János Gundel, a Hungarian restaurateur, died on 28 December 1915.

As János Gundel once said: „I don’t feel like a restaurateur who sells food and drink for money, but rather like a hospitable Hungarian host whose home has been honoured by the visit of his guests.”

The history of the Gundel dynasty is almost inextricably linked with the history of Hungarian gastronomy and hospitality. Its members ingeniously applied modern technology to Hungarian cuisine at the turn of the century, and their pioneering work put our country on the culinary world map. The new dishes created by the Gundel family and the restaurant’s chefs and pastry chefs – including palóc soup, Újházi chicken soup, Kárpáti-style pikeperch, Somlói galuska and Rákóczi túrós – have become indispensable dishes of Hungarian cuisine and staples of the menus at restaurants that honour tradition. It is no surprise that they are still served today based on the original recipes.

Originally named Johann Gundel, this restaurateur – born in Ansbach, Bavaria – spoke five languages and, one might say, climbed the entire career ladder to make his family name famous. He learnt the basics from his father, a master baker, then worked as a waiter’s assistant in the restaurant run by his stepfather’s brother-in-law, before serving as head waiter at the Arany Sas Inn; at the age of 25, he opened his own establishment, the Bécsi Sörház. He subsequently took over the restaurant known as the ‘Virágbokor’ on József Nádor Square, before retiring at the age of thirty-five, just before opening the restaurant at the Archduke István Hotel with renewed vigour.

„He ran his business as though he were not welcoming paying customers into his premises, but rather welcome, dear guests, whose well-being was a matter not of business but of Hungarian hospitality,” wrote Kálmán Mikszáth about János Gundel, who was born on 3 March 1844 Kálmán Mikszáth, who, as a regular guest, frequently visited the elegant Budapest restaurant opened at the turn of the century by the founder of one of Hungary’s most renowned hotel and restaurant dynasties, wrote this of János Gundel, who was born on 3 March 1844.

Gundel was also a fan of the famous Hungarian writer and even created a menu in his honour. Mikszáth’s writings inspired several dishes, including Lohinai fish with herbs, the Tót brothers„ fish dumplings, Brézói goose ”à la Mikszáth„, the so-called ”Pigeon in a Cage„ and the dish known as ”What Sweetens the Soul„. However, the legendary restaurateur went one step further when the writer mentioned that he would like to eat a soup that ”encompasses all the flavours of Hungarian cuisine„. János Gundel thought big and created the Palóc soup, using onions, paprika, minced meat, vegetables, potatoes, green beans and sour cream. As he put it, in honour of the ”great Palóc’.

But it was not only Kálmán Mikszáth; there was also Kálmán Tisza, the politician and Prime Minister; Mór Jókai, the novelist; and one of the ‘March Youth’, János Kemény, an official at the Imperial and Royal Embassy, as well as members of the Kisfaludy Society, which supported Hungarian literature, were also keen to dine at Gundel’s restaurant.

It was not until 1904 that he retired from the hospitality industry; until then, he had also run the hotel’s restaurant. János Gundel decided to devote his time and energy to promoting the profession and training. With this in mind, he established a scholarship in 1886 to support the waiter who produced the best menu. The business was carried on by his son, Károly Gundel, who in 1910 took over the lease of the Wampetics restaurant in Városliget – the predecessor of today’s Gundel restaurant – which, more than a hundred years after it first opened, still operates in the same location and under the same name. Even at the time of its opening, his guests spoke of it in these terms: „Anyone who considers themselves someone of distinction books a table here…”