Not already burned out on Budapest restaurants where the prices are sky-high and the food plays third fiddle to high design and high concept? Good news, because I've just found a recently-opened eatery that elevates the local form-over-function and style-over-substance restaurant craze to new heights - literally.

If you haven't heard of Dinner in the Sky, which arrived in Budapest this week with predictable fanfare, it's a Belgian-developed cross between a restaurant and an amusement park ride. A large "table" surrounded by a couple of dozen attached chairs that diners are strapped into is hoisted aloft by a crane, allowing the patrons to eat their meal while hovering 50 or so meters above the ground.

The Budapest "outlet" of the unusual chain is based down at Heroes' Square, and it seems to be mostly aimed at the corporate event crowd. According to portal index.hu, the local company offering the service in two packages: a four-hour program for Ft 1.5 million (roughly €6,000, plus VAT), or eight hours for Ft 2.15 million. The director of the firm, László Juhász, says that the latter package works out to around 300 dinners at Ft 20,000 to Ft 30,000 a head, which he says is not more than what it costs for the average luxury company event. But it also seems like the restaurant may eventually be opened to individuals.

I suppose there's nothing wrong with people having a little fun while they are eating. But if this thing succeeds - and I seriously doubt it will, unless it's getting some kind of government grant - it will provide the exact wrong lesson to Budapest's already trend- and gimmick-obsessed restaurateurs.

Consider, for example, that there wasn't even a mention of the food served in the above article. Though I see here that it included such "Belgian national dishes" as Scampi Diabolo (funny; doesn't sound Belgian to me), as well as paprikás csirke.

But then, who really cares about the food, when you've got a restaurant gimmick this good. As the inventors of the concept put it:

This is a unique event meant for anyone who wishes to transform an ordinary meal or meeting into a magical moment that will leave a lasting impression on their guests! (emphasis added)

Anyway, it couldn't taste as bad as the last local attempt at high-concept Belgian.