The Gay Hussar

A real gem in Soho this little hungarian restaurant is full of caracter with its walls covered with caricatures. Food was really tasty and portiosn are quite generous.

Authentic Hungarian eatery in central London. The food is about what you would expect for an ethnic restaurant in London. I mean you can tell you are not eating in Hungary, but it is close enough.

I’ve been there at last night with my girlfriend. We enjoyed the meals. I can say..everything was cool. 👍

Fantastic food and intimate atmosphere. Best place for Hungarian goulash in London.

I'm giving this place 5-star rating because of the food, atmosphere, interiors, and overall style. I quite enjoy it all. Went there first time about 2 years ago and keep coming back since (at least 3 times a year). I love livers and duck dishes in particular. Goulash is very nice also and I always start with that. I always feel very welcomed and the Host always tells me amazing stories about some known figures who visited the Restaurant. Very cozy, welcoming and warm. Love going there especially during Autumn-Winter season as it gives me that extra boost of happiness on cold and rainy days.

I'm totally in love with this place. My girlfriend is Hungarian, I took her here as a surprise just after we started dating, then she luckily won a competition for a free meal, which I'm not going to lie, I'm always apprehensive of, as you're never sure what your gonna get. But we got the full menu and no drop in standards on the food, I love being my girlfriend here as everything she has she says tastes exactly like it would at home to her. You need to go here, it's under new management, they're really trying to get a more Hungarian feel about the place.

This place has a rich history as a popular haunt for left wing politicians and media folk. The food was hearty fare that I could not fault and was particularly impressed by the schnitzel. The 5 star rating has to go to the head waiter who was the perfect host, treating us with friendliness, humour and palpable warmth. This kind of old~school service is rare these days and worthy of note. Would love to go back

Despite what others have said, I think the food is excellent. It is actually classic Hungarian food like the goulash or the fatanyeros, which may not be suitable for all tastes. It's often too spicy but tasteful. I'm sure that anyone who have ever visited Hungary would immediately be fascinated by the place and the dishes.

I am part Hungarian, so wanted to try this restaurant to see how authentic it was. Not only that, but I brought work colleagues who had never tasted this cuisine. Although it wasn't quite like mom's cooking, I really enjoyed it, as did my colleagues. I had the goulash soup and the cabbage rolls, accompanied with a Hungarian red wine. For dessert, had the classic Dobos Torte. All were delicious! Tip: You can make a booking online. For a larger group, enquire about booking the private dining room upstairs. Do check out the framed pictures of the many politicians who have eaten here. They all tell a story.

I went to this place on a whim based on a friend's recommendation, and found it to be an absolute gem. The service was wonderful - the waiter gave us half a bowl of the cherry soup to try before ordering, since none of us had had it before, and he talked us through the menu very clearly - and the food was mostly delicious. The one thing that didn't impress me were the chicken pancakes. Not sure if it just wasn't to my taste, or if it just wasn't what I was expecting, or what. But it was a bit saucy and didn't impress me as much as anyone else's mains. The cherry soup, by the way, is delicious - as was the poppy strudel we shared for dessert. We all definitely plan on returning.

I was there with my friends on Monday evening. The food was delicious. The service was fast and perfect! I felt a piece of Hungary in London finally. The waiter guy was proffesional and funny. He was always helping us to choose or just to laugh a big. I loved it! I met with the owner aswell. Kind peoples in a small restaurant. Thats why it is the best! I will be back for sure.

Absolutely glorious place. The atmosphere is distinctly clubby but without being pretentious, the staff are charming (I wanted to kidnap the blonde waiter) and the food is just delicious. I went for the wild card with my starter and had the cold cherry soup and very glad I am I chose it. Sweet yet mysterious. Give it a go. My other half won the main course contest though with his duck livers (the thought of which had me retching I’ll admit) but when they arrived they looked so amazing I had to give it a go and they were stunning. It was back to me with pudding though, with the trifle which unlike the English version is a serious bit of dessert. Not for the faint hearted (in both senses). Always book a table as this place is small and intimate and can’t accommodate many folks. Speaking of small and intimate, if you’re a bit overblessed in the bottom department, you will struggle here. I’m quite a slender wee thing (these days) and I had to do some tactful negotiating to get out for the loo. Inadvertently dragging your bum through someone else’s goulash will doubtless annoy them and leave you looking an incontinent glutton to boot, so bare that in mind. Highly highly recommended needless to say.

The service was really really good. I had the stuffed cabbage which was excellent. The bean soup that we shared was really good as well. I really recommend it if you fancy something hearty. Not for dieters alike though.

