Gundel is a well-known restaurant located in the
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
City Park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and other incorporate ...
,
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
.
History
A previous restaurant in the spot, ''Wampetich'', opened in 1894. In 1910,
Károly Gundel took over the Wampetich's lease and operated the restaurant. His son János Gundel, who had learned the hospitality trade at other hotels and restaurants, took over the restaurant's management. He created a dramatic and luxurious style that increased its popularity and created an international reputation.
In 1939, the restaurant did the catering for the Hungarian contingent at
1939 World's Fair in New York City. In 1949, the restaurant was nationalized and operated by the state company of the Hungar Hotels, but it was reopened by Americans
Ronald S. Lauder and
George Lang in 1992. Consultants
Adam Tihany and graphic artist
Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser (June 26, 1929June 26, 2020) was an American graphic designer, recognized for his designs, including the I Love New York logo; a 1966 poster for Bob Dylan; the logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University, Brooklyn Brewery; and his ...
assisted in its design.
Cuisine
One of Gundel's signature dishes is the Gundel
palacsinta, a crepe with a filling made from rum, raisin, walnuts, and lemon zest, served with a chocolate sauce. Gundel also claims to have created
Palóc soup, a soup that aimed to be "like
goulash
Goulash () is a meal (not quite stew or soup) made of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is on ...
. . . yet not goulash," according to the Gundel web site.
The Gay Hussar
Victor Sassie, the founder of
The Gay Hussar
The Gay Hussar was a celebrated Hungarian restaurant located at 2 Greek Street, Soho, central London, England. It was established in 1953 and closed in 2018.
History
Victor Sassie was the founder of The Gay Hussar restaurant in 1953. Sassi ...
restaurant (in
Soho, London
SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall (SoHo), and ha ...
) served his apprenticeship under Gundel. Sassie was sent to Budapest by the British Hotel and Restaurant Association when he was seventeen. On his return to London in 1940, he established first the Budapest restaurant and then The Gay Hussar, which was to become popular with left wing politicians.
[''Soho in the Fifties'', Daniel Farson.]
See also
*
List of restaurants in Hungary
References
External links
Gundel website
Gundel website
Gundel pancake (palacsinta) recipefrom Hungary
Gundel online reservations
{{Authority control
1910 establishments in Hungary
Restaurants in Budapest
Hungarian restaurants
City Park (Budapest)