Two exciting new developments were announced at the Gundel restaurant’s press conference. In 2027, legends of Hungarian film history will come to life for a single special evening at the Gundel Palace: the next Gundel Ball will pay tribute to iconic figures and stories from Hungarian cinema. Meanwhile, the 130-year-old Gundel is also undergoing a revamp behind the scenes: with a 30 million forint investment, it has modernised its external catering division, which combines tradition with the expectations of the modern age.
When Hungarian films meet gastronomy
What is now regarded as a tradition Gundel Ball Every year, he tells a story, one special theme is centred around a theme linked to the Gundel traditions or the building itself.
The special occasion for the 2027 ball The 100th anniversary of Éva Ruttkai’s birth gives. In addition, Zoltán Latinovits, István Bujtor, Károly Frenreisz and stories of legendary artistic families also inspired the theme. Through them, the cultural heritage of several eras and generations is brought together on this special evening. It is no coincidence that the ball guests of honour They will include, amongst others, Károly Frenreisz, Gábor Szigethy and Júlia Gábor, the daughter of Éva Ruttkai, as well as Balázs Bujtor, the son of István Bujtor.
Gábor Nagy, the founder and owner of Eventrend, said:
The Eventrend Group operates a number of historic venues that existed even before we were born, from the New York Café and the Gundel to the Museum Café, which is set to reopen soon. Our mission is to bring these great venues and the stories behind them to today’s visitors, in an engaging way and in keeping with timeless values such as hospitality and a respect for gastronomy. We can be proud of each of these venues, as they form part of Hungarian culture and remain important meeting places to this day.
Jenő Magyari The managing director added:
This year’s ball was a great success, and we’d like to continue this tradition in 2027. Once again, we’ll be telling a story about Hungarian films and iconic acting legends, and of course there’ll be charity fundraising, performances by the debutantes and a special menu. All of this will give the event its heart and soul.
The ball the dinner menu it is inspired by legendary Hungarian films such as Eldorado, The witness, a Sinbad, a Mephisto, a You wretched life and the The devil beats his wife, which are presented as individual courses. The aim is not for the films to be reproduced exactly on the plate, but rather that their mood, their character and the memories associated with them are given a culinary twist. Classic Hungarian flavours András Wolf corporate chef and Róbert Vérten They are served as the result of a collaborative effort by the executive chef, in a contemporary interpretation of the Gundel style.
On 6 February at every branch of Gundel a journey through film history We can be part of it: outside the entrance, the gold-clad figures of the Mirror Men welcome us; the restaurant will be the setting for a more classic, elegant musical atmosphere; the ballroom transports you to the world of films; in the wine cellar, classic casino films come to life, whilst in the library room, the Sinbad They recall that legendary restaurant scene. Meanwhile, there will be live music, ballroom dancing, and the one thing you simply can’t do without is the the opening dance of the debutantes and the Vegas Showband’s performance as well. The preparation of the debutantes this time around was once again Andrea Keleti not only does it provide leadership, but it also gives a new opportunity to those young people who would have liked to take part in the programme last year but were ultimately not selected.
Personal items that serve a good purpose
One charity auction is also linked to the event, which features well-known families of artists personal mementoes were put up for auction. Júlia Gábor’s mother, Éva Ruttkai, is putting one of her former dresses up for auction, whilst Gábor Szigethy is putting one of the Henry IV He donated a set piece depicting Zoltán Latinovits from the play of the same name, whilst Balázs Bujtor donated a trophy linked to his father’s sailing career. Darabanth Auction House is conducting the auction free of charge, with all proceeds going to the The Kátya Tompos Foundation will receive. In addition, Eventrend Group and Gundel will contribute 500,000 forints to this sum.
Gundel, beyond the City Park
As well as announcing the programme for the 2027 ball, another new feature was unveiled, as significant improvements have recently been made to the Gundel Event & Catering business division. The nearly 30 million forints One of the aims of the investment is to Gundel’s own character it should be recognisable even from outside the Palace. To this end a new, custom-designed buffet table, new serving and warming equipment, finger food accessories, a drinks counter and a catering system with greater capacity were produced, which fully customisable and can be tailored to the event in question.
Márton Benkő The events director said:
In the late 1930s, the first such event took place here – the visit of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy – which can be regarded as Gundel’s first catering event. We wanted to visually represent this history of events spanning nearly 100 years. We chose an element – the garden gate – which is very characteristic of Gundel and which immediately brings to mind its iconic hospitality.
In visual design, the WAFT Studio and Ildikó Hergenrőder played a part. The previous, classic white design has been replaced by a more distinctive, contemporary look: more colourful surfaces, antique gold details and rounded shapes feature, including the legendary Gundel inscription above the garden entrance. The entire system quick to install, easy to transport and can be adapted to suit practical needs.
The catering menu is also being updated
In the new range, the familiar dishes from Hungarian cuisine with a contemporary twist appear. Country-style chicken soup, stuffed chicken thighs from Gödöllő, Mangalica pork tenderloin with potato dumplings topped with Parajos and Marble cheese, and butter-fried sturgeon fillet with saffron and Parmesan risotto and vegan vegetable curry is also included in the new range.
András Wolf The corporate chef said:
We bring the Gundel experience to a number of locations, but the quality, style and approach to hospitality remain the same. Innovation has always been, and will always be, part of Gundel, so we have also revamped our menu.
Róbert Vérten The executive chef added:
It was important that the presentation of the dishes should also be fresh and modern. We have retained the hallmarks of Gundel whilst taking guests’ requirements fully into account, so alongside Hungarian classics, the menu also features international cuisine and allergy-friendly dishes. We offer a range of set menus, but we are also open to individual requests.
With the new system, they are able to cater for up to three events simultaneously, each with around 100 attendees; the next objective is to build up the capacity required to cater independently for events of 500 people.
Whether it’s in a castle, at a corporate event, an embassy function or even a wedding, it’s not just the Gundel’s cuisine and his excellent hospitality is displayed, but tailored to the event in question his own character is also evident, as it is very important that he is able to connect perfectly with the present – not just a legend, but a a living legend let it be.
