Drop Shop

Hiding in an elite part of downtown Budapest, near the Parliament building, Drop Shop is a boutique wine bar doubling as a wine store. Unlike most wine bars in the city that stack local bottles, Drop Shop also carries a carefully curated inventory of international wines anywhere from Austria to Australia, from a traditionally made Brunello to natural wines from the New World. The cheese and charcuterie plates are decent, but it's the surprisingly tasty ham and cheese panini I usually order.

I only wish Drop Shop's interior was a little cozier — softer lighting, some background music, and more comfortable chairs would extract more charm from the space and be more fitting for the premium wines. As often is the case with wine bars, most customers here are 35-plus professionals.

To remain unbiased, I visit all places incognito and pay for my own meals and drinks. If you're enjoying this article, please consider supporting me by making a one-time payment (PayPal, Venmo).