The Gundel It is famous for so many things. To mention just a few: its recipes, which have shaped Hungarian cuisine; its centuries-old tradition of hospitality; its social awareness – and its famous guests. 

Visits by members of the royal and ecclesiastical dignitaries, princes, politicians and international celebrities have enriched the 130-year history of the Gundel Palace. These distinguished guests enjoyed special menus that were not available to others – until now.

To mark this anniversary, the restaurant is now making the Gundel experiences of well-known guests who have dined there available to everyone, in keeping with the restaurant’s long-standing motto: Gundel belongs to everyone.

The „Celebrity Menus” A series whose first instalment will be the ‘Four Crowns’ menu from the reception held in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, which anyone can sample from 8 July in the form of a dinner, simply by booking a table.

On 4 May 1993, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and her husband, Prince Philip, arrived in Hungary at the invitation of President Árpád Göncz. During their four-day stay in Hungary – alongside the customary political engagements – the royal couple visited the Sleeping Beauty She went to see a ballet at the Opera House, went on day trips to Kecskemét and Bugac, and had lunch at the Gundel restaurant.

On 5 May, Prime Minister József Antall and his wife hosted a luncheon in honour of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband. The lunch, attended by thirty-two guests, began with a reception for the royal couple in the Queen Elizabeth Ballroom on the upper floor of the Gundel Palace.

The choice of Gundel and the lunch held there were particularly significant because, reportedly, this was the only formal occasion during their four days in Hungary on which the royal couple did not eat a meal prepared by the court chef they had brought with them from home.

Gundel is ready

Before the gala lunch, the kitchen prepared ten trial menus to ensure they could definitely be served within the exact time limit of one hour and forty minutes. Alongside speed, quality was of course a priority too: the menu was handwritten, and the waiters were taught a special choreographed routine. The Kurír reported on the preparations as follows: „Twelve impeccable English waiters – eight food servers in black tuxedos and white gloves, and four barmen in waistcoats, also wearing white gloves – will be on hand to attend to the guests” every wish and whim.”. The section of road in front of the building was completely closed off, and onlookers lined both sides of the road, waiting for the car carrying the Queen and her husband. The guests were escorted up to the upper floor via the Palace’s red marble staircase.

The welcome drink and the gala lunch

The venue for the lunch was the Queen Elizabeth Ballroom, located on the upper floor of the Gundel Palace; however, upon arrival, the guests enjoyed their welcome drinks on the upstairs terrace. The staff had prepared a selection of exquisite drinks, but Her Royal Highness suddenly said: „Gin and tonic, please”. According to one account from the Gundel Palace, no one had anticipated this, so Kálmán Kozma, the managing director, took the stairs three at a time down to the bar on the ground floor to fulfil the request.

The dishes for the dinner were conceived by Kálmán Kalla, Gundel’s executive chef at the time, with the aim of incorporating the royal headdress – the royal crown – into the presentation of every dish. The pigeon essence proved the greatest challenge; here, the vegetables were ultimately shaped into tiny crowns. For the main course, the sirloin, arranged in braids, was grilled on a custom-made mould, whilst the dessert was a sumptuous strawberry parfait piled high on a giant pasta crown brought in on a trolley.

And it will be available from the start of next month too; we were in the privileged position of being able to sample the menu – adapted for the modern day – on a lovely early summer morning on Gundel’s legendary terrace, even before its official launch. Putting the menu together was no easy task, as Executive Chef Viktor Moldován revealed: it is difficult to live up to the Gundel legacy, given that it has been regarded as outstanding in Hungary across several eras. When redefining the ‘Celebrities’ menu, it was necessary to cater both to the tastes of the past and the expectations of today’s diners, in such a way that it combines familiar traditions and values whilst remaining marketable, whilst at the same time avoiding the trap of ‘reimagining’ that is fashionable in many places but can sometimes seem forced. There were quite a few things they could not – or were not allowed to – carry over exactly as they were – the portions are not as large as they used to be – and they attempted to recreate some elements from the few surviving sources. The presentation has remained entirely authentic, with the elegant Herend silverware, and there have been no changes to the names of the dishes either.

We do not know how much the royal couple enjoyed the salmon served thirty-one years ago, but we’re certain that if they’re served Viktor Moldován’s version – which has been left to rest in his own juniper-infused brine, with firm, supple flesh that’s almost refreshingly fresh and „crisp” – having spent fifteen years living in Japan and drawing inspiration from there, they’ll have another portion packed up, or sign the chef on a loan deal, because this pink-smoked salmon with white asparagus and sage sauce could single-handedly carry off any high-class banquet.

Drizzled with parsley oil and with a slightly caramelised flavour, it was served as the second course – spiced up with a crown-shaped gaggel – The essence of pigeon, which provides the harmony we’d like to find in a meat soup at home, whilst the serving of the hearty braided veal fillet was something quite special, with a side of wild rice hidden in the centre. The dessert was soft and delicately creamy, providing a flawless finale to the experience.

Between 8 and 17 July, the set menu is available in two-, three- and four-course versions, exclusively for dinner. The price of the menu includes a welcome glass of sparkling wine (a Nyetimber Classic Cuvée). As part of the Gundel Mission, five per cent of the proceeds from the „Celebrities” Menus’ series will be donated to the National Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.