Costes Downtown celebrates 10 years in Budapest by blending fine dining with contemporary art
Costes Downtown is marking its 10th anniversary in a bold new way: the central Budapest restaurant is fusing its signature laid-back fine dining experience with contemporary art, not only adorning the walls, but coming to life on the plates crafted by chef Barnabás Hack. Diners are invited to both taste and admire the vibrant, graffiti-style urban landscapes of artist Zsombor Barakonyi, as the restaurant transforms into an Urban Jungle oasis offering a fresh perspective on gastronomy.
It has been ten years since Costes Downtown opened its doors in the heart of the city. To celebrate the milestone, the restaurant is not only refreshing its culinary offerings but also embarking on an exciting new venture: making contemporary art quite literally edible.
The new concept reflects the energy of the city, the closeness to nature, the evolving role of fine dining, and explores how gastronomy executed at an artistic level can merge meaningfully with visual art. The space features contemporary Hungarian artworks—primarily the paintings of Zsombor Barakonyi—which appear not just on the walls but also inspire the dishes of chef Barnabás Hack.
Károly Gerendai: “Art isn’t just décor—It’s the concept”
“When we opened Costes Downtown in June 2015, our vision was to create a fine dining experience within a more relaxed atmosphere than was typical at the time, without compromising on quality. Fortunately, the reception was overwhelmingly positive, and professional success followed quickly—within a year, we earned a Michelin star and have remained one of the city’s top ten restaurants ever since. Miguel Vieira led our original opening team. The level of culinary craftsmanship we’ve cultivated over the years is reflected in the outstanding chefs who’ve come through our kitchen: Tiago Sabarigo, Kornél Kaszás, and István Szántó have gone on to win accolades of their own. So, it was a serious setback three years ago when the Michelin star was revoked following a change in head chef. That was a turning point for us: do we stay the course? We decided to continue pursuing fine dining but with a redefined framework. Rather than obsess over regaining the star, we shifted our focus to enhancing the guest experience. Dining preferences have changed; patrons today crave spontaneous, engaging experiences—not multi-hour tasting menus. We responded with a new menu structure and adjusted our pricing accordingly, aiming to reach a broader audience. While many fine dining spots raised prices, we lowered ours. Thankfully, our efforts have paid off, and by this spring we had recovered the peak-level traffic we lost when the star was rescinded.” — said Károly Gerendai, founder of the Costes Group.
Gerendai also explained how the new concept came to life: “At the beginning of the year, as we reflected on Costes Downtown’s identity, chef Barnabás Hack proposed the idea of an Urban Jungle. Plants have always been key to the restaurant’s aesthetic, but Barni also wanted to reflect the essence of the city. He asked if I had any artwork that could bring that urban vibe into the dining space. Since my collection didn’t quite fit that theme, I immediately suggested we reach out to Zsombor Barakonyi—I felt his style matched the concept perfectly. Barni began interpreting the paintings, thinking through how to translate them to the plate. Today, it’s common for top-tier restaurants to serve dishes that look like works of art, and many already feature high-quality art on the walls. What’s new here is that Barni went further—he used the paintings as direct inspiration for the dishes themselves. This made visual storytelling a core theme reflected in both the menu and the ambiance.”
Gerendai and Barakonyi’s collaboration dates back years, with the founder having previously added the painter’s works to his collection and even commissioned a piece for the wall of the original Costes Restaurant on Ráday Street. “I gave Zsombor complete freedom back then, but for Downtown it was important that the art not just illustrate a theme but contribute with a unique message that aligns with our Urban Jungle vision. That’s why we curated pieces that captured the energy of a modern, vibrant metropolis. And this collaboration isn’t only about hanging art; it’s also about letting his visual language inspire creative expression in the kitchen. We believe this innovative direction demonstrates both our creative spirit and dedication to deepening the guest experience.”
Chef Barnabás Hack: “The city’s energy on a plate”
“To me, Costes Group has always been more than just a workplace. I started my career in the Costes Restaurant kitchen, and ten years ago I was part of the opening team at Downtown,” chef Barnabás Hack recalled. “Costes Downtown embodies the feeling we call URBAN JUNGLE. I’m inspired by the city—Margaret Island, the Danube, the bustle—and also by the serene, green oasis we’ve created inside the restaurant. Now, as head chef, I’ve taken time to reflect on how much I value this environment. Budapest is my third love, after my wife and my team. When we refreshed the menu, I tried to infuse it with the city’s vibrant energy, the mood of Barakonyi’s paintings, and a sense of playfulness. The paintings on the walls not only inspire us—they literally show up on the plates. With this, gastronomy and contemporary art engage in a dialogue with each other and our guests.”
How do the paintings come alive in the dishes at Costes Downtown?
Zsombor Barakonyi’s paintings are more than decoration—they’re transformed into edible experiences. Chef Barnabás Hack interprets the colours, forms, and emotional tones of the artworks onto the plate. Butter is served like a painter’s palette. In one dish, featuring lamb loin, guests use pipettes to ‘paint’ food with green oil. In another, diners brush off a powdered surface to reveal flavours beneath. The dining experience becomes interactive, showing that contemporary art isn’t just to be looked at—it can be tasted too.
Zsombor Barakonyi: “Contemporary art becomes literally consumable”
“Károly has been collecting my work for years—there’s even one of my pieces on the wall at the Costes Restaurant on Ráday Street. So when he called with this idea to bring my work into Costes Downtown, I immediately said yes,” said painter Zsombor Barakonyi. “It’s a mission I believe in: to bring fine dining enthusiasts closer to contemporary art. We curated pieces together in my studio and ultimately chose eight paintings to display. But it didn’t stop there: the chef made my art edible. The colours, shapes, and mood of my paintings appear in the dishes, desserts, and even plating. Guests don’t just view the art—they experience it from the inside out. The city influences us daily, and the food, colours, and forms communicate the same message my canvases do. It’s a joy to see diners truly engage with our work during their meal.”
Costes Downtown’s 10-year anniversary is more than a milestone—it’s the launch of an immersive new concept, blending fine dining with contemporary art in a casual yet high-quality setting right in the heart of the city.
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