Gundel Restaurant is celebrating its 130th anniversary with a new attraction: the ‘Celebrities’ menus’, which not only showcases the list of distinguished guests it has hosted over the years, but also allows anyone to sample the menu from the gala lunches or dinners held in their honour. First up is , commemorating her 1993 visit to Budapest. In early July, this must-visit Hungarian restaurant will feature on its menu, for just ten days, the four-course menu originally created for the royal guest’s visit. This new gastronomic attraction was announced at a press conference held on Wednesday, attended by Károly Gundel, the restaurant owner’s great-grandson.

To mark the 130th anniversary of the restaurant this year, Gundel is commemorating the 32-person lunch held there during Queen Elizabeth II’s 1993 visit to Budapest with a creative selection of dishes – which, as part of its ‘Celebrities’ Menus’ series launched to mark the anniversary, is making the royal guest’s menu available to everyone – as announced at Wednesday’s press conference.

The Eventrend Group took over the running of Gundel and its associated Bagolyvár restaurant in 2021; the Group’s management  Károly Gundel, founder of the Városliget restaurant Returning to their business philosophy, they strive to ensure that the Gundel experience is not only accessible to a privileged few, but so that anyone can experience it.

The ‘Celebrities’ Menus’ series kicks off with royal dishes

Now they are going even further: from 8 July, for ten days, anyone can order and enjoy the menu originally created by chef Kálmán Kalla in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.

For the Queen, choosing Gundel and having lunch there was a particularly big deal, because it is said that 

This was the only formal occasion during the four days they spent here when the royal couple did not eat a meal prepared by the court chef they had brought with them from home.

The behind-the-scenes secrets are now public knowledge: before the gala lunch, the kitchen prepared ten trial menus to ensure they could definitely fit everything into the exactly 1 hour 40 minutes available. The menu was handwritten, and the waiters were taught a special choreography. 

„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 need,” – reported the Kurír on the preparations.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who inspired this selection, arrived in Hungary on 4 May 1993 at the invitation of Árpád Göncz, President of the Republic. Prime Minister József Antall and his wife hosted a luncheon the following day, 5 May, in honour of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

The venue for the lunch was the Queen Elizabeth Ballroom, situated on the upper floor of the Gundel Palace; however, upon arrival, the guests enjoyed their welcome drinks on the upstairs terrace.

The Four-Crown Festive Lunch

György Láng, the restaurant’s co-owner, once told *Magyar Nemzet* that the four crowns were „not just a play on words, but that every single dish was served in the shape of a crown or decorated as such”. 

• For starters, the guests were served salmon with Hungarian asparagus, 
• this was followed by pigeon essence,
• The main course was veal fillet, served with paper-thin potato crowns stuffed with Hungarian wild rice, and chanterelle mushrooms stuffed with goose liver,
• The sweet was a crown baked from thin, crisp pastry, decorated with strawberries made from real fruit or from parfe. 

On top of this, alongside the Gundel wines from their own cellar in Mád, „a 1952 Tokaji Aszú was also served, the grapes for which were harvested in the year the Queen ascended the throne – Gundel summarised the details of the historic lunch.

Viktor Moldován, executive chef at Gundel, revealed:

He reconstructed the dishes served at the royal banquet based on contemporary television news reports and photographs.

Gundel is a matter of national importance

“Gundel is a matter of national pride, a world-famous family brand,” emphasised the managers of the Eventrend Group, under whose leadership a new era has begun in the history of this iconic restaurant. The team, which has over 30 years’ experience in hospitality and event organisation, is committed to preserving and nurturing the restaurant’s heritage and aims to involve guests even more closely in the history of this iconic restaurant.

Gundel is ours; it embodies our history, our traditions and our passion for fine flavours,

 “Gundel’s success story is our shared national treasure and a shining testament to our talent, our openness and our warm hospitality,” say the founders of Eventrend.

The ‘Celebrities’ menu series, which made its debut with the ‘Four Crowns’ menu, may appear on the menu once more at most after the ten-day summer period – perhaps in the autumn – after which the series will continue with menus created for other special guests.

The menu will be available in two-, three- and four-course options, priced at around 20,000 forints.

As we have learnt, the average spend per guest at the Gundel restaurant is currently between 16,000 and 17,000 forints.