Hungry Hungarian

Guests wait for the evening to commence. Photo courtesy Gundel In the hospitality business it’s a rare thing for a restaurant to even reach its first birthday. Every additional year is a gift. What about 125 years? Gundel restaurant in Budapest, Hungary recently celebrated 125 years. Technically their building turned 125—they’ve been around as a restaurant since 1910 when Károly Gundel took over the lease of Wampetics, the original restaurant, and eventually renamed it after himself. But even so, to have been in service for that long is a feat. And to have been through what Gundel has been through is an amazing history lesson. Just to give you a taste. A bust of János Gundel, Károly's father, adorns the restaurant's lobby. For Hungarians, the name Gundel has been synonymous with hospitality, and not just any kind, but the best service and the highest quality food. And it has left an indelible mark on Hungarian gastronomy with popular dishes, some that have become