Gundel returns with legendary Hungarian flavours – We visited Hungary’s most famous restaurant

We’d bet that everyone has a story to tell about Gundel. Perhaps you danced the night away at a wedding there, celebrated Mum’s 80th birthday there, or held your golden wedding anniversary there. Perhaps you’ve heard of a few legendary dishes or have already tasted a Gundel pancake. Everyone has a story to tell about Gundel, and the story continues now, as, after a long closure, Hungary’s most famous restaurant has reopened with a revamped interior, a fresh menu, the Nemzeti 11, and two outstanding chefs – András Wolf and Viktor Moldován.

The legacy of Károly Gundel

Over the past 125 years, the News of Gundel has spread around the world, as Károly Gundel, one of Hungary’s most famous restaurateurs, not only showcased the best of Hungarian cuisine at the New York World’s Fair, but also allowed King Victor Emmanuel III King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy was also able to sample the legendary Gundel dishes in 1937. Its reputation has remained unbroken ever since, as From Queen Elizabeth, from the Czech film director Jiří Menzel to Angelina Jolie, numerous celebrities have visited the restaurant to sample the Palóc soup, the Bakony mushroom ragout, the Kárpáti-style pork chops, the Tokaj goose liver or the famous Hungarian desserts, such as the Somló dumplings or the Rákóczi cottage cheese.

As mentioned earlier we also reported on it, all these dishes were created based on Károly Gundel’s ideas, and Hungarian cuisine would be unimaginable without them today. Gundel not only legendary dishes he left it to us, but it is endless his hospitality, the royal service, the entertainment and the cheerful atmosphere, not to mention the constant culinary innovation the cornerstone of today’s Gundel as well remained. And now, after a long time, this Gundel is reopening its doors, this time under the auspices of the Eventrend Group, to whom we also owe the refurbishment of the New York Café, amongst other things.

„Gundel is an institution, a matter of national importance, whose history, mission, legendary dishes, menu and the building itself are all worthy of preservation, care and passing on to future generations. We have therefore endeavoured to approach the reopening and management of Gundel with the utmost respect,” said Gábor Nagy, one of the founding owners of the Eventrend Group.

Gundel has ended up in the best of hands, and not only has the interior been given a little extra sparkle, but there have also been major changes in the kitchen. András Wolf and Viktor Moldován has taken on the task of preserving the tradition of legendary Hungarian dishes, and the dishes a shift from rethinking to caring they placed the emphasis on.

Gundel is open to everyone

The Gundel It doesn’t simply reopen, but – after a long time – literally opens its doors to everyone. Many of us have the impression that we really only pop in here to mark the most significant anniversaries or major holidays. Now, however, it is not just the interior that has been given a fresh coat of paint – the slightly outdated and no longer particularly inviting design has been revamped, and the they’ve also brought prices under control. Back in the day, Károly Gundel welcomed everyone with open arms, so the ladies from Angol Park, the bohemians from Lizsé and families visiting the Zoo would all pop in to see them.

„We would like to preserve and build upon Károly Gundel’s legacy in the coming decades, and enrich it, ensuring that it is not only accessible to a privileged few, but that our time here brings many joyful moments for us all,” said Norbert Polyák, one of Gundel’s managers.

This diversity Gundel is now looking to revive this, so the garden, which opens in the spring, will welcome us with a real fairy-tale world, but the a tastefully refurbished interior It also invites us to sit down with friends for a coffee or a hearty lunch, but Gundel’s doors are also open to digital nomads working on their laptops. And anyone who true elegance If you’re after that, you won’t be left empty-handed either, because – just like in the old days – the rear section has everything you need for for a sumptuous feast with the damask tablecloths, the Zsolnay porcelain and the silver cutlery. And if we’re planning an event, Gundel upper ballroom and its lavishly furnished private rooms await us.

The menu that’s been ready for 80 years

Under Károly Gundel’s leadership, the restaurant began to flourish, not only because he was a master of hospitality, but also because served up the finest dishes from Hungarian and French cuisine its guests. The flavour and food combinations he created are still regarded as the foundations of modern Hungarian cuisine. The Gundel dynasty introduced the Wiener Schnitzel, and it was on the terrace of Gundel that dishes which remain popular to this day, such as the Jókai bean soup or the Feszty steak.

