The Gay Hussar

Last updated

The Gay Hussar
Gay Hussar restaurant - November 2013.jpg
The Gay Hussar in 2013
The Gay Hussar
Restaurant information
Established1953
Closed2018
Food type Hungarian cuisine
Street address2 Greek Street
CityLondon
Postal/ZIP CodeW1D 4NB
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates 51°30′54″N0°07′53″W / 51.5149°N 0.1313°W / 51.5149; -0.1313

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.

Contents

History

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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soho</span> District in London, England

Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goulash</span> Hungarian meat and vegetable stew

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmerich Kálmán</span> Hungarian-born composer of operettas

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Compton Street</span> Street in the West End of London

Old Compton Street is a road that runs east–west through Soho in the West End of London, named after Henry Compton who raised funds for St Anne's Church in 1686. The area, particularly this street, became home to French Protestant refugees in 1681. Known for its diverse and artistic traditions, the street housed businesses, artists, philosophers, and was frequented by communists and proto-beatniks. The Algerian Coffee Stores, one of the oldest shops on the street, was established in 1887. Post World War II, the street became a center for modern and trad jazz. Since the 1970s, Old Compton Street has been a focal point for London's LGBTQ+ community, with numerous gay bars, restaurants, and specialty shops. The Admiral Duncan pub, a notable gay venue, was bombed in 1999 in a hate crime attack. The street is also home to the Prince Edward Theatre, which currently hosts a revival of Mary Poppins.

<i>The Gay Hussars</i>

The Gay Hussars is an operetta in three acts by Emmerich Kálmán. The piece was Kalman's first operetta and a hit throughout Europe and America. The first version, in Hungarian, Tatárjárás, with libretto by Karl von Bakonyi and Andor Gábor, premiered at the Vígszinház in Budapest on 22 February 1908. The German version, Ein Herbstmanöver, with libretto by K. von Bakonyi and Robert Bodanzky, premiered in Vienna on 22 January 1909. It was so popular that it prompted Kalman to move to Vienna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tata Steel Europe</span> Multinational steelmaking company

Tata Steel Europe Ltd. was a steelmaking company headquartered in London, England, with its main operations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company was created in 2007, when Tata Group took over the British-Dutch Corus Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Colony Room Club</span> Private members drinking club in Soho, London (1948–2008)

The Colony Room Club was a private members' drinking club at 41 Dean Street, Soho, London. It was founded and presided over by Muriel Belcher from its inception in 1948 until her death in 1979.

Greek Street is a street in Soho, London, leading south from Soho Square to Shaftesbury Avenue. The street is famous for its restaurants and cosmopolitan nature.

Goulash Communism, also known as refrigerator communism Hungarian: fridzsiderkommunizmus, Kádárism or the Hungarian Thaw, is the variety of socialism in Hungary following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. János Kádár and the Hungarian People's Republic imposed policies with the goal to create high-quality living standards for the people of Hungary coupled with economic reforms. These reforms fostered a sense of well-being and relative cultural freedom in Hungary with the reputation of being "the happiest barracks" of the Eastern Bloc during the 1960s to the 1970s. With elements of regulated market economics as well as an improved human rights record, it represented a quiet reform and deviation from the Stalinist principles applied to Hungary in the previous decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gundel</span>

Gundel is a well-known restaurant located in the Budapest City Park, Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The French House, Soho</span> Pub and dining room at 49 Dean Street, Soho, London

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comptons of Soho</span> Gay bar in Old Compton Street, London

Comptons of Soho is a gay pub in London. Situated at 51–53 Old Compton Street in the heart of Soho's 'Gay village', Comptons has been an integral part of London's gay scene since June 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of St Barnabas</span>

The House of St Barnabas, at 1 Greek Street, Soho, is a Grade I Listed Georgian building in London notable for its rococo plasterwork interiors and for other architectural features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Carbonfools</span>