I went there with a real Hungarian and we were both very satisfied. There's not many real Hungarian restaurants in London and this is one of them. I particularly enjoyed the pörkölt (Hungarian stew with gnocchi) and the Hungarian salami board.

Smashing food. A large carte is pretty gluten free and I've never got a bad wine from the menu. The staff have always been fairly patient when we've run over time.

Magnificent. Service from the young waiter was outstanding. Food outstanding. Unfortunately by mistake did not manage to give the waiter the tip he deserved. Next time this will be corrected.

This a place where you can authentic Hungarian food! I definitely give five star to the food! Wonderful taste and nice presentation!

Lovely and delicious Hungarian food!! They serve dishes that you cannot easily get in London, such as fish dumpling, stuffed cabbage, goulash and Hungarian-style cheese pancake. The staffs were really friendly, especially the owner of the restaurant. This is my second time visiting this place and it never disappoints me. I also love the decoration of the restaurant as it feels really cosy and intimate.

My first time having Hungarian food! Came here for the lunch special for a post-Easter work lunch: £14.95 for 2 courses plus a drink (wine/beer/water) and service charge. Quite good value for money I thought. The venue was very nicely decorated (straight out of Budapest - apparently) but the service was on the poorer side. I ordered the herring for starters, which tasted just like the Dutch style fish. It was nice but too salty and not really my style. I wish I ordered the soup of the day or the camembert. The veal goulash though was delicious! Very heavy but rich and flavoursome. I would not be able to fit dessert after that. Would like to come again.

Really liked this place, nice atmosphere, and great food. Its a bit pricy for what it is. but really enjoyed the food over there. had a goose and pro pate and a deer goulash, which was really amazing. Would give 5 star but the waiter was lazy to break the bill down when paying.. it was three of us and wanted to pay separately (two bills). so apart form the bad ending it was good.

No pretentions. Welcoming and homely. Full flavours, traditional food and accommodating service. Hungarian wine surprisingly quaffable at a really decent price for central London!

Tasty Hungarian food in the heart of Soho. A little bit expensive but the portions are big enough to end your hunger.

Hungarian food....different and interesting. Fascinating display of political sketches on walls.

Nice little bar and eatery and can sit outside when the weather is good. Normal Soho prices so not cheap. Lots of stuff nearby like Ronnie Scotts and Soho Square.

Good Hungarian food. Friendly waiting staff. They had run out of a few items on the menu

Fantastic Hungarian food! I do find it a bit pricey so haven't been since they stopped accepting the tastecard, but is perfect for special occasions. The stuffed cabbage dish amazing!

Fantastic atmosphere and the food was really good. Pre booking is essential, we tried 3 times without booking and and they were always fully booked. Had the goulash which was great. Not sure if the prices match the quality of the food though, hence the 4 stars instead of 5

This is a place that can easily be described as a London gastronomic institution. Not just because the food is tasty and value for money, but also because of its history and atmosphere. One wall is covered with many caricature sketches of notable people who've visited the Gay Hussar over the years. It'll be a fun game go try to recognise the people (often politicians of days past) in the drawings. The food isn't amazing, but it's home made and delicious. The waiting staff are polite and courteous. Although I don't visit more than a couple of times a year I'm often remembered by name. Tables are cosy and close to each other, but the atmosphere of this Hungarian restaurant makes it a very enjoyable night out.

I do not really know anything about Hungarian food, so I will not comment if this place is authentic or not. I wanted to go there two or three times, but they were always fully booked. Finally I managed to get a table when I walked in recently. The Gay Hussar looks a bit old fashioned and its walls are plastered with drawings of people who supposedly dined there. I liked the images and thought it's an original feature and more interesting than random paintings or white walls. The first disappointment came with the wine menu. While the menu looks fine, I was not happy that they offer only the unspecified house wine by the glass. I really do not like when places only offer one random wine by the glass. Anyway, the house white was alright, so it was not too bad. I started my dinner with the delicious brown bread with butter. At many restaurants you get somewhat bland white bread. Not here. At The Guy Hussar I enjoyed very tasty brown bread with a bit of butter, definitely one of the better breads you can get in London. Then I continued with Debreceni Kolbász, basically a spicy Hungarian sausage. As I went there in my discovery of the best Wiener schnitzel in London, I ordered "Bécsi Szelet", the veal escalope with potates. First, there are not many places in London that have veal escalope on the menu. And second, this was definitely one of the best Wiener schnitzels I had in London so far. The bread crumbs were light brown and in contrast to many other places, the crust was what I would call fluffy. Really nice and tasty and just like a good escalope should be. The only criticism is that the large escalope with tasty sliced and roasted potatoes was a bit try. I should really have asked for some gravy to go with it. For dessert I decided to order the "Dobos Torta", a "layered gateau with caramel top" that tasted very good. The Gay Hussar is a busy place and it can be difficult to get a table without a booking. It might not cater all tastes, but no question, if you like a good veal escalope, this is a place for you.

