant ways to spend two hours in Central Europe.
The wine focus is uncompromisingly Hungarian, which is the right call. The list runs to 120 labels from all 22 of the country's wine regions, organised by style and explained with brief, jargon-free notes that make navigation easy even for visitors with no existing knowledge of the country's wine geography. The staff are trained to guide rather than upsell, and will ask you two or three questions about preferences before making a recommendation.
DiVino also operates an indoor bar on the same premises for cooler months and rainy evenings. The indoor version is warmer and more intimate, with exposed brick walls and candlelight, but honest preference is the terrace on a warm evening. Few outdoor bars in Europe offer this quality of product in a setting this good.
The bar's best-kept secret: a dry, volcanic white wine from the Lake Balaton region with a distinctive mineral character. Order it as the aperitivo.
Hungary's warmest wine region produces Cabernet Francs of real depth. The DiVino selection from Villány producers stands alongside anything from the Loire Valley.
An unusual Tokaj style, ranging from dry to sweet depending on the vintage. Ask the staff to guide you to a dry version as a digestif.
The terrace snack menu is short but well-chosen. The selection of Hungarian hard cheeses with fig preserve and walnut works with both reds and whites from the list.
Any evening from May through September. Sunset between 7pm and 9pm is when the square and Basilica look their best. Winter visits to the indoor bar have their own appeal.