Gundel, Budapest's Famous Restaurant Turns 125

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...

Welcome to Hungry Hungarian



Welcome to my blog, Hungry Hungarian. If you're looking for a taste of eastern Europe, you're in the right place. Hungarian food is really unique, not unlike the nation and its people. We're a different bunch for sure. We speak a language that's not related to any of the ones around us. Some historians will say the language is related to Finnish (but I have yet to meet a Fin I can converse with). Really, most people will tell you it's a very difficult language to learn and speak. But one language that will always be universal is the language of food. And Hungarian food is the kind of eating that most people love, because it's hearty and comforting, very much a home-cooking type of cuisine.

In recent years there's been an awakening in Hungarian cuisine. Dishes are getting more refined. Many chefs are pushing the limits of experimentation, utilizing techniques from different cuisines. There's now even fusion cuisine in Budapest, the nation's cosmopolitan capital. In this blog I'd like to show you both sides of the coin, the classics and the reimagined, or what they're now calling újragondolt in Hungary. I really believe Hungarian food will soon be having its moment. And with this food blog, I hope to be a conduit to the worldwide resurgence of interest in Hungarian cuisine. Hang around for some great recipes, articles and musings on Hungarian food and culture.