Costes Downtown

Costes Downtown has been operating for ten years on the ground floor of the Prestige Hotel. It is a grandly elegant downtown restaurant, with soaring ceilings, an open kitchen facing the dining room, a living plant wall, and an ever-changing collection of paintings by the owner. The scrupulously orchestrated work unfolding in the show kitchen enriches the dining experience captivatingly. The arrival of Barnabás Hack marked a new chapter for Costes. The menu has seen an upsurge in Hungarian ingredients, and the new chef has brought a lighter, more accessible yet still refined style of cooking. Particular emphasis is placed on the amuse-bouches: the black tuile snaps lightly without crumbling, while the pebble-shaped tartare melts obligingly in the mouth. Vegetarians are well catered for, too: their signature dish, “Our Garden,” is always built around seasonal produce. During our visit, cauliflower took centre stage in a series of beguiling textures. The pinnacle of a meal outstanding throughout was the dessert named “Concrete Jungle,” a playful reflection on city life where the sweetness of parsnip and the tartness of cranberry entwine, featuring a whimsical touch: a fire hydrant crafted from cranberry jelly sweets. The wine list is broad, well-chosen, and appealing, with around twenty selections available by the glass. The new chef has stoked the fires of culinary passion once more; the team is polished and professional, perfectly matching the house’s sense of elegance and high standards. For a first encounter, we recommend the lunch menu; for a deeper experience, the evening tasting menu is the way to go.