Filmmaker Wes Anderson’s idiosyncratic visual style inspired the design of The Budapest Café in Melbourne, which follows the success of The Budapest Café in Chengdu, China. Drawing on our appetite for modern abstract art, design and hospitality, we evolved the design experience to create an immersive, gallery-like experience. Minimising the built form maximised the space and the impact of colour in the imaginative and evocative space. Bold, offbeat elements encourage patrons to engage with the design, and the natural earthy palette exudes warmth, texture and character and reflects the local design sensibility.