if you haven’t been using instagram as a travel resource, you’re seriously missing out. a few months ago i started following peter keresztesi, since i noticed he was posting and geotagging lovely spots around budapest. we go there at least a couple times a year to visit friends, so i figured his advice would come in handy.

turns out peter works with baldaszti group – one of a few creative companies that are changing their city one restaurant and coffee bar at a time. peter introduced me to zona, their upscale restaurant with an incredible design and an impressive gault millau score (scored at 17 points zona rivals the two michelin starred restaurants in town – onyx and costes). i went there right before lunch hour to get a couple of nice shots, and we returned for a wonderful dinner that same evening. the tasting menu took us through various traditionally hungarian dishes, which were all given a thoroughly modern update or twist.

baldaszti group also runs madame noi, an affordable indochinese restaurant on budapest’s chicest avenue. we had a nice lunch there, and i loved the interior design. madame noi will be moving soon though, as baldaszti is working on a very exciting project at a new location that will also include a third wave coffee bar. i’ll make sure to keep you updated on all of that!

photos by stephanie duval