Best of Budapest & Hungary

Legendary Hungarian films inspire the gala menu, personal relics from prominent artistic families will be featured in a charity auction, while Gundel invests approximately HUF 30 million to develop its off-site catering business.

    The 100th anniversary of the birth of Éva Ruttkai, legends of Hungarian cinematic history, and the stories of the artistic families associated with them take center stage at the Gundel Gala Ball on February 6, 2027. The "Home of Legends" concept utilizes the language of film to connect the more than 130-year-old heritage of Gundel with the collective memories of Hungarian culture. The guests of honor at the gala will be Károly Frenreisz, Gábor Szigethy, Júlia Gábor, and Balázs Bujtor.

    The 2027 Gundel Gala Ball is not a film ball; rather, it continues to tell the story of Gundel through the lens of cinema. Within the various spaces of the 130-year-old Palace, Hungarian film history, live music, dance, and classic gala traditions come together. The debutantes will once again be trained by Andrea Keleti; in 2027, the program will also reach out to young people who wished to participate the previous year but ultimately did not get the opportunity.

    The cinematic concept extends to the dinner as well, with each course linking to a legendary Hungarian film. Eldorádó (The Midas Touch), A tanú (The Witness), Szindbád, Mephisto, Te rongyos élet (Oh, Bloody Life), and Veri az ördög a feleségét (Rain and Shine) serve as the inspirations for the menu, which presents classic Hungarian flavors through a contemporary Gundel interpretation. The menu was crafted by co-owner and corporate chef András Wolf, alongside executive chef Róbert Vérten.

    A charity auction is also integrated into the gala. Júlia Gábor has donated a former dress of Éva Ruttkai, Gábor Szigethy has contributed a stage prop depicting Zoltán Latinovits from Henry IV, and Balázs Bujtor has offered a medal related to his father’s sailing career. The Darabanth Auction House is managing the auction free of charge, with all proceeds directly supporting the work of the Kátya Tompos Foundation. In addition, the Eventrend Group and Gundel Restaurant will donate HUF 500,000 from the gala's revenues.

    An Investment of Approximately HUF 30 Million in Off-Site Catering

    Alongside the gala concept, Gundel introduced the renewal of its off-site catering business branch. The investment of nearly HUF 30 million introduces a custom-designed catering appearance, a renewed gastronomic selection, and expanded capacity. With this new system, they are capable of simultaneously servicing up to three separate events of roughly 100 guests each, all while maintaining the hallmark Gundel quality. The next development milestone aims to build the independent capacity required to cater off-site events of up to 500 guests.

    In 2025, off-site catering accounted for approximately 20 percent of Gundel's total revenue. Last year, they served around 3,200 guests across 25 off-site events, with the largest single event hosting 1,300 attendees. This expansion allows Gundel to offer greater flexibility to its partners and further increase the market share of its off-site catering division. The long-term objective for 2030 is to serve 6,000–8,000 guests annually and double the 2025 baseline to reach approximately 50 off-site events per year.