99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant Budapest: World-Class Japanese Fine Dining Arrives at The St. Regis

Budapest has quietly been rewriting its culinary story over the past few years, and the latest chapter is a striking one. The 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant has opened its doors inside The St. Regis Budapest, nestled within the magnificent Klotild Palace, bringing Michelin-starred Japanese fine dining to Central Europe for the very first time. For food lovers visiting the Hungarian capital, this is a genuinely exciting development — and it signals something bigger about Budapest’s rising status on the global luxury map.

A Spanish-Born Japanese Icon

The story of 99 Sushi begins not in Tokyo, but in Madrid. Founded in 2005 by the León brothers, the brand built its reputation on a compelling fusion of Japanese precision and Mediterranean sensibility, using premium ingredients and theatrical presentation to carve out a distinctive space in the fine dining world. Two decades later, 99 Sushi operates in some of the world’s most competitive restaurant markets — Madrid, Barcelona, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Monaco, and Rabat — with a London opening in the exclusive Mayfair neighborhood on the horizon. Budapest now joins this select list, and it’s no coincidence.

The brand’s Abu Dhabi flagship, located at the Four Seasons Al Maryah Island, earned a Michelin star for three consecutive years between 2022 and 2024. That culinary excellence is exactly what the team is aiming to replicate on the banks of the Danube.

Why Budapest?

The decision to open in Budapest wasn’t driven by the brand actively searching for new markets — it rarely works that way for 99 Sushi. Culinary Director Thinus van der Westhuizen, who personally oversaw the Budapest launch, explained that in most cases, the venues approach them. In this instance, the ownership of The St. Regis Budapest reached out after becoming familiar with the concept, and the fit felt right from the start.

That doesn’t mean the decision was taken lightly. Van der Westhuizen told Hungarian business publication Világgazdaság that the team carried out a detailed analysis of the Budapest market before committing. What they found was both encouraging and challenging in equal measure: the Hungarian capital already has a strong premium Japanese dining scene, which represents genuine competition. “There are already high-quality Japanese restaurants in Budapest, which poses a financial challenge,” he acknowledged, “but we felt there was room for us too.” The fact that 99 Sushi is simultaneously opening in Mayfair — arguably the world’s most competitive restaurant neighbourhood — suggests the brand thrives on exactly this kind of pressure.

The Man Behind the Kitchen

Thinus van der Westhuizen’s journey to becoming the culinary director of an international Michelin-starred restaurant group is itself an intriguing story. Born in South Africa, his career has been shaped by kitchens across three continents — South Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. He was appointed to lead the entire 99 Sushi network last year, responsible for all new openings and maintaining consistent culinary standards across every location.

His philosophy is defined by technical precision and a deep respect for ingredients. At the Budapest opening, he was emphatic about one thing: the quality of what lands on your plate here will be identical to what guests experience in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. “We want guests to receive the same outstanding ingredients and the same experience in Budapest as in Abu Dhabi or Dubai,” he said. This isn’t a watered-down version of the concept adapted for a new market — it’s the full 99 Sushi experience, transplanted to one of Europe’s most elegant hotel settings.

What’s on the Menu

The 99 Sushi menu is built on a foundation of exceptional ingredients and refined Japanese technique, enriched by the brand’s Spanish heritage. Atlantic bluefin tuna — sustainably sourced from Balfegó, one of the world’s most respected premium tuna suppliers and a partner of nearly two decades — forms the heart of the offering. Alongside it, expect Alaskan king crab and Japanese Kobe A5 wagyu beef, all handled with the kind of care that makes fine dining genuinely memorable.

The à la carte menu is complemented by a 14-course seasonal omakase, a chef-led journey through meticulously composed dishes built around technique, seasonality, and balance. Among the signature dishes, the 99 Jewel stands out immediately — a combination of toro, akami, black truffle, and gold leaf that is as visually stunning as it is indulgent. The Dragonfly Maki offers a masterclass in textural contrasts, while the 99 Golden Bricks has become something of an icon across the brand’s locations.

Other highlights include wagyu gyoza with truffle and yuzu, toro tataki with passion fruit soy sauce, and the 99 Black Cod prepared with red miso — dishes that speak a culinary language that is simultaneously precise and expressive. The experience is rounded out by a carefully curated selection of sake, Japanese whisky, and wine pairings chosen to deepen the character of each course.

The Setting: Klotild Palace and The St. Regis Budapest

The location itself is worth a moment’s reflection. The St. Regis Budapest occupies the Klotild Palace, one of the city’s most historically significant buildings, built in 1902 on the approach to the Elizabeth Bridge. The palace’s ornate Neo-Baroque architecture creates a dramatic backdrop for a contemporary fine dining experience — a dialogue between old Budapest elegance and the forward-looking precision of modern Japanese cuisine.

The St. Regis opened in Budapest as part of a wave of ultra-luxury hotel development that has transformed the city’s hospitality landscape in recent years, alongside the W Budapest and the Dorothea Hotel. Each of these arrivals has brought with it a new tier of dining and lifestyle experiences, and 99 Sushi is the latest — and perhaps most internationally pedigreed — addition to that story.

Budapest on the Global Culinary Map

The arrival of 99 Sushi is more than just a restaurant opening. It’s a signal. When a Michelin-starred brand that operates in Abu Dhabi, Monaco, and soon Mayfair chooses Budapest as its next destination, it reflects a growing international consensus that Hungary’s capital belongs in the conversation about Europe’s finest culinary cities. CEO Jaime Castañeda has steered 99 Sushi into a new phase of global growth, and Budapest’s place on that list — ahead of many larger European capitals — says a great deal about where the city is headed.

For tourists visiting Budapest, the 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant at The St. Regis is now an essential reservation for anyone who takes food seriously. Whether you opt for the full omakase experience or explore the à la carte menu over a long, leisurely evening, you’ll find something genuinely world-class waiting for you inside the Klotild Palace.