On 8 December, this iconic venue, which we were lucky enough to visit, opened its doors wide once again. We sampled the food and explored the building – which covers some 6,000 square metres – whose name has long been known throughout the world. On this gastronomic journey through time, we were guided by one of Gundel’s managers and a renowned chef – do join us!

The Gundel restaurant closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, but this period also provided an opportunity to carry out renovations, introducing some truly remarkable innovations. Upon entering, you can sense an elegance that evokes times gone by, yet the place is by no means oppressive; rather, it is modern, homely and inviting, perfectly suited to the times – the sort of place you’d want to post on your Instagram profile.

Our attention was immediately drawn to a huge, beautiful, period-style carriage situated right in the centre of the room. The imposing sight of this vintage carriage is due not only to its size, but also to the fact that it serves a very special purpose: it doubles as a stage. During our visit, as a real treat, Hungary’s only all-female Romani band, named after Czinka Panna, was playing on it, providing a delightful musical backdrop.

This pairing, which may seem unusual at first glance, has its own historical roots, for in the early 1900s, it was not uncommon for gentlemen to be driven to Gundel with a Gypsy band playing music from a separate carriage behind them. This young ladies’ carriage is intended to commemorate that tradition. But the carriage is not the only iconic piece of furnishings that catches the eye. Another new feature of the restaurant is a mahogany-panelled Petrof piano, on which highly skilled musicians also perform.

Csaba Szabó, restaurant manager (Eventerend Group) We even learnt that, in terms of atmosphere, ambience and flavours, they aim to evoke the days when Károly Gundel and his large family still lived here. Back then, they served such luxury dishes as fresh cucumber salad, for which the cucumbers were still imported at the time, making it rather pricey. But it wasn’t just the wealthy who could shop at Gundel; everyone – even a maid or a soldier – could afford to buy, if nothing else, a pretzel or the famously succulent boiled eggs served with beer. These were dishes that everyone could afford.

With the reopening, the aim is to ensure that this iconic venue is not just accessible to a privileged few, but that it brings moments of joy to many. The restaurant also has a café where anyone can pop in whilst out for a stroll – there’s no need to dress up. Guests can even work on their laptops here or meet up with friends. Next year, when the weather is pleasant, they will also open the outdoor seating area, where, just like in the old days, young and old alike will be able to sit. There, too, they would like to recreate the turn-of-the-century, park-like atmosphere, so they envisage a family-friendly, cheerful, colourful outdoor seating area which, whilst not as large as it was in Gundel’s day – when more than a thousand people used to spend time there – will still be more than just a simple terrace: there will be a playground here, and they will also bring live animals over, as there will be a direct passageway between the restaurant and the Zoo.

At the café, breakfast dishes are available from 2,000 forints, main courses from 4,000 forints, and classic Gundel desserts from 2,000 forints. Anyone is welcome to sit down and enjoy two world-famous Gundel desserts and a soft drink, for as little as a few thousand forints for two people. In the restaurant area at dinner time, a three-course meal will cost 12,300 forints and a four-course meal 14,400 forints, served on Zsolnay porcelain with silver cutlery and a damask tablecloth.

THE REAL STARS OF THE RESTAURANT: THE DISHES

While we’re on the subject of food: for the reopening, they were looking for chefs who would serve the Gundel cause, and they found them András Wolf, or Viktor Moldován in his person. We were able to sample several dishes ourselves, and we can assure you that we were treated to a fabulous feast.

András explained that, as the Gundel menu was first drawn up 80 years ago, they have now „simply” dusted off the original recipes a little and created the Nemzeti11 menu, which features the iconic dishes we all know so well. These include Tokaji goose liver, goulash soup, Palóc soup, Újházy chicken soup, chicken paprikás, the Feszty sandwich, Mangalica pork Bakony-style, Fogas Kárpáti, Somlói galuska, Gundel pancakes and Rákóczi cottage cheese cake.

Alongside these, there are of course many other dishes on the menu – even cabbage with tomato sauce – but you can also order fried eggs with Mangalica pork and sourdough bread for breakfast, whilst international dishes are also on offer. András Wolf also revealed a few little trade secrets. The sauce for the paprika chicken is simmered for 48 hours, and they tried out countless different breeds of chicken before finally settling on chicken from a small farm. He added that every single recipe had been meticulously developed and tested with his fellow chef, Viktor Moldován.

Every single dish has been cooked countless times, and although András believes a dish should look attractive, first and foremost „it must be edible”. In their view, they must preserve this gastronomic heritage whilst also incorporating the kind of innovation that Gundel himself would have introduced.

CELEBRITIES PASSED THE DOOR HANDLE TO EACH OTHER

Over the past 125 years, the fame of Gundel has spread across the globe. „The Gundel restaurant provides Budapest with better publicity than a ship’s cargo of tourist brochures,” wrote The New York Times in 1939. It is no coincidence that world-famous public figures, queens and Hollywood celebrities have dined here. To name but a few, Queen Elizabeth II of England, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Angelina Jolie, Larry Hagman, the ‘Jockey’ and ‘Lucy’ from *Dallas*, and Charlene Tilton have all dined here, whilst royal events such as the wedding of Walburga of Habsburg have also been held here.