Onyx — Restaurant in Budapest

Conclusion ONYX delivers an immersive and visually engaging dining experience that showcases Hungarian gastronomy with a creative twist. While the food and service are exceptional, logistical and pricing quirks prevent it from being a flawless experience. For those seeking a theatrical and multi-sensory culinary journey, ONYX is worth visiting—just be prepared for a few unexpected costs.

ONYX, Budapest, is a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant celebrated for its innovative approach to Hungarian cuisine. This used to have two Michelin stars, now is a Micheling Green, it masterfully blends local flavors with contemporary techniques, resulting in a unique culinary experience that is both memorable and refined. My visit revealed both highlights and areas for improvement, which I share below:

First Impressions The experience begins in a compact entrance area, which feels undersized for the number of diners expected. While waiting to be seated, guests are offered sparkling wine and an appetizer. While the gesture is appreciated, the space is not functional or comfortable, slightly diminishing the initial impression. This is an area where ONYX could enhance the guest experience.

The Dining Experience Once inside the main dining room, the setup becomes far more intriguing. Guests are seated around a square communal table that feels like a cozy living room, with the kitchen visible to the right. This setup allows for an interactive "show" as dishes are presented.

A conductor-like host, baton in hand, orchestrates the meal, rotating a central platform to display the featured dishes. The dining experience is immersive and sensory, with highlights such as live painting on a plate, the use of sound effects with headsets, and revolving plates. These unique elements elevate the overall experience.

The Menu The tasting menu includes a mix of traditional Hungarian flavors and bold, experimental creations. Some dishes were more successful than others; for example:

The paprika ice cream was too unconventional for my taste. The bread served with a variety of smoked and flavored butters was delightful and memorable. The pacing of the menu felt late, starting at 8:00 PM and finishing around 11:00 PM. This timing was a challenge after an already long day, and an earlier schedule could be more practical.

Additional Highlights We were given a preview of a new dining area set to open soon, which suggests exciting changes ahead for ONYX. The upcoming layout will have two distinct concepts: one side striving to reclaim Michelin star recognition, and the other serving as a more experimental dining space. This innovative approach hints at a bright future for the venue.

Adding to the charm of the evening, guests received a keepsake pencil as a token of the experience, a thoughtful and memorable touch.

Critiques Despite the overall quality, there were a few disappointments:

The fixed-price menu does not include service charges, and diners are charged for two services—one expected and the other less so. This added cost feels excessive. Update the cost of the menu and included it . Charging for filtered water in a €150 menu seems petty and detracts from the...

What a phenomenal dining adventure! The "Was, Is, Will be" dinner at Onyx left us absolutely awestruck.

Previously Hungary's first 2-star Michelin restaurant, Onyx was closed in 2020 but plans a reopening in the summer of 2024. In the interim, they've introduced concept dinners in a new venue named Onyx Mühely ("mühely" translates to workshop).

Our evening commenced simultaneously for all guests with an aperitif at the esteemed Gerbeaud café, a hallmark of Budapest's culinary scene, exuding a classic French fine dining ambiance. Here, adorned with black suits and white gloves, the staff served the initial three courses, each a tribute to culinary heritage.

Following the third course, we embarked on a pre-informed venue switch, led by a service team member who guides us around the building were we re-entered it just on the opposite side of where the evening had started. The venue could not have been more contrasting: A modern setting of glass and steel, where the same staff now wore white kitchen jackets and casual trousers.

This stark shift fostered a more interactive and engaging atmosphere among guests, encouraged to mingle and observe the culinary process up close. A highlight was the "will be" themed pre-dessert, savored amidst the ongoing renovations of the future Onyx, offering us a glimpse into its evolution.

The menu allowed for omnivore or vegetarian selections for several courses, with all other dishes being vegetarian. Each dish showcased bold yet welcoming flavors and textures, striking a perfect balance between creativity and familiarity.

Both the local wine and the non-alcoholic drink pairing were of excellent quality. The non-alcoholic pairings were exceptionally crafted, setting a new standard for us in terms of creating aromatic drinks that are no less exciting than the wines that are served. It has become somewhat trendy to offer these alternative drink pairings, yet many restaurants do not get the flavors right or default to off-the-shelf options. Onyx was spot on though.

The service transitioned seamlessly from professional to personable, mirroring the setting's transformation and effectively narrating Onyx's transformative journey through not just taste but also experience.This dining event was undeniably the most memorable I've ever encountered, transcending the realms of mere gastronomy to engage with the psychology of its guests, making it an unparalleled experience in...

3 big (Michelin) stars!

These are given for the food, which is really good but to be honest, the taste as a whole complete experience was a little bit of a disappointment and we have visited quite some Michelin restaurants by now. This is not said to be rude, because I have big respect for the craftsmanship behind the food - and the food was really good - but from a 2-star restaurant team I did expect a bit more, taste wise, to be honest.

The atmosphere however and the choice of interaction with the guests was top class and well planned as could be - thanks for letting us in like this!

Only feeling during and afterwards was, when visiting a 2-star team I do expect to be blown away in taste compositions in the food and wine pairings (wines were only a wee bit above average - and that is as nice as I can put that without insulting anybody...) that underline why you pay big money to visit restaurants of this caliber - here I/we walked away with a feeling that we got more of a show than a dinner (food experience)... the show was great, but Michelin restaurants should be the other way around - more of a dinner (food experience) than a show...

P.S.: Dear ONYX Creative Community Thanks for the feedback/clarification, but I am aware of the history because we spoke to the team on the day of our dinner experience. This review was meant as constructive feedback and we had a wonderful experience and with great food, but I still felt the experience was more a feeling of "the show" rather than the "food/taste experience" - which is also why my entire review was concerning "the 2-star team" rather than "the 2-star restaurant", because we were told that the main part of the team was the same, but just "different restaurant".

We are very much looking forward to the new setup and would love to...