Budapest, Hungary, 2015-7-2 — /Travel PR News/ — A live concert, a contemporary art exhibition and hundreds of guests celebrated the grand opening of Budapest’s newest restaurant, the KOLLÁZS Brasserie & Bar. Located in Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, next to the Danube’s iconic Chain Bridge, KOLLÁZS unites the contrasting atmospheres of the bustling metropolitan Pest and the verdant hills of bourgeois Buda.
Vibrant and inspiring, yet casual and affordable, KOLLÁZS Brasserie & Bar is a contemporary European brasserie in a landmark Budapest location. Named for the Hungarian word for “collage,” KOLLÁZS places focus on creative combinations in all aspects of the dining experience.
The interior design reflects the artistic era of the 1910s and ’20s, honouring Art Nouveau and Budapest’s legendary coffee house culture. Conceived by EDG Design of San Francisco, the look is a collage of the old and new, the luxurious and simple, in keeping with the character of Budapest. Bringing together four distinct focal points – the rotisserie, bar, wine cellar and patisserie – as well as a convertible, all-season terrace, the environment is at once hip and relaxed, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The contractor was Market Építő Zrt.
As a counterpoint to the historic interior, the displayed artwork is contemporary, featuring regularly changing exhibitions curated by Art Market Budapest, the organiser of Eastern Europe’s top international contemporary art fair.
Chef Árpád Győrffy – previously chef at Arany Kaviár and sous-chef at Alabárdos in Budapest – has created amenu that blends local and international flavours, as well as traditional and modern dishes. The focus is on modern European and French brasserie cuisine with signature Hungarian specialties.
Cocktails are traditional with a chic, modern twist, based on a bar menu created by Jaime Jones, the London-based international bar consultant and global gin connoisseur. The localised recipes – and names such as the Zwackapa – are brought to life with authentic Hungarian ingredients such as Unicum herbal liqueur. The bar also gets a helping hand from the kitchen with state-of-the art culinary technologies, such as sous vide, also featuring on the cocktail list. This blend of local ingredients, classic recipes and inventive techniques creates a unique, yet harmonic collage in the glass.
KOLLÁZS’s sommelier Mátyás Szik has won the Hungarian Sommelier Championship twice – in 2013 and 2014 – and was previously head sommelier at Budapest’s Prime Steak & Wine.
The music at KOLLÁZS blends well-known songs, such as Hungarian and French tracks from the 1950s and ’60s, with modern sounds to produce an exclusive soundtrack for the restaurant.
Headed by restaurant manager Mihály Kártyás, the KOLLÁZS team provides service that is casual, friendly and social. As part of the plan to create a lively atmosphere, the restaurant offers reasonable prices that are intended to attract an eclectic mix of people.
As Budapest emerges as a modern metropolis, KOLLÁZS perfectly captures the dynamic spirit of the city: historic yet contemporary, timeless yet fresh, glamorous yet relaxed. KOLLÁZS promises to become one of Budapest’s most popular dining destinations – welcoming with understated, informal elegance.
Why KOLLÁZS?
KOLLÁZS – the Hungarian word for “collage” – is the most dynamic form of art, combining myriad elements such as paint, photography, sketches and pieces of newspaper. A collage brings together whatever the artist decides to incorporate – anything is possible.
The name comes to life at KOLLÁZS Brasserie & Bar in the combination of classical design and contemporary art, as well as traditional and modern cuisine. KOLLÁZS embodies the exciting, multi-faceted nature of today’s dining scene.
Culinary Concept
Chef Árpád Győrffy creates a collage of European, French and Hungarian dishes, prepared both in the kitchen and in the restaurant’s open rotisserie area.
Rotisserie:
- Classic brasserie dishes in traditional, rustic presentations (escargots, grilled meats, and more)
- Authentic Hungarian dishes in traditional presentations (homemade sausages using high-quality local produce)
- Simple garnishes, traditional sauces and jus
Kitchen:
- Brasserie dishes with a twist, combining a small number of key flavours
- Innovative dishes featuring high-quality local produce in more sophisticated yet simple presentations
Desserts:
- Classical French, Hungarian and old Austro-Hungarian monarchy desserts – some in simple brasserie style and some in more elaborate presentations
- Surprising, inventive desserts that are not available anywhere else in Budapest
Apéritifs and Snacks:
- Tasty small bites, offered both in the bar and in the restaurant
- Casual food items that allow guests to come in throughout the day for a snack and a glass of wine
Wine Concept:
- Serving 80 percent Hungarian wines, reflecting the high quality and history of the country’s 22 wine regions
- Also showcasing unique foreign wines – not mainstream – with a special emphasis on authentic wines; top-quality wines that are true reflections of their terroir
Art Concept
With its location within Budapest’s historic Gresham Palace, KOLLÁZS Brasserie & Bar has a legacy of artistic tradition, now revived in the form of a contemporary art program.
