2 Best Restaurants in Badacsony and Szigliget, Hungary

A restaurant since the late 1800s but most recently refurbished in summer 2019, Hableány remains a Badacsony favorite for its delicious Hungarian dishes incorporating fresh, local ingredients—think slow-cooked Mangalica chuck, or squash with grilled paprika and dill. As well as a bistro, the building incorporates a state-of-the-art winery; you can take the factory tour, sample a glass at the wine bar, or pick up a take-out bottle in the wine shop. "Hableány" means "mermaid," and there's a large mural outside that depicts the local legend of a hill god who fell for a mermaid; he leapt into the lake, creating a splash that extinguished the volcanic Mt. Badacsony.

The festive Fish Garden has won numerous international awards for its fine Hungarian cuisine. The extensive menu has such fresh-from-the-lake dishes as catfish stew with topfenfleckerl (curd noodles) and pike-perch with wine sauce and tagliatelle. Inside are wooden rafters and tables draped with peachy-pink tablecloths; outside is a large terrace with umbrella-shaded tables. There’s live music several nights a week, as well as regular wine and brandy tasting events. The restaurant is attached to a 45-room hotel, though there are better accommodation options in town.