Our history

The 125th anniversary year at Gundel has been launched with the Legendary Chefs’ Menu.

1 EVENING – 2 CHEFS – 5 COURSES

Kálmán Kalla movingly describes what a special feeling it was to return to Gundel for an evening. - ”It was an uplifting experience to talk about my time at Gundel.” I was so pleased to be able to come back…”

On 21 May 2019, Chef Kálmán Kalla returned to Gundel to compose an unforgettable dinner, together with Executive Chef Zsolt Litauszki. That evening we were able to taste some of Kálmán Kalla’s own creations, which are still very successful today, along with complementary soup and main courses created by Gundel chef Zsolt Litauski (anyone who has been following the evolution of Hungarian gastronomy needs no introduction to this inventive, talented and ambitious professional). Between 2018 and 2020, it was he who combined Gundel tradition with innovation.

Gundel was bought in September 1991 and closed its doors in the November. A total of $23 million was spent on the building – a global level investment at the time. From when it reopened in 1992, visitors from North American flew across the Atlantic specifically to visit Gundel. The key personality during this successful period was the outstanding chef Kálmán Kalla. He was tempted by Mr Láng into returning to Hungary – having previously been in Washington DC, as chef to the Hungarian ambassador of the time, Péter Zwack. Kálmán Kalla very carefully began adapting the old recipes. He updated the menu and added his own creations to it. And what was the result? This: ”Gundel is among the world’s top ten restaurants,” wrote Condé Nast Traveller in 2006. Chef Kálmán Kalla became an emblematic figure in Gundel’s renaissance following the change of political system in Hungary. He spent 15 illustrious years at the restaurant and cooked for several hundred famous and respected personalities, such as Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II. The Gundel restaurant welcomed its one millionth guest in the year 2000.

In 1949, the restaurant was privatised. The family was turned out of the building and were even exiled to a farm in 1951 because of their German heritage. The restaurant was managed by various hotel companies; in 1949 it became part of the Országos Idegenforgalmi Szálloda és Éttermi Vállalat state holding, and later part of HungarHotels. Before the change of political system in Hungary, it became part of Fórum Hotel. Unfortunately, during the Communist era Gundel saw some dark days. Finally, it was closed in 1973 and efforts were made to bring it up to the standards of the time. It took seven years for the restaurant to reopen and when it did, it rather resembled an East German canteen.

Gundel was thriving – so much so in fact that it took over the restaurant at the new Gellért Hotel as well. Hungarian cuisine of the time was a dull, greasy, paprika encrusted horror, which the wider world had no interest in. A passionate professional, he decided to create French dishes using the best Hungarian ingredients. Károly Gundel never cooked, never even picked up a wooden spoon – but he was a master of tasting. He made lightly steamed spinach respectable and introduced asparagus as a side dish. During this period, the Gellért Hotel was the birthplace of three of Károly Gundel’s famous dishes: Rothermere pike-perch, Bakony mushroom and Pittsburg veal ribs. The Gundel survived not only the two world wars intact but also the demise of the Stefánia Promenade, the disappearance of coachmen and hansom cabs and the birth of the motor car, but there was no escape from privatisation under Communism in 1949.

Károly Gundel leased the Wampetics restaurant from the City of Budapest in 1910, renaming it Gundel Restaurant. ”Splendid pavilion-type covered structures are situated in the large courtyard and garden, which as well as providing pleasant coolness in the summer heat, create open space in the open air.”- wrote the Vendéglősök Lapja hospitality trade magazine on 20 June 1911.

He set about his work with gusto: modernising the menu and reforming the service as well as the whole system in the kitchen. And he enjoyed resounding success! Károly Gundel tamed Hungarian cooking, combining it with culinary trends from around the world and making gastronomic history with his dishes. For Hungarians, the name Gundel soon became synonymous with true hospitality and the restaurant became a favoured meeting place for Hungarian politicians, business leaders and the middle classes. ”It was chic to go to Gundel...” was the opinion of the artists, sports people, writers and other well-known figures, as well as the restaurant’s regulars.

The restaurant opened in 1866 next to the Budapest Zoo, where the restaurant is today. The City Park was becoming more beautiful all the time and the zoo was slowly being developed. Originally, there were plans for an indoor restaurant for visitors to the park and the zoo and finally the predecessor of the building we know today was erected. In the 1800s, the Budapest City Park was one of the most popular places for recreation and walking for a broad range of social classes. And naturally the hustle and bustle involved eating and drinking too. The first hospitality business here was started in 1810 by Leopold Grossinger, who was licensed to sell wine and there were tenant business people too, the first being Klemensz, followed by others whose names have now been forgotten. Next came Wampetics and Gundel, marking the upswing of Hungarian hospitality in the Budapest City Park.