Michelin-starred Hungarian restaurant Costes held a dining event on the Budapest Eye ferris wheel to counter the plunge in sales brought by the pandemic. Now that there aren’t many people on the attraction or in the restaurant, it became the perfect opportunity to innovate.
Costes owner Karoly Gerandai said that the idea of serving food on a ferris wheel came to him after he noticed restaurant attendance was only a tenth of pre-lockdown levels. With fewer diners coming in during regular services, this new setup is ideal in separating guests from each other while dining.
A ticket costs $154.40 each for a four-course meal—and it sold out within days as clients sought the chance for this rare escape. The meal included stewed beef and duck liver terrine with roasted root vegetables, grilled gnocchi with Jerusalem artichokes in marrow sauce, and Poire Belle Hélène (poached pears) for dessert.
Gerandai is looking forward to continuing this event during the warmer months, hopeful that this will help the tourism and restaurant industry get back on their feet.