Costes Downtown — Restaurant in Budapest

Here’s the thing, if michelin gives you a star, usually it’s a balance between food plus some level of service. However, while the food was decent, the ridiculously slow and uncoordinated service detracted so much from the meal that by 2/3rd’s of the meal, we just wished they would just bring out the rest of the courses so we could go home. We arrived on time for our dinner at 8 pm but didn’t leave until after 11:20!!

During the dinner, we saw our plates being brought out on trays, and then the servers would have to be literally flagged down before the plates could be served. This didn’t just happen once, but multiple times throughout the dinner! The funny thing is, most of the time the servers were just completely oblivious, and not even busy with other tasks. The eye rolling and head gesturing by the waiter holding the platter of plates while trying to flag down a server was quite comedic, especially at a michelin star restaurant. Watching our plates on the tray go back and forth back to the kitchen because they’ve missed something, or they forgot to bring the wine pairing /non-alcoholic pairing at the same time. The waiters having to be reminded to refill dry water cups. Empty glasses that started to fill the table until we started stacking them at the side of the table to make room for our meals.

It is too bad that the service detracted so much from the dining experience to render it one of the least enjoyable meals we’ve had at Budapest, and definitely one of the worst Michelin starred meal in my experience.

Two conclusive words to describe the entire experience: frustrating and disorganized.

I sincerely hope they make improvements to the flow of the dinner as well as their level of service so that their food can...

This cuisine boast a unique culinary model: Japanese, French & Spanish. You will notice a subtle appeal to Hungarian delicacy’s as well; namely beetroot. Overall, the atmosphere is contemporary, eclectic and has the work of the kitchen (contingent on your seat) in clear view. I did not opt for the wine pairing; however, a floral and acidic rose (per recommendation from my waiter) complimented must of the courses appropriately. For your beef course, A5 Wagyu is available at +18,000 HUF extra cost if you do not want the default beef option. Wagyu was cooked just with the right amount of pink without being excessively rare/chewy. The service is cultivated, structured and attentive. Each of my dishes were explained thoroughly, even at the seemingly most busy time (around 7:00 pm). Some of the gaps and windows between courses did seem a bit inconsistent at first but the presentation, integration of flavors/textures definitely offsets this perceived shortcoming. As for the tasting menu, the “Gin, pina colada“ desert May have been one of favorite desserts in Budapest from my 4 months of being here. The blend of various textures and flavors was great. At times, some cuisines will neglect the main focus of the dish and overly garnish or tamper with the original flavor. This was not one of those instances, as each dish seemed to have optimal garnishes while maintaining the integrity of the dish. For example, the jabonero and pistachio (served in two separate dishes) paired wonderfully with each protein. A rich diversity of flavors and palate and would overall recommend for a Michelin try in the city!...

This is the fifth time I've been at a Michelin-starred restaurant to enjoy a tasting menu. More often than not I haven't been very impressed but here I thought the food was as interesting as it was excellent! Again and again the sauces that came with the different dishes were out of this world! And even extra special butter-trick, that all restaurants of this caliber seem to use, stood out as something special.

Out of the 9 or so dishes we had, we only found one to be "boring" (the fried dish), which is rare. For my personal taste the service was good, but too stiff; I get less comfortable when I'm being served by young nervous staff that say "I'm sorry" for I don't even know what over and over, and even having shaky hands when pouring sauces and being unable to gauge how much to pour in order for me and my companion to end up with an equal amount on our plates. It's definitely nit-picky, but for this price I don't want to be made uncomfortable by feeling I'm making other people uncomfortable. And I know it's customary, but someone folding my napkin for me and placing it in my lap for me makes me feel a bit like a child who can't do anything for myself, so a thing like that detracts from the experience for me personally.

Still, those are small blemishes on an overall outstanding package that had an excellent wine pairing and took great care to accommodate special dietary restrictions. I will definitely return to Costes...