| The Gay Hussar | |
|---|---|
 The Gay Hussar in 2013 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1953 |
| Closed | 2018 |
| Food type | Hungarian cuisine |
| Street address | 2 Greek Street |
| City | London |
| Postal/ZIP Code | W1D 4NB |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°30′54″N0°07′53″W / 51.5149°N 0.1313°W |
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.
Victor Sassie [1] was the founder of The Gay Hussar restaurant in 1953. [2] [3] Sassie was sent to Budapest in Hungary by the British Hotel and Restaurant Association when he was 17. He served his apprenticeship at the Gundel restaurant in Budapest. 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. [3] [4] Diners included T. S. Eliot, Mortimer Wheeler, Aneurin Bevan, Barbara Castle, Ian Mikardo and Michael Foot. [1]
The restaurant is named in honour of the elite Hussars of the Hungarian army. [1] The name is also associated with the name of a popular Hungarian operetta, The Gay Hussars , by Emmerich Kálmán.
In October 2013, it was made known that owners Corus Hotels would put the Gay Hussar up for sale. [5] [6] A group of journalists, politicians and lawyers formed the "Goulash Co-operative Ltd" to raise money to secure the eight-year lease, [7] [8] but its bid was rejected by Corus. [9] The restaurant closed in June 2018. [10]
In 2020, a restaurant called "Noble Rot Soho" opened on the site. [11]
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Goulash is a soup or stew 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 one of the national dishes of Hungary and a symbol of the country.
Emmerich Kálmán was a Hungarian composer of operettas and a prominent figure in the development of Viennese operetta in the 20th century. Among his most popular works are Die Csárdásfürstin (1915) and Gräfin Mariza (1924). Influences on his compositional style include Hungarian folk music, the Viennese style of precursors such as Johann Strauss II and Franz Lehár, and, in his later works, American jazz. As a result of the Anschluss, Kálmán and his family fled to Paris and then to the United States. He eventually returned to Europe in 1949 and died in Paris in 1953.
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