We’re all familiar with Gundel, but 99% of us have never actually been inside. We think eating there is a luxury – you have to dress up – and, anyway, this sort of posh nonsense isn’t for us. Amongst other things, owner Zoltán Kőrössy and his team aim to dispel these misconceptions, reinterpreting traditions to carry forward the original spirit of this legendary restaurant.

The reopening of the legendary restaurant was preceded by extensive research. The restaurant, which had recently been operating with 50–60 guests a day, had lost its prestige and become a bit of an intellectual backwater, and was also faced with questions regarding its very identity. What was Gundel, and what is it today? The aim of all this research was to discover what remains relevant today, and what makes it the kind of place Károly Gundel intended it to be, whilst setting aside dusty references to the past.

„Idols” at Dusk

First of all, we had to dispel the myths and misconceptions surrounding the place. Above all, the notion that Gundel was an elitist, expensive restaurant. This is not true. Back in the day, the terrace, which could seat nearly 1,000 people, was divided into different sections for different social classes, and arriving guests knew exactly „where they belonged”. The waiter, in turn, knew what to recommend from the menu – not necessarily based on price, but taking into account customs, habits and tastes. Good food was served, but by no means in the luxury category; today we would call it ‘comfort food’. As we moved further in, different social classes took their seats, with the more affluent guests sitting towards the centre of the dining room. The luxury of the era was epitomised by the astonishingly extensive menu, featuring nearly 160 items. For example, they offered 27 varieties of mineral water and prepared every conceivable type of meat dish (something that is no longer considered normal in modern culinary terms). This wide repertoire was a sign of affluence; the vast selection was a symbol of luxury. In terms of price, they positioned themselves above average Budapest restaurants, yet slightly below the elegant restaurants of the major hotels. Yet, in financial terms, most people do not feel they belong here, but rather see themselves as outsiders.

– Our idea was to apply the same concept to the new Gundel. With this in mind, we divided the space into three sections: a garden, a café and a restaurant area. The garden area will be ready by spring, and we’ve designed it to be particularly family- and child-friendly, featuring a turn-of-the-century, period-style target game, a merry-go-round, animals and giant Art Nouveau elephants. The aim is that if you’re walking past here with your child, you’ll feel like popping into Gundel, and the question won’t be about what you’re wearing or whether you belong there – it should just feel natural. Jeans and a child running about screaming won’t be out of place, as Zoltán Latinovits, István Bujtor and Károly Frenreisz also used to run about here in the courtyard as little children,’ explained Zoltán Kőrössy, the owner. – With this café, we want to catch the eye of travellers, whether they’re domestic or international tourists; we want to suggest that if you’ve got an hour to spare, come and check out the most famous Hungarian restaurant, have a legendary Gundel pancake or a plate of goulash, have a coffee, and that’s it. There’s no pressure, no waiter in a tuxedo hovering over you. Be part of this story, and know that it’s perfectly fine to pop in for a glass of lemonade if you’d like to soak up the atmosphere. Since, in today’s fast-paced world, people aren’t looking for 3–4-hour dinners, the café area offers the chance to just grab a bite from the relatively short, small-selection menu.

The restaurant area most closely resembles the Gundel we have come to know and the one that lives on in our imaginations, with its carpets, snow-white tablecloths, Zsolnay porcelain and silver cutlery. Here, too, there is a relatively short menu at affordable prices. The dishes are not priced individually; instead, the menu lists the price for a three- or four-course dinner, from which you can choose anything and combine the dishes as you wish. You can order foie gras or pike-perch fillet, enjoy four starters, or three main courses with a dessert – in any combination you like. All this at affordable prices, in line with average Budapest rates.

To rise on strengthened roots

– Defining our culinary identity was the second step. This restaurant is the birthplace of Hungary’s most iconic flavour combinations. It was here that the Bakony mushroom ragout, the paprika sauce and the Somló dumplings were created. We’ve put together a „national XI” from these, given that we live in a football-mad world. We reckon that if there were a world gastronomic championship where dishes competed against each other, this is the team we’d field – this is our national side. They’re all regular fixtures on both the restaurant and café menus – let’s move on to the dishes. – Because of this, we’ve also realised that there’s no need to write a menu, because it was written 80 years ago. This is a very important statement. Over the past 20–30 years, people have tried to redefine Gundel in terms of its food too, but in reality, perhaps its very mission is that it’s fine just as it is. It has such strong roots anchored in the past that we must not, and indeed cannot, sever them; we can only strengthen them.

As he explains, the team has spent the last six months working out how to prepare these dishes with the utmost integrity and in the most meticulous manner possible. All the dishes are prepared with the same old-fashioned care and attention to detail as described in contemporary records. For example, for the paprika sauce, the chicken is simmered for 48 hours.

– It’s also important to think of these dishes as being ready-made. Like, say, shark or crocodile, which have reached the pinnacle of their evolution over millions of years. Chicken in paprika sauce with dumplings and cucumber salad with sour cream has reached a point where it needs go no further, where it doesn’t need reinventing, but simply needs to be prepared to perfection. This spirit characterises these 11 dishes, as well as the others; this is our gastronomic creed,’ he emphasises.

Exceptional musicians, VIP tables

The café’s menu boasts an impressive selection of desserts; everyone is familiar with Gundel pancakes, Somlói sponge cake and Rákóczi’s ‘Holy Trinity’ of cottage cheese desserts. Zoltán says that it is through these desserts that the restaurant’s name will live on for future generations.

The third step was entertainment as a means of passing on heritage, which went far beyond the food and service. Live music has always played an important role: at the turn of the century, this was on the outskirts of the city, and guests arrived by horse-drawn carriage, so the revelry did not disturb anyone. This tradition has been revived, and a tribute to that golden age is the horse-drawn carriage standing in the centre of the restaurant, on which a special band plays. We learnt that this is where Hungary’s first Romani violinist, Czinka Panna, began her career; it is to her that we owe the standard four-piece Romani band line-up we know today. Paying tribute to her, a rare all-female four-piece Gypsy band plays for guests every hour. It is definitely worth soaking up this living history, as it is accessible to everyone – you don’t have to be part of the elite to experience it.