Ádám Mohos, the owner Bor és Szóda in Balatonalmádi is the kind of guy who truly believes in la dolce vita. As he talks about the graviest pörkölt of Lake Balaton with more class than a food writer and pours you the best wines, you can't help, but become a bit like him: a huge fan of life.
No wonder we gave the wheel to Ádám, when we went to explore Balatonalmádi and its surroundings, because in his free time he is on the constant look out for the "genius phenomena" (his words not ours) of the area. He should be the face of the Carpaccio Restaurant in Alsóörs based on the way he spoke about a random dish on a rucola bed. He took us to the Jásdi Cellar for wine tasting, then showed us the Óvár Messzelátó look-out tower at Óvár and the abandoned open-air cinema in Káptalanfüred that used to play an important part in teenage love affairs. He was our guide in Balatonalmádi where he seems to know everyone; he led us to Amaretto in order to top off a day full of dishes with a waffle with Nutella and a cake called Venice Dream. We were not disappointed at all. Bor és Szóda is a like a beam of light in the darkness of the cheap wines and cocavinos of teenager-oriented pubs of the neighbourhood.
The place has a wide selection of wine, treasures from farmers' markets to go with it, brilliant homemade bread with pumpkin seed oil and goat cheese from Vöröstó and the odd vegetable pálinkas which still qualify as novelties. It is a question of preference whether you like the celery or beetroot pálinka, but - believe it or not - some people come especially for these. If you can't even stand the thought, don't worry, you'll certainly find your cup of tea here as well. When it comes to wine bistros, Bor és Szóda has no counterpart in Balatonalmádi; it was high time someone rode the waves of the gastro revolution and poured quality wine into the glass of the thirsty dbo.
'I didn't like any of the places around here, so I made one for myself' – says Ádám, when asked about his reasons for opening Bor és Szóda. He returned from Spain in 2008 to take over the family bakery, but the economical crisis had other plans for him. The bakery's gone, but the family runs an apartment available for rent and he runs the wine bistro. He took over the place from the previous owner and did his first season in 2012. The hard core of the regulars consists of his local mates: birthday celebrations, talks above a mug of mulled wine, and spontaneous parties have finally found their proper place. Bor és Szóda always feels like a house party where everyone seems to know each other. If per chance participnats are not acquainted, they will be soon enough.
