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 Károly Gundel (; 23 September 1883 – 28 November 1956) was a Hungarian restaurateur, business magnate, philanthropist, writer of culinary works and the former owner of the Gundel Restaurant. Family Károly Gundel was born on 23 Septembe ...

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 The 1939 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair) was an international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activities ...

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 Adam D. Tihany (born: Transylvania in 1948) is a hospitality designer based in New York. He founded the multidisciplinary design firm Tihany Design in 1978, and is considered the origin of the title "restaurant designer". His firm has designed h ...

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 Palóc soup ( Hungarian: ''palócleves'') is a soup similar to Hungarian goulash soup, but lighter and a bit sour in taste. Contrary to popular opinion, the soup was not named after the palóc people. History The exact history of the soup is not ...

, 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.

References

External links

Gundel website

Gundel website

Gundel pancake (palacsinta) recipe
from Hungary
Gundel online reservations
{{Authority control 1910 establishments in Hungary Restaurants in Budapest Hungarian restaurants City Park (Budapest)

History

Cuisine

The Gay Hussar

See also

References

External links