The Gay Hussar

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.

For the operetta, see The Gay Hussars.

The Gay Hussar
The Gay Hussar in 2013
Restaurant information
Established1953
Closed2018
Food typeHungarian cuisine
Street address2 Greek Street
CityLondon
Postal/ZIP CodeW1D 4NB
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51.5149°N 0.1313°W / 51.5149; -0.1313

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]

References
  1. 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. 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.

51.5149°N 0.1313°W / 51.5149; -0.1313

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