The Gundel Palace in Budapest is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, it has launched a special culinary series.

The „Celebrities Menu” The menu bearing this name evokes dishes that were served to famous guests at defining moments in the restaurant’s history. The first such exclusive menu pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s 1993 visit to Budapest – and will now be available to the general public for ten days.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited Gundel on 5 May 1993, where they attended a celebratory lunch. This historic event will be brought back to life for ten days from 8 July, when visitors will be able to sample the four-course menu inspired by the Queen – served exactly as it was back then.

Putting the menu together required a great deal of preparation: ten trial meals were held ahead of the royal lunch to ensure that the sequence of dishes would fit perfectly within the 1 hour 40-minute timeframe. As well as speed, of course, quality was the primary consideration. The menu was handwritten, and the waiters learnt a special dance routine for the event.

Gundel’s reimagined menu is a true culinary experience. The meal It begins with a special starter: pink smoked salmon with white asparagus and a sage dressing. This is followed by a double pigeon consommé, which is an elegant delicacy in its own right.

The main course is a true masterpiece: „Braided veal – à la Queen Elizabeth”. This dish is made from braided veal fillet, served with hair-thin strips of potato and goose liver stuffed with mushrooms, and enriched with Hungarian rice.

Dessert comes as a fitting end to the meal: the „The Illusion of Spring Strawberries” – a crispy pastry shaped like a crown, decorated with real strawberries and strawberry purée. This dessert is fit for a king, not only in appearance but also in flavour.

The dishes are complemented by the wine list at Gundel Palace, including an extremely rare 1952 Tokaji Aszú – a tribute to the year before Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne.

The Gundel Palace, which has been operated by the Eventrend Group since 2021, remains true to its founder’s values to this day: their work is characterised by high quality, a focus on guests and a deep respect for gastronomic culture. The new menu Created by Chef Kálmán Kalla, who took great care to ensure that every single dish was worthy of the royal heritage.

A special set menu called the „Four Crowns Menu” It may return in the autumn following the summer season – perhaps even featuring menus created by further famous guests. The menus will be available in two-, three- and four-course versions, priced at around 20,000 forints, which reflects the average spend of Gundel’s guests.

This exclusive gastronomic experience offers everyone the chance to get a taste of history – through flavours that once enchanted one of the world’s most iconic rulers.