Villa Kabala, Hungary: Unleash Your Inner Chef

"Set in the shadow of basalt mountains and overlooking Lake Balaton, this destination restaurant and guesthouse in the Badacsony region delivers an immersive local experience. Perched high above the north shore in the village of Szigliget, the period villa—once home to 20th-century painter István Farkas—greets me with a cream facade wrapped in wrought-iron railings, a sharply sloping terracotta roof, and a row of arches framing a terrace with gleaming views of vine-blanketed winemaking country. Founded in 2017 by Petra Terjék and Péter Fölföldi, who left Budapest for “a complete experience” beyond just dinner or an overnight stay, the place marries heartfelt hospitality with thoughtful sustainability: Béla refills empty wine bottles; filtered water and soda machines replace single-use; bottled beer has given way to draft; and Péter repurposes used wine bottles in the workshop furnace so the tasting menu can be served on plates and glasses made from the restaurant’s own glass waste. Only biodegradable, chemical-free, refillable cleaning products are used, staff uniforms are recycled, and an emphasis on economic sustainability shows in a loyal team—most here for more than three years—who convey the spirit of the place with genuine personality so the experience feels personal, real, and delicious." - Caroline Howley