Nearly 100 years ago, Gresham Palace hosted the legendary Gresham Circle’s meetings, a gathering place for key figures on the Hungarian art scene, including renowned painters as Aurél Bernáth, Pál Pátzay, Róbert Berény and István Szőnyi. They enjoyed the lively café environment and the creative atmosphere, as well as the excellent food and drink.
To continue this artistic heritage, KOLLÁZS has joined forces with Art Market Budapest, the organiser of Eastern Europe’s top international contemporary art fair, to create an on going art program that revives the artistic spirit of the Gresham Circle. Temporary exhibitions showcase site-specific collections of art, with new selections three times per year.
Kollázs restores the lively, creative atmosphere of the Gresham Circle era, combining it with the excitement of today’s international art world.
KOLLÁZS – The Exhibition
The opening art show at KOLLÁZS displays modern works of collage, building on a great artistic tradition. Such high-ranking masters of international art as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso applied the technique of collage more than 100 years ago, followed by acclaimed Hungarian artists of the 1920s and ’30s, including Lajos Kassák, Endre Bálint and György Kepes.
The popularity of the collage technique stretches through artistic generations. Local artists – acting here like chefs de cuisine, using almost anything available in the kitchen – bring together the widest range of materials, restricted only by their imaginations.
Curated by Pál Sándor Tóth, KOLLÁZS – The Exhibition features an exciting array of artists:
- Márta Balla (Born: 1980, Cegléd, Hungary) A visual artist, graduated from Spain’s Polytechnic University of Valencia, Balla currently lives and works in Budapest. Her art combines elements derived from nature and the urban environment.
- Szilvia Fekete (Born: 1987, Budapest, Hungary) A painter currently living and working in Budapest, Fekete completed her studies in 2013 at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. In her current collage series, she mostly focuses on the transfiguration of the human body.
- Ron Fischer (Born: 1990, Beer-Sheva, Israel) Currently living and working in Budapest while studying at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Fischer’s works are open discussions on everyday human behaviours.
- Gábor Kerekes (Born: 1975, Budapest, Hungary) After studying as a painter, Kerekes builds mostly large site-specific installations in public spaces. He recently turned his attention to experimental collages.
- Éva Köves (Born: 1965, Moscow, Soviet Union/Russia) A painter who graduated from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in 1988, Köves is currently based in Budapest. In her work, she often applies her own photos onto the canvas and further paints the composition, blurring the edges.
- Júlia Végh (Born: 1990, Budapest, Hungary) A young painter presently completing her master’s degree at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Végh recently won the prestigious Essl Art Award. Her art is focused around current social issues and questions related to the flow of life.
Art Partner
Art Market Budapest is Eastern Europe’s leading international contemporary art fair. Established in 2011, the annual show features established exhibitors, alongside a younger generation of galleries and artists, including the emerging stars of the future. With approximately 100 exhibitors from nearly 30 countries and an audience of more than 25,000 international visitors, the art fair clearly indicates that Budapest has secured its position as a new artistic platform, bringing a fresh new force to the European and global art scene. The next show takes place from October 8 to 11, 2015, at Millenáris, Budapest.
Selected to manage the art program at KOLLÁZS, Art Market Budapest features a highly experienced, dynamic and creative team. Members of the team are available to offer consulting services throughout the year.
Fact Sheet
- Location: In the heart of the city, within Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, with the main entrance on Zrínyi Street and another entrance through the hotel lobby
- Size: Approximately 400 square metres (4,306 square feet)
- Total Capacity: 207 guests
- Indoor Seating: 137 guests
- Outdoor Seating (convertible for winter): 70 guests
- Interior Designer: EDG Design, San Francisco
- Design Aesthetic: The design reflects Budapest’s artistic era of the 1910s and ’20s, encapsulating Art Nouveau style and coffee house culture, and highlighting a rotating selection of contemporary art, in collaboration with Art Market Budapest.
- Restaurant Chef: Árpád Győrffy (Hungarian), previously chef at Arany Kaviár and sous-chef Alabárdos in Budapest
- Restaurant Manager: Mihály Kártyás
- Cuisine: European, French, Hungarian
- Signature Dishes: Foie gras terrine, pork trotter, beef cheek
Opening hours:
- Breakfast: 6:30–10:30 am
- Lunch: 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm
- Light Fare: 3:00–6:00 pm
- Dinner: 6:00–10:30 pm
- Sunday Brunch: 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm; price: HUF 8,800
- Smoking area: Allowed only on the Széchenyi and bar terrace
- Dogs or pets: Only on the bar terrace
- Dress Code: None
- WiFi: Username – KOLLÁZS, Password – “kollazs2015”
- Reservation: +36 1 268 51 84 // reservations@kollazs.hu
- Website: www.kollazs.hu
- Instagram @kollazsbudapest
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Budapest’s newest restaurant KOLLÁZS Brasserie & Bar opens at Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest