26 top restaurants, 16 wineries

SVÉT is an abbreviation and it stands for the “Stylish Countryside Restaurants”, its members represent the cream of the gastronomic landscape of Hungary. At the annual great tasting event guests will have a chance to taste plates from 26 of them at one place: in the beautiful Esterházy Castle Garden in Tata (an hours’ drive from Budapest). Taste great food for restaurants like Lokal 47 from South Balaton or Mandula from Villány and stunning wines from wineries like Gere Tamás & Zsolt from Villány or Gál Tibor Winery from Eger.

Theme of this year’s edition: “Mom’s cooking” (It is the 14th annual grand tasting of SVÉT member restaurants)
Date and time: 28 and 29 September 2024, in three time options each day: from 12.00, 14.00 or 16.00
Venue: 2890 Tata, Kastély square, near Platán restaurant, by the lake of Tata
Exhibiting wineries: Árvay (Tokaj), Balla Géza (Arad, Transylvania), Bock (Villány), Bott Frigyes (Garam-valley, Slovakia), Dúzsi Family Winery (Szekszárd), Gál Tibor (Eger), Gere (Villány), Gere Tamás & Zsolt (Villány), Hernyák (Etyek), Jásdi (Balatonfüred–Csopak), Légli Ottó (Balatonboglár), Neszmélyi Wine Route Association(Neszmély), Pannonhalmia Archabbey (Pannonhalma), Pendits (Tokaj), St. Andrea (Eger), Szeremley Estate (Badacsony), Tóth Ferenc Winery (Eger)
See exhibiting restaurants on the website of the event.
Tickets: 2000 HUF (5 EUR) / day or 2500 HUF (6.5 EUR) / two day
It is necessary to buy entrance tickets online in advance
Dishes and wines are to be paid on the spot.
More information (in Hungarian, but google can help)

An earlier article about Lokal 47 (Kristinus Wine Estate)

Love on the plates

An earlier article about Mandula (A. Gere Winery)

Enjoy the autumn menu at Gere Mandula restaurant

More about Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery

Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery

More about Gál Tibor Winery

Gál Tibor Winery

A. Gere Winery: new menu, gratis hotel night, retro vineyard tour

Gere Winery founded by Attila Gere is worth visiting in itself, for the world famous wines including Solus Merlot and Kopar blend. The estate however also boasts a 4 star wellness hotel, a restaurant called Mandula offering wine dining based on local traditions and may other extras from the grape seed cosmetics to the “retro” vinayard tours with Frici bus.

 

Mandula Restaurant has recently introduced its new degustation menu with dishes like the mangalitza pork cheek (above in our cover photo) with soybeans, gratin and nutmeg. The wine is paired with Gere Fekete Járdovány, a rare grape varity revived from the extinction by Gere family. Another interesting plate is lamb with ‘lecsó’ (the Hungarian version of ‘ratatouille’), in which the lamb comes from the best lamb breeder from a village called Peterd.

Find the degustation menu here

 

Crocus Hotel is definitely the most stylish place to stay in your Villány visit. The hotel is always on the top list of every guide, the interior is well looked after – two years ago they replaced all the curtains and pillows with the works of Zoltán Varró designer, the owner of Varrodesign. The hotel offers a wide range of spa treatments so that not only our tasting buds, but also our skin can enjoy the blessings of the grape. Plus the staff is excellent: once we were in a difficult situation, pouring rain, heavy suitcases, no taxi – but the sommelier saved us! We are still grateful to him!

Now Crocus Hotel has a special summer offer: 4 nights for the price of 3 nights. The packaage also includes: welcome drink, 4 occasions rich, homemade buffet breakfast, 3 occasions Mandula Menu dinner or lunch, 1 occasion A. Gere Classic wine tasting with 7 wines in the Hotel’s Wine Bar, 1 occasion private Sky Spa jacuzzi use (90 minutes) by appointment in advance, unlimited usage of Wellness & Spa, bath robe, unlimited internet access, parking possibility.

 

More information and booking

Frici ‘retro’ vineyard tour: Frici is a nickname, the short form of Frigyes or Ferenc, and it can also refer to the bubbles (‘frizzante’), since Frici is the white and rosé aerated sparkling wine of the winery. The family invites us to an unforgettable tour: “Come and join us on an exciting and informative journey through time! Get to know the Gere Estate by taking part in an unforgettable tour of the vineyards with the iconic 50+ year old Frici bus and toast with friends at one of the most beautiful vantage pointsin the wine region!” Maximum 6 people can travel together, in this case the price is 10 000 HUF / person (25 euros).

More information here

If you like subtle interior, elegant, yet relaxed style, and if you like enjoying spa treatments with top quality grape seed products, your place is 4 star Crocus Hotel in Villány. Now their Gourmet offer includes a degustation dinner and a ‘Classic’ tasting with 7 Gere Attila wines. Mandula, the restaurant of the hotel awaits its guests with a renewed summer menu with courses like pea soup with smoked quail egg, lamb with fermented french bean and pumpkin seed, guinea fowl with carrot and Roman salad, duck liver with raspberry, strawberry dessert with joghurt and elderberry. If you are there, do not miss the ultimate summer refreshment by Gere Attila Winery called Frici. This is an aerated sparkling wine in rosé and white versions. Frici white is made of Királyleányka, Sauvignon blanc and Muscat Ottonel, while Frici rosé is a blend of Medoc noir (Menoir) and Merlot. “The nose of this rosé wine is fresh, young and brightly fruity. It is refreshed with creamy carbon dioxide during bottling. The optimal acid content lends the wine a nice playfulness coupled with good intensity. Light, ethereal wine with an alluring finish.” Get fizzy with Frici:)

See the Gourmet offer of Gere Crocus Hotel