Food was decent, i really liked the chicken pancake. Perhaps they were a little too salty. Dessert- the gateau was not impressive I like the decour, cool politicians caricatures. staff were polite. tastecard accept :)

Friendly warm welcome, prices are good compared to other restaurants in SOHO. We were offered a 20% discount and we got a private room for our small group. Nice!

Visited on the off change as we were passing. Service was attentive and decent selection on the menu. I cant say im familiar with Hungarian fair but the food was hearty and (after a bottle of the bulls blood wine!) all tasted like good hearty home cooking. Its got a lovely family feel though given its location could do with a lick of paint and a bit of a spruce on the menu. We had a taste card so got 50% off which was about what i felt the meal was worth.

The Service was very good, the food however a little on the fatty side. I was happy we went, but I would not go back, there is too much to try!

I'm a big fan of trying out food from countries which aren't so well represented in London's restaurants, so enjoyed giving this Hungarian restaurant a go. The (cold) wild cherry soup made for an interesting and unusual starter. Sort of like a thin cherry yoghurt. It did start to get a bit boring towards the end though. I was pleased to see a vegetarian goulash on the menu - this was a bit different from any goulash I'd had before, and a bit hard to describe - I think the main bulk of the goulash part was mushrooms (thickly sliced portabella mushrooms, I think), and the sauce was actually quite spicy from the paprika. It was served on a base of a kind of noodle / dumpling which reminded me of spatzli. The decor is quite smart too, and the walls are covered with framed pictures - lots of caricatures of famous guests. Not a huge culinary revelation but it did make for a pleasant break from the norm.

Tasty food but very small portions, we were so hungry after! Very expensive for the quality and portion sizes, without Tastecard it's definitely not worth it! Even with Tastecard the bill was too steep!

Expensive, but not justifiably. I dined there with a good bunch of friends. None of us were particularly impressed with the cuisine, although the wait staff and decor were quite nice.

The food was average at best. My partner is Hungarian and he said the taste did not meet his expectations for proper Hungarian cuisine, he basically makes it better at home. Another thing I noticed was that they did not even play any music at all. It was dead silence and you do not have a choice but overhear everyone's conversations. Aside from that the staff were friendly and paid very good attention to us.

I visited last year with my partner for a romantic dinner, to check the place out before taking the whole family for my chef sister's birthday. Being Hungarian I knew what the food should have tasted like. It was the biggest dissapointment in a Hungarian restaurant I have ever experienced. Before arriving, I called them as we were 20 mins late due to the lack of available parking spaces in the area. They kindly held the table for us. For starters my partner ordered a nice Debreceni kolbász. I ordered a Meggyleves, a fruit soup, that was definitely off. I told the waiter and asked for a Gulyás soup instead. It was extremely oily and hardly had any veg and beef in it. We had Brassói for main, which was a bit dry but tasty and enjoyable. The Tokaji wine was good as always. There was a drunken lady who was a little too jolly at times, a bit too loud and larry but did not seem to bother anyone. To my amazement the staff gathered at the bar once she left and started slagging her off in such way that it would've made a person who did not speak Hungarian uncomfortable. My partner asked me if they were talking about the lady, even though he only speaks English. I was stunned by the unprofessionalism in front of us customers. The bill came to £100 including the tip for staff, which is a clever move since we didn't feel like it was deserved. Would NOT have paid it. We were also charged for the fruit soup (buggyant meggyleves) that was inedible and and sent back. Leaving the restaurant, we felt robbed. I hope that since, the level of service has GREATLY improved but for us it does not worth another try. No need to say, we've taken the family to another place for the birthday.

The staff was not very welcoming and looked very confused about our reservation. Food is ok, nothing special. It is a very old-school, time-capsular place. It will be nice if they play some in of music, otherwise it gets a bit awkward. Glad I tried it, but won't be returning.

The the waiter was a bit rude and it was difficult to understand his English, the food was ok, I was expecting something interesting but in the end was boring and simple food! The desert lemon pancakes was afwul! Maybe I wasted my time and money!