Restaurant Reviews and Food Musings

Restaurant

The Gay Hussar
2 Greek Street
London
W1D 4NB

Phone:- 0207 437 0973

Overview

Eva and I went to The Gay Hussar, a Hungarian restaurant, in Soho on Saturday.

Ambience

This is a friendly, welcoming, restaurant; tucked away at the corner of Greek Street. It is situated in the bustling and eclectic heart of Soho. The restaurant has several floors, comprising public and private dining rooms. The ground floor is decorated with sketches of the politicians (eg Robin Cook) who dine there regularly.

Our table was on the next floor in a slightly smaller, but cosy, room. The room had dark wood panelling, and red flock wallpaper. The tables were laid with starched white linen and silver cutlery.

I would note that the restaurant was very busy, and you are advised to make a reservation 48 hours in advance.

Menu

The menu has a good selection of Hungarian dishes including; cherry soup, marinated herring, salami, stuffed peppers, goose, goulash, dumplings and pancakes.

Service

The service was very friendly and solicitous. When we were waiting for our taxi at the end of the evening, we sat in the restaurant downstairs and had a drink; there was no unseemly haste to push us out of the door, even though the restaurant was closing.

Food

I started with the smoked Hungarian sausage, which was served with fresh horseradish sauce and a small salad. This was very tasty, and made an ideal starter.

I chose the crispy roast duck for my main course. This was served with red cabbage, Hungarian potatoes and apple sauce. The duck was crispy and succulent, not greasy or overcooked. I was very happy with my choice.

Eva started with the beef goulash soup. This was a splendid spicy, piquant dish, containing hearty chunks of beef and potatoes. A side basket of heavy dark bread accompanied this dish; this maked it almost a meal in itself.

Eva chose the veal goulash pancake for her main course. The pancake was quite large and had been boiled; the filling was rich and creamy. The dish was served with boiled potatoes and grilled peppers.

The meal, which included a robust and hearty bottle of Bull’s Blood and several Hungarian liqueurs, came to £109 including service.

Overall Opinion

We both thoroughly enjoyed our evening and our meal, and will definitely be returning.