“Hungarians will tell you that there are just three essential styles of cooking: French, Chinese and their own.” 

A few years ago, I went on the most epic European summer trip to celebrate my best friend TJ’s birthday. 8 of us, spent 10 days traveling to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Our trip included A LOT of beers, A LOT of late nights and A LOT of good meals. Costes restaurant in Budapest was one of them.

Since its opening in 2008, Costes has been recognized worldwide for its unique gastronomic experience lead by a passionate team of chefs using modern techniques and the freshest ingredients. In 2010, Costes was the first restaurant in Hungary to earn a Michelin star and only the second in the Central European region. Costes has continued to win local and international awards including being ranked the 25th best restaurant in the world in 2014! Yes, its that good!

The menu offers 4 course, 5 course, 6 course and 7 course options. When in Budapest? Our group decided to go all out with the 7 course tasting menu which included 5 dishes, cheese, pre dessert, dessert and a wine pairing.

Each plate was masterfully detailed oriented and the service was impeccable, which might be due to the fact that the restaurant staff went through rigorous training in France before Costes opened.

The most interesting dish on the menu was pigeon. I see pigeons all the time, flying around outside. I never would think to see one of those on my plate. I personally could not stomach it but the rest of my group tried it and said they liked it. When in Budapest?

I wanted to start my gallery of images with this photo of our group and our waiters. We took this photo after our meal. We were full. We were buzzed. And we ready to take on another night in Budapest.

With our 7 course menu, we ended up getting 4 desserts!

If you are traveling to Budapest, definitely add this restaurant to your list and make sure to book in advance.

To learn more about this restaurant or book a reservation click HERE.

Have you ever been to a Michelin restaurant?