HunKi Revolution- Hungarian gastronomy rising despite financial crisis

An obvious consequence of the global financial crisis is a decrease in the number of customers in sectors related to consumption. It is the same with restaurants as during the last few years, the number of people who are able to spend has decreased, parallel to the rise in the prices of ingredients. In the Fall of 2008 it was a very bad situation for the people in the restaurant business and at that time nobody knew that the economic depression would persist for more than 2 years.

Perhaps in countries where eating out is more general and part of everyday life, the situation didn’t seem that bad. Restaurant owners might have thought that among people who eat out regularly, only a minority would change their habits and most of them would keep coming. However in cities like Budapest, where the culture of gastronomy just started to plant its seeds in the beginning of the crisis, nobody could see such a bright future.

A few years ago problem facing the Hungarian gastro-life was quite simple for these choosy consumers: there were very few good and well-known places and the ones that existed were strictly located in the capital. Many restaurants offered average menus, labeling themselves as a traditional, real Hungarian restaurant but only using frozen vegetables, 2nd class meat and mere salt and pepper as spices. For a long time tourists asking for a typical local dish were served “Gulyás soup” and “Bélszín á la Budapest”, as if there were no characteristic local spices or good quality ingredients.

Despite these circumstances, the gastro-bomb exploded in the last 2 years in Hungary, mainly in the capital. The first big step toward reaching the international scene was the first Michelin star award of the restaurant Costes. The motto of the establishment is quite suggestive: without compromises. This represents the key elements of success in this “gastro – revolution,” as even though the place opened in the worst period of the financial crisis, it offered options with the highest quality ingredients. The mentality of the owner makes Costes very avant-garde because he is not only daring but represents the leading quality: creativity.

Fortunately Costes is not the only knight of this mission as many good establishments opened –and not many closed – in the past 1 or 2 years such as Mák Bisztró or Bock Bisztró. Both places are determined to use as many Hungarian ingredients as they can and the mission of the chefs are very similar as well: to redefine Hungarian cuisine.

Another restaurant joined the Hungarian kitchen revolution: Onyx, a rather posh restaurant in the heart of the city, recently awarded with a Michelin star. Onyx is another piece of evidence and Avantgarde truth that the quality is worth the investment.