Guests are invited to both savour and visually explore the vibrant, graffiti-inspired urban landscapes of artist Zsombor Barakonyi. The restaurant becomes an Urban Jungle–themed oasis that offers a fresh perspective on gastronomy.

It has been ten years since Costes Downtown opened its doors in the heart of Budapest. To celebrate the milestone, the restaurant is not only refreshing its gastronomic offering, but also taking the daring step of making contemporary art literally consumable.



The new concept reflects the city’s pulsating energy, a closeness to nature, the evolving role of fine dining, and the question: how can contemporary art and culinary artistry merge into a coherent, immersive experience? The contemporary works of Hungarian artists — chiefly the paintings of Zsombor Barakonyi — are not only displayed on the walls but reinterpreted in the dishes created by Chef Hack.

Károly Gerendai: “Art is not decoration — it is a concept”



“In June 2015, we opened Costes Downtown with the idea of introducing a more relaxed fine-dining environment to the Hungarian restaurant scene, while maintaining the same high quality of experience.

Fortunately, the reception was extremely positive, and professional recognition followed quickly: within a year we earned a Michelin star, and we have remained one of the city’s top ten restaurants ever since. Our opening team was still led by Miguel Vieira at the time.

Nothing illustrates the depth of the professional work carried out here over the past decade better than the calibre of chefs who began their careers with us: Tiago Sabarigo, Kornél Kaszás and István Szántó have all gone on to earn significant acclaim on their own. This is partly why it was such a shock three years ago when, during another chef change, we lost our Michelin star. It forced us to ask: are we still on the right path?



We ultimately decided to stay within the fine-dining world, but not within its traditional framework. Reclaiming the star was no longer the main objective — enhancing the guest experience was. The expectations of fine dining have shifted in recent years.

Guests no longer long for multi-hour tasting menus but seek more spontaneous, impulsive encounters. We responded with a new menu structure while also considering what guests can realistically afford. While most fine-dining restaurants continued raising prices, we took the opposite path, lowering ours to reach a broader audience.

Fortunately, this approach has paid off: by this spring we regained the level of guest traffic we had enjoyed at our peak, which had significantly decreased after losing the star,” explains Károly Gerendai, founder of the Costes Group.



Gerendai also reflected on how the new concept was born: “At the beginning of the year, when we started discussing what defines Costes Downtown’s identity on the occasion of the anniversary, Chef Barnabás Hack came up with the Urban Jungle idea.

Plants have always played a strong role in the restaurant, but for Barni it was equally important to reflect more directly on the city itself. He asked whether I had any artworks that could help bring the city into the dining space. Since my own collection wasn’t curated around that theme, I immediately suggested reaching out to Zsombor Barakonyi, as I felt his style would perfectly match the concept.

From there, Barni began interpreting and re-imagining the paintings. While it’s now common for top restaurants to present highly photogenic dishes that could almost pass as works of art — and for quality artworks to adorn the walls of fine-dining spaces — the new approach here lies in Barni taking this further: he sought to translate the visual elements from the artworks directly onto the plates. Visuality is not simply an aesthetic complement — it becomes a conceptual driving force that shapes both the menu and the interior.”



Gerendai’s relationship with Barakonyi dates back many years, when the founder first discovered the painter’s work. As a collector, he has purchased several pieces from him, and one of Barakonyi’s works — created specifically for the space — still hangs on the wall of the Costes Restaurant on Ráday Street.

“Back then I gave Zsombor complete freedom in choosing the theme. At Downtown, however, it was important that the artwork serve not merely as illustration but convey an independent message aligned with our Urban Jungle concept. That is why I selected pieces reflecting a vibrant, contemporary urban atmosphere.

This collaboration is not just about placing his works on the walls — it is about using his visual world as inspiration, incorporating his themes into our kitchen’s creativity. I believe this represents another forward-thinking step that highlights our innovative spirit while elevating the guest experience,” adds Gerendai.

Chef Barnabás Hack: “The city’s energy on the plate”



“For me, the Costes Group has always been more than just a workplace. I began my career in the kitchen of the Costes Restaurant, and ten years ago I was part of the Downtown opening team as well,” recalls Chef Barnabás Hack.

“Costes Downtown embodies what we call URBAN JUNGLE. I’m fuelled by the energy of the city — Margaret Island, the Danube, the constant buzz — and by the sense of oasis we create inside with all the greenery. As the anniversary approached, I reflected on how much I value the environment where I work. Budapest is my third love, after my wife and my team.

When we renewed the menu, I aimed to translate the city’s vibrant energy, the atmosphere of Zsombor’s paintings, and this sense of playfulness into the dishes. The artworks on the walls don’t just inspire us—they appear directly on the plates. Gastronomy and contemporary art engage in a dialogue with each other and with the guest.”

How do the artworks appear in the dishes?



Zsombor Barakonyi’s paintings come to life not only on the walls but also in the food. Chef Hack brings the colours, forms, and moods of the paintings onto the plate: house-made butters are served on a painter’s palette; a lamb loin dish invites guests to “paint” their plate by dripping green oil from a pipette; and some dishes conceal flavours beneath a dusted surface that guests must brush away with an edible “brush”.

Dining becomes interactive — guests literally experience how contemporary art can be both viewed and tasted.

Zsombor Barakonyi: “Contemporary art has become literally consumable”

“Karcsi has been collecting my work for years; one of my pieces already hangs in the Costes Restaurant on Ráday Street. When he called with the idea of bringing contemporary art into Costes Downtown as well, I immediately said yes,” says painter Zsombor Barakonyi.

“I consider it an important mission to bring fine-dining audiences closer to contemporary art. So we went through my studio together, and eight of my paintings are now displayed in the restaurant. But we didn’t stop there: the Chef has literally made contemporary art consumable.



My colours, shapes, moods appear in the dishes, the desserts, even in the plating. Guests don’t just look at contemporary art — they experience it. The city influences us every day, and through flavours, colours, and forms we express the same ideas that appear in my paintings. It’s a joy to see guests engaging with the artworks as part of their dining experience.”

Costes Downtown’s anniversary is not only a milestone for the team—it marks the birth of a new, multilayered experience: the fusion of fine dining and contemporary art in a relaxed yet refined setting, right in the heart of the city.

Clik here to virtually visit Costes Downtown
1051 Budapest, Vigyázó Ferenc u. 5.