Öreg Harang Borozó

Öreg Harang Borozó is in Hévíz-Egregy, on the vineyard hill below the Árpád-era church, about 350 metres beyond the end of Zrínyi utca. From the town centre it’s a walk through the vineyards, and the hill looks out over the town and the surrounding countryside. This isn’t a lakeside restaurant or a quick dinner: people come here for a leisurely evening, and many come back.

A family house beside the church

According to a 2014 report, the wine bar is run by Gábor Fisli, who grew up in this house: the family home became a restaurant, his ancestors were among Egregy’s first inhabitants and probably helped build the church. As a teenager he dreamed of a riding inn; as an adult the other half of his childhood idea came true: a place where only Hungarian specialities reach the table.

The same article says that at the time the bar was run jointly by five friends, family and friends from waiter to cook, without hierarchy, deciding everything together. The owner also said there that in Hungary you can only run a small restaurant out of passion, even when critics recognise the work. And recognition came: Gault&Millau named it restaurant of the year in 2013. We could not verify today’s ownership from a recent source.

Space and atmosphere

Rustic wooden furniture, folk-patterned ceramics and tablecloths, a big tiled stove inside, and outside a terrace among the vines with the church in the background. A quiet, intimate place that, in the bar’s own words, evokes the calm of times past. The garden offers more than shade: it grows the fruit for the homemade jams and the grapes too, which an earlier article says went into a grape ragout with bacon and mushrooms.

The kitchen: no fixed menu

The house’s reputation rests on specialities made from Hungarian ingredients: goat, Hungarian grey cattle, water buffalo, guinea fowl, rabbit, mangalica pork, even donkey. According to the bar, ingredients always come from local breeders and producers, and there are new dishes every day, with the offer following the season and supply. There’s no printed menu; the daily specials are told to you at the table. There’s a vegetarian dish too if you don’t fancy meat.

The wines

The glass is filled with wines from Hévíz growers, in a wide choice, and the staff help you pick one to suit the meat. The bar is part of the vineyard hill itself: below the church, cellars and press houses line the slope, so take a stroll around the hill before or after dinner.

For groups and teams

Besides romantic dinners they host family gatherings, class reunions and weddings, and offer tailor-made team-building packages for companies and groups of friends. The bar can arrange accommodation at the nearby Wagner Panzió.

Good to know

Cash only; bank cards are not accepted. As there’s no printed menu, guests’ recurring advice is to ask about prices before ordering. When it’s busy the kitchen can be slower, so book a table and don’t arrive too late. According to the bar’s page, from 1 April it’s open Tuesday to Saturday from 3 pm to 10 pm, closed on Sunday and Monday. Winter hours aren’t published, so call before you go.

Who it’s for

Anyone keen to taste rarer meats such as water buffalo or Hungarian grey cattle with a Hévíz wine, in a quiet, rural setting. For a romantic dinner, or as a detour to the Egregy church and the cellar row. If you want to pay by card or eat quickly, look in the town centre instead.

How much does it cost?

Upper mid-range. The bar doesn’t publish a price list; ask about the prices of the daily dishes on the spot.