#lteuropa: reunion at the four seasons hotel gresham palace
After nearly five months spent apart, we were bursting at the seams for our official reunion in Budapest. Namely, we couldn’t wait for our stay at The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace.
In true Lazy Travelers’ fashion, we made sure our first night reunited was spent doing what we do best.
Dressing up, drinking wine and gossiping.
Though it was our first time in the Pearl of the Danube, we didn’t even attempt to explore Budapest by night–instead, we holed ourselves up at The Bar at The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace for a wine tasting with The Bar’s general manager and wine aficionado, Katalin.
Here’s what we learned:
Elderflower is delicious.
Thanks to a few incidents during our college years (which will be referenced here vaguely but absolutely never EVER elaborated upon), we rarely ever stray from wine or beer. Shortly after we arrived at The Bar, we learned that their house specialties are two table-made cocktails. Though the thought of liquor can cause serious PTSD, we obliged, if only for research purposes. The romantic opted for the Raspberry Rose, made with crushed raspberries, lime sorbet, raspberry balsamic vinegar (!) and rosewater. The wino went with the Elderflower Martini, because, go big or go home? Turns out, both were freaking delicious, and we chugged sipped those signature cocktails like champs.
We even have “I am smiling because I just had a signature cocktail at the Gresham Bar” pins to prove it.
Wine “tasting” in Hungary has a slightly different meaning.
We’ve done our share of wine tastings in the past (le duh), but we’ve never experienced a tasting quite like this. When Kate poured us our first sip of delicious Hungarian white wine, we ooh-ed and ahh-ed and nodded, as you do. This was the surprise signal for Kate to fill our glasses with the aforementioned wine, and thus began a three-hour, seven glass tasting. Sent from heaven.
Being bad can feel so good.
When it comes to the Lazy Travelers, the moral highground isn’t a road well traveled. Though our decision-making skills can be questionable, we at least TRY to do good here and there. Foie gras (with plum compote!) and veal are certainly not in our everyday repertoire, but if we were going to give in, we’re sooo very glad we did so at The Bar.
When in Rome…err, Budapest, right? Plus don’t worry, we made up for it by not trying horse sausage on our food tour the next day.
Hungarian wine is tops.
Apologies if the labels are not in the order in which they were imbibed. Kids in a candy store, really.
After a full tasting made exclusively of Hungarian wines, we can say, without a doubt, that Hungarian-made wine is as good as all the locals claim it to be. Wino approved, no less!
Should you find yourself in Budapest, an evening in The Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace is a must. Kate kicked off our week in style, while schooling us in local wines and the country’s best regions. She single-handedly expanded our list of places to explore when we someday return to Hungary.
Oh, and be sure to ask for extra servings of the pretzel-wrapped smoked cheese bites. Thank us later.
xo!
the romantic & the wino
– Though the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace was our gracious host for the evening, all opinions are, as always, our own. The wine and the company (and the pretzel bites!!!) were just that good.
Lazy Travelers
The Lazy Travelers are two transatlantic best friends who have mastered the art of exploring a new city. Though Ashley is based in London and Carolyn is in Philadelphia, we'll use any excuse to reunite around the world. We’re professional bar hoppers, pub crawlers, and food testers, and you’ll never see us zipping around, checking things off a list of “must-sees.”
16 Comments
Traveling Ted (@travelingted)
Reunited and it feels so good or should I say the wine tastes so good.
Traveling Ted (@travelingted) recently posted..Welcome to a biking Cleveland Velodrome adventure
Lazy Travelers
it felt so good and the wine tasted so good and then the next morning felt not so good.
Lazy Travelers recently posted..jetsetters: @TravellingKing1
@mrsoaroundworld
Omg, I wished I was there with you ladies… just watching! What a fab evening!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted..A perfect day in Helsinki, Finland
Lazy Travelers
lucky for you, mrs. o, you’ll get to play with us new york style in a few days!
Lazy Travelers recently posted..jetsetters: @TravellingKing1
Erin at The World Wanderer
Oh jeez, this just made me want to book it over to the Four Seasons asap! I love everything about this post, including the two of you. Sounds like the most divine wine tasting ever…seriously, ever. xx
Erin at The World Wanderer recently posted..Transport Your Taste Buds Cooking Series.
Lazy Travelers
solutions: lets plan a wine tasting of our own in nyc! name the date.
Lazy Travelers recently posted..a morning at the opera: touring the @SydOperaHouse
Anita Mac
You guys are too cute – love the wine montage – that is one happy face!!! Would never have thought of Hungarian wine, but then, the Europeans have been perfecting their craft for centuries!
Anita Mac recently posted..Do You Geocache?
Lazy Travelers
its soo delicious! you have to try!
lola dimarco
HA I love this. If you’re going to stay in for the night, this is the way to do it! So glad the PTSD didn’t kick in! 😉
lola dimarco recently posted..Four Seasons Miami – Reasons to Escape South Beach
Lazy Travelers
agreed! it was the perfect way for the wino to face her jetlag head on and the romantic to erase the memories of a 17 hour train ride.
Lazy Travelers recently posted..no travel required: #frifotos
Kieu ~ GQ trippin
Isn’t Hungarian wine delicious?! I had no idea until I had some in Budapest.. they’re hard to come by here. LOVE seeing you two together again. 🙂
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..Lake Titicaca for a Day
Lazy Travelers
soo good! we were lucky to try some in new york pre-trip, but this experience made it even better 🙂
Lazy Travelers recently posted..no travel required: #frifotos
D.J. - The World of Deej
Did you say a 3 hour, 7 glass “tasting?” I mean…like whoa.
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted..Rainy Night in Atlanta – Random Picture of the Week
Lazy Travelers
we’re champs, deej. champs.
Pola (@jettingaround)
That wine tasting!!!! It’s made in Lazy Travelers heaven.
You ladies remind me that I need to get back to Budapest and actually explore it (the only time I was there was during a train layover). Starting with wine, of course.
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted..Photo(s) of the Week: Steel wings of Milwaukee Art Museum
Lazy Travelers
we’ll go with you, pola! …no but seriously, we will.
Lazy Travelers recently posted..style spotter: budapest, hungary