So there was no need to rewrite the tradition, but the revitalised kitchen was entrusted to the care of dedicated professionals who represent Gundel’s legacy with dignity and due respect. That is why they were asked to Viktor Moldován, who is a great fan of traditional Hungarian cuisine, and nothing proves this better than the fact that He ran a restaurant specialising in Hungarian cuisine in Japan for 14 years. Viktor’s work András Wolf is assisted by the person who demonstrated at the New York Café and the Salon Restaurant just how skilled they are at to accompany classic national dishes, so the two of them lead the kitchen team.

„We envisaged a traditional, appealing and accessible cuisine, where the original dishes make a comeback. The menu has been in place for 80 years, so there’s no need to reinvent it. That’s precisely why we didn’t want to revamp the dishes, but rather to rethink them and treat them with care,” said András Wolf, speaking about the menu that forms the backbone of Gundel.

Legendary dishes, just the way we like them

At Gundel, there is a long-standing tradition of carefully curated and meticulously conceived menus, which is precisely why the new menu its central element is the National 11 These are the eleven iconic dishes that represent Károly Gundel’s most important legacy. The Tokaj goose liver, a goulash soup, a palócleves, the Újházy chicken soup, a chicken paprikash, a Feszty sandwich, a Bakony-style Mangalica, a Carpathian-style fish, a Somló dumplings, a Gundel pancakes and a Rákóczi cottage cheese was included in the into the famous national team.

What to do before the opening day we were able to sample a few dishes, and the Palóc soup As we were tucking in, it occurred to us that it really does remind us of the flavours we enjoy at home, but there’s a slight twist to it – a touch of extra creaminess and the freshness that comes from the crisp vegetables and herbs, which we don’t get at home. The chicken in paprika sauce We’ve also rediscovered a sense of nostalgia, but here the gravy simmers for 48 hours, and the meat was so tender it practically fell apart on our forks.

When it comes to desserts, it is certainly true that they have not simply reimagined the classics – such as the Gundel pancake – but have reworked them: the precise harmony of the familiar flavours is achieved through the A chocolate disc decorated with Gundel’s elephant logo crowns it. To ensure that something new would emerge, András Wolf created the Gundel ring, the cardamom, cinnamon and pistachio roll, which is sure to be a real treat when enjoyed with a coffee or a hot chocolate.

A Gundel adventure at friendly prices

Gundel is not just about dining, but also about a unique atmosphere and experiences is also a factor, which is why Ildikó Hergenrőder, the outstanding interior designer, was joined by theatre director Zsolt Meskó, whose vision was to transform the Gundel into a true theatrical experience. In the centre of the café, for example, a horse-drawn carriage of that period they dreamt, where the Gundel her own all-female band plays all day long. At the turn of the century, the gentry would often arrive in Gundel with musicians playing folk tunes from a horse-drawn carriage behind them.

The revamped Gundel it also commemorates famous guests, as each table has been dedicated to a particular artist, celebrity, actor, politician or Gundel heir, so we can take a seat Antonio Banderas, Zoltán Latinovits or Arnold Schwarzenegger even on his desk. There’s also a mini-jungle inside, so the neighbouring plants catch your eye from the most unexpected places Zoo replicas of statues of its inhabitants.

If we go to Gundel, it’s not just good cuisine it sweeps us off our feet, but the surroundings and the atmosphere is also excellent, and that is why we don’t even have to dig deep into our pockets. If we were to pop in for a hearty for a brunch, then for as little as 2,000 Ft you can choose from a range of exciting dishes, including hearty snacks such as the famous Feszty sandwich It costs 4,000 Ft, and the goose liver starters are also in this price range, the soups They cost around 2,000 Ft, the main courses It costs between 4 and 5,000 Ft, the desserts yet they also cost around 2,000 Ft. The portions are just as generous as they were in Gundel’s day, and you can even have a for afternoon tea We can also pop in – the impressive selection of cakes and sandwiches, served with coffee or tea, costs 12,000 Ft for two people.

One thing’s for sure: you really must visit Gundel at least once, but we encourage everyone to Let’s not just save the refurbished restaurant for special occasions. Let’s jump straight into the After the zoo a Gundel cake, let’s organise the a tea party with friends, let’s have a hearty lunch with our business partners, the after ice skating Let’s have a hot chocolate, or just sit down on our own and enjoy working in a brilliant atmosphere this morning whilst tucking into a delicious Gundel pancake.

The revamped Gundel will be open to guests from 8 December 2021 between 9.00 am and 10.00 pm. For further details, see the new Gundel on its website You can read it.