The outdoor dining area of Gundel Restaurant, which has been refurbished at a cost of 120 million forints, was officially opened on Friday in Budapest.

At the opening ceremony, Mayor István Tarlós highlighted that a restaurant has been operating in the building for 120 years, under the name Gundel Restaurant since 1910. The venue has now become an unmissable gastronomic and cultural institution in Hungary and Budapest’s City Park, whilst the Gundel legacy rightly bears the title of ‘Hungaricum’.

He emphasised that the history of the Gundel family is synonymous with the rise of Hungarian gastronomy and high-quality Hungarian hospitality. Gundel has hosted kings, heads of state and world-famous artists; it is the „palace of gastronomy”, and its development continues to this day. This is exemplified by the garden, which has been revitalised beneath the centuries-old plane trees of Városliget, he added.

István Tarlós congratulated the living members of the Gundel family, the restaurant’s manager and all its staff on faithfully preserving this outstanding heritage.

In his opening address, István Komoróczki, State Secretary for Planning Coordination at the Ministry of National Economy (NGM), noted that, due to their multiplier effect, tourism and the hospitality sector generate nearly 10 per cent of the country’s GDP, and are therefore among the most important economic sectors.

He explained that the European Union, too, had recognised that tourism represents a breakthrough for European economies, and that, according to the Ministry of National Economy, there are many opportunities within the sector.

He reported that on Thursday they had reviewed the areas to be supported with representatives of the European Commission, including tourism. According to their estimates, 200 billion forints will be made available to the country between 2014 and 2020 to raise the standard of services.

Tádé Alföldy, managing director of Gundel Kft., which operates the Gundel restaurant, said that during the six-month refurbishment works, the garden – covering nearly 2,500 square metres – was revitalised and the landscaped area was expanded. As part of the project, the palace’s upper terrace was also refurbished, along with the restaurant’s main entrance; the project was financed entirely by the company itself.

In 2013, the company increased its turnover to 1.64 billion forints, up from 1.3 billion forints a year earlier. Gundel Kft. currently employs more than 140 staff; the company is wholly owned by Danubius Hotel and Health Resort Plc. (MTI)