Since the nationalisation of 1949, the restaurant has experienced both hopeful and depressing periods, and at times it often seemed as though the brand was on the brink of disappearing. Although there were occasions when eight to ten different goose liver dishes appeared on a single menu and there was a „Kings” Menu’ costing 100,000 forints, the dishes often only matched world-class standards in terms of price.

Following a period of turmoil, Gundel is now seeking to find a viable business model that will ensure its survival. To this end, they are reviving the concept from the interwar period (its heyday), when they strove to offer something for every social class – from the poor labourer to the aristocrat: there were pretzels and caviar, draught beer and champagne.

The new menu is considerably shorter than it was before the war, but the prices are clearly affordable, meaning it’s not just Japanese businessmen and their peers who can afford to dine here. The concept: a breakfast spot, café, pub, patisserie and restaurant all under one roof, open all day.

For breakfast, croque-monsieur and eggs Benedict, followed by Viennese sausages, Zoli Vári’s baked sausages or a Feszty sandwich, a Viennese schnitzel or cabbage with tomato sauce and meatloaf. Later, „five o’clock tea” with scones and pastries. At six o’clock, the dining area opens, laid with tablecloths and porcelain. All this accompanied by live music – a pianist and a female gypsy band, featuring a particularly virtuoso cimbalom player. An interesting detail: in 2021, sausages have to be imported from Vienna from a company whose products are also manufactured in Hungary, but not to the same standard.

The kitchen is run by Viktor Moldován (executive chef), who has worked in Japan, and András Wolf (corporate chef), who has worked in the highest echelons of Hungarian gastronomy; the two complement each other well. The backbone of the main courses is the so-called „national eleven”, which is regarded as a summary of well-known Hungarian flavour combinations and the essence of Hungarian flavours.

Each dish comes from the classic Gundel menu and is carefully prepared using high-quality ingredients: goulash, Palóc soup and Újházi soup, goose liver with Tokaji Aszú, chicken paprikash, Feszty sandwich, Bakony sirloin, Kárpáti zander, Rákóczi cottage cheese dish, Somlói dumplings, Gundel pancakes. Of these, the Feszty is perhaps the least well-known these days. Its ingredients are sirloin, bacon and onion, and it has now been added to the menu as a sandwich – a sort of Hungarian hamburger.

Marinated Tahi trout. Fish marinated in two ways (briefly), with a subtle hint of beechwood smoke, and a coating of black sesame seeds toasted on the slices. Served with finely sliced cucumber and apple, mustard seeds, dill oil and fresh dill – a little of each goes on the fork with every bite of fish – and a touch of horseradish mayonnaise. A light and delightful starter from the innovative line-up of the Gundel kitchen.

Tokaji Aszú liver pâté. A lovely liver flavour, creamy texture, and technically flawless. Served with raisins soaked in Tokaji wine and as a garnish. Delphinium and amaranth make a modest contribution; on a separate plate, mini poppy seed barches, served lukewarm.

Goat’s cheese with charcoal. János Molnár’s ‘golden ribbon’ goat’s cheese is served with beetroot roasted in a salt marinade, accompanied by popped buckwheat and celery mayonnaise. (The beetroot is sourced from a specialist grower.) A traditional flavour combination, made with high-quality ingredients.

Palóc soup. Alongside the classic ingredients – spring onions, green beans, celery and potatoes – there are also marinated purple potatoes, with an elegant tang. Also on the plate: tender, grilled pieces of lamb ribs. The hot broth poured over it is well-balanced, not over-seasoned with paprika or weighed down by cream, and is given a refreshing finish with a touch of sour cream and dill. A portion substantial enough to serve as a main course, this is the best Palóc soup I’ve had in recent times.

Carpathian pike-perch fillet. Pan-fried fish fillet – with a crisp, golden-brown skin. The potato, mushroom and prawn ragout is prepared to the highest gastronomic standards. The sauce is a beurre blanc made with a stock of fish, prawns and mushrooms, served separately in a small copper saucepan. (Scampi might better capture the tenderness of the original freshwater crayfish than prawns, which are practically impossible to source these days.)

Chicken paprikash. One of the highest-quality, firm-fleshed poultry breeds in Hungary is the hemp-fed chicken from the banks of the Kurca (a contender for the „Golden Ribbon” award): its meat is full of flavour and tender, yet retains a slight ‘gamey’ bite. The cartilage, which becomes succulent, and the flavourful fat that blends into the sauce take it to the next level.

The strained sauce, blended with a little sour cream, is served in generous portions here too. The onions, which are cooked for hours, lend depth to the flavour, whilst the salt shaker also plays its part in enhancing the dish. (The sauce could even be served without chicken, simply with dumplings). The dumplings are torn by hand on a wooden board (they spent a long time searching for the right flour, eventually settling on low-protein flour from Bácska). It is served with an excellent sour cream and gherkin salad.

Somlói. In keeping with the restaurant’s concept, the sauce is served in generous quantities. It has a chocolate flavour rather than a cocoa one. It contains a walnut crumble, rum-soaked raisins and a particularly moist sponge, topped with softly whipped cream. A solid execution.

Chocolate cake. A sort of modern restaurant-style cake, similar to a goose-foot cake. A crisp layer of pastry at the base, topped with a denser sponge-like layer and an airy, elegant Valrhona chocolate cream, with an excellent dried sour cherry compote in the centre.

The menu isn’t revolutionary, but then revolution isn’t the aim. As András Wolf puts it: „The legacy contains the DNA; we need to make the most of it.” Accordingly, precision is evident throughout the kitchen – both in the selection of ingredients and in the preparation of the dishes.