The Carbonfools is a Hungarian pop band from Budapest, Hungary. Formed in 2001, the band started their journey of national fame with their debut at Sziget Festival. The band mixes genres such as rock, blues, reggae, disco, folk, darkwave, in order to create their unique sound. In 2004 their first album Poisoned Goulash became a major hit gathering their previously performed tracks. The Carbonfools is the most popular pop band of the 2000s in Hungary. The Carbonfools also played several shows in The United Kingdom including London and Birmingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Summer Universiade</span> Sports event

The 2019 Summer Universiade, officially known as the XXX Summer Universiade and also known as Napoli 2019, was held in Naples, Italy, between 3 and 14 July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gargoyle Club</span> Private club in Soho, London

The Gargoyle was a private members' club on the upper floors of 69 Dean Street, Soho, London, at the corner with Meard Street. It was founded on 16 January 1925 by the aristocratic socialite David Tennant, son of the Scottish 1st Baron Glenconner. David was the brother of Stephen Tennant who was called "the brightest" of the "Bright Young People" and of Edward Tennant, the poet who was killed in action in World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaby's Deli</span> Jewish restaurant

Gaby's Deli was a family Jewish restaurant in London's Charing Cross Road. It was named after the founder, Gaby Elyahou, who ran it with his family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 UEFA Women's Champions League final</span> Football match

The 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final was the final match of the 2018–19 UEFA Women's Champions League, the 18th season of Europe's premier women's club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 10th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Women's Cup to the UEFA Women's Champions League. This was the first time since the final is played as a single match that a host city for the Women's Champions League final was not automatically assigned by which city won the bid to host the men's Champions League final, although the same association is still allowed to host both finals by the UEFA bid regulations. It was played at the Groupama Arena in Budapest, Hungary on 18 May 2019, between French side Lyon and Spanish side Barcelona.

Kettner's Townhouse is a restaurant in London. Dating from 1867, it is one of the oldest restaurants in the city.

Ildikó Juhász is a Hungarian hospitality worker and lesbian activist most known for creating safe spaces for LGBT community members to gather during the socialist regime. She managed the Ipoly Cinema and after regular screenings invited lesbians to secretly gather for social events. Her after-hours events were the first to offer lesbians a public meeting space in Budapest. After the cinema closed and the regime changed, she opened the Rózsaszín csokornyakkendő, a restaurant and nightclub, which she operated until 1999. In 2021, she was interviewed as a part of the Queer Memory Project, which aims to collect the history of the LGBT community in Hungary and what was formerly Czechoslovakia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Victor Sassie, Restaurateur 1915–1999 / The Gay Hussar, 1953–Present at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 December 2008)
  2. McNay, Michael (2015). Hidden Treasures of London. Random House. pp. 144–145. ISBN   978-1847946171 . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  3. 1 2 Smithers, Rebecca (26 May 2018). "Last orders at the Gay Hussar – the left's hotbed of plots, gossip and goulash". The Guardian . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  4. Farson, Daniel, Soho in the Fifties.
  5. Steerpike (25 October 2013). "Boom turns to bust for Gay Hussar – Coffee House". The Spectator . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  6. Meikle, James (25 October 2013). "Gay Hussar – the left's London canteen – goes up for sale". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  7. de Peyer, Robin (2 December 2013). "'Goulash co-operative' in last ditch bid to save Soho's Gay Hussar". Evening Standard . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  8. Rowley, Tom (10 December 2013). "Can the conservatives save the Gay Hussar, Labour's canteen?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  9. Castle, Stephen (24 February 2015). "Gay Hussar, an Iconic Restaurant in London, Is for Sale (Don't Mind the Food)". The New York Times . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  10. Prynn, Jonathan (21 June 2018). "The legendary Gay Hussar finally closes its doors for the last time". Evening Standard. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  11. Hayward, Tim (10 October 2020). "The legendary Gay Hussar restaurant gets a makeover". The Financial Times.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

51°30′54″N0°07′53″W / 51.5149°N 0.1313°W / 51.5149; -0.1313