Budapest’s Culinary Renaissance: Gault&Millau Returns to Hungary

After an eight-year absence, one of Europe’s most prestigious restaurant guides has made a triumphant return to Hungary, bringing exciting news for food-loving tourists visiting Budapest. The Gault&Millau restaurant guide has unveiled its 2025 Hungarian edition, recognizing outstanding achievements in the country’s evolving culinary landscape and marking a significant milestone for Hungarian gastronomy.

The Legendary Foundation Behind the Guide

The Gault&Millau story begins in 1965 when two French journalists and gastronomy enthusiasts, Henri Gault and Christian Millau, founded what would become one of the world’s most prestigious culinary publications. These pioneering figures played a crucial role in popularizing France’s nouvelle cuisine movement, emphasizing lightness over heavy traditional sauces while championing fresh ingredients and creative, visually stunning presentation.

This revolutionary approach launched a new era in traditional French culinary history. The Gault&Millau restaurant testing philosophy has continuously adapted to contemporary demands and expectations throughout nearly 60 years of operation, establishing itself as an international authority in culinary evaluation.

A Historic Comeback After Eight Years

The French-founded Gault&Millau, with its six-decade tradition of culinary excellence, previously operated in Hungary from 2012 to 2017 before unexpectedly withdrawing from the market. The guide’s return represents a major endorsement of Hungary’s gastronomic evolution and provides international visitors with authoritative recommendations for exceptional dining experiences.

This comeback is spearheaded by Czech businessman Miroslav Lekeš, who holds the license for Central European editions covering Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. His commitment to regional gastronomy has brought renewed international attention to Hungarian cuisine, offering tourists a trusted resource for discovering the country’s finest restaurants.

A Star-Studded Awards Ceremony

The guide’s official launch culminated in a glamorous gala at Budapest’s newly opened Time Out Market on September 22, 2025. The ceremony attracted over 420 hospitality professionals and guests, creating serpentine queues at Blaha Lujza Square as the industry’s elite gathered to celebrate Hungarian culinary excellence.

Chief inspector Csaba Harmath and gastronomy blogger-presenter Dóra Havas hosted the evening, which showcased the guide’s mission, scoring system symbolized by chef hats (toques), and meticulous testing methodology. The event’s hospitality was provided by Time Out Market’s diverse restaurant collection, including Anyukám Mondta, BigFish, Casa Christa, CANTEEN by Pesti István, and others.

Outstanding Achievement Awards

The 2025 Gault&Millau ceremony recognized exceptional talent across Hungarian gastronomy, highlighting restaurants and chefs that international visitors should prioritize during their Budapest stay.

Chef of the Year: Szabina Szulló

Szabina Szulló earned the prestigious Chef of the Year award for her exceptional work at Stand Étterem, which achieved an impressive 18 points and 4 chef hats in the evaluation. Her restaurant demonstrates what evaluators described as “amazing precision and world-class quality,” making it a must-visit destination for serious food enthusiasts visiting Budapest.

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Szulló’s collaborative venture with renowned chef Tamás Széll, Stand25 Bisztró, also received recognition with 14.5 points and 2 chef hats, showcasing the duo’s consistent excellence across multiple dining concepts. Her contributions to Hungary’s international success in Bocuse d’Or competitions further cement her status as a culinary ambassador.

Young Talent of the Year: Richárd Csillag

Richárd Csillag received recognition for his innovative “farm-to-table” concept developed alongside his professional and personal partner, Janka Gelencsér. Their Lokal at the Lake restaurant in Fonyód earned 13 points and 2 chef hats, while their Lokalista in Nagykanizsa was featured among the guide’s new POP restaurant category.

Future Talent: Kornél Kaszás

Kornél Kaszás represents the emerging generation of Hungarian culinary talent, bringing fresh energy to Babel Budapest. His innovative approach helped the restaurant achieve 17 points out of 20, earning 4 chef hats and establishing it as one of Hungary’s premier dining destinations. As a true maverick chef, he has brought freshness and forward-thinking to one of the country’s best restaurants.

Sommelier of the Year: Dávid Kincses

The wine expertise at Arany Kaviár Étterem earned Dávid Kincses the Sommelier of the Year award. Despite being in his early thirties, his wine pairings and selection have contributed to the restaurant’s 15.5-point rating and 3 chef hats. His trajectory suggests he could become one of Hungary’s finest sommeliers.

Pop Restaurant of the Year: Panificio il Basilico

The new POP category celebrates accessible excellence, with Panificio il Basilico earning top honors. Owner Szabolcs Szabadfi has become a pioneer in Hungary’s gourmet pizza scene, transforming from his humble beginnings in Kőszeg to become an internationally recognized pizza master and sourdough enthusiast who “gives of himself like sourdough – nourished by the love of guests and audiences.”

Revolutionary POP Category for Accessible Dining

The 2025 guide introduces an innovative “POP” category that recognizes approximately 100 high-quality establishments accessible to broader audiences. This includes exceptional food trucks, rooftop terraces, soup kitchens, and pizzerias that offer outstanding experiences without formal scoring.

This category proves particularly valuable for tourists seeking authentic Hungarian dining experiences beyond fine dining establishments, ensuring the guide serves visitors with varying budgets and preferences while maintaining Gault&Millau’s commitment to quality at every level.

Understanding the Sophisticated Scoring System

Gault&Millau employs a sophisticated 1-20 point scoring system, with only establishments scoring 10 or higher receiving inclusion. The prestigious “toque” (chef hat) symbols range from 1 to 5, with 5 representing absolute culinary perfection. Hungarian restaurants achieved a maximum of 4 chef hats in this evaluation, indicating exceptionally high culinary artistry.

The scoring breakdown reveals the nuanced evaluation approach:

• 5 chef hats (19-19.5 points): World-class cuisine
• 4 chef hats (17-18.5 points): Exceptionally high-level culinary artistry
• 3 chef hats (15-16.5 points): High-level culinary artistry
• 2 chef hats (13-14.5 points): Excellent quality, unique cuisine
• 1 chef hat (11-12.5 points): Reliable, excellent cuisine
• No chef hat (10-10.5 points): Decent, good cuisine

Even achieving 10 points represents significant accomplishment, indicating restaurants offering simple but high-quality dishes that deserve recognition.

Comprehensive Evaluation Beyond Just Food

Unlike traditional restaurant guides that focus primarily on cuisine, Gault&Millau evaluates the complete dining experience from arrival to departure. Their 25 anonymous inspectors assess approximately 70 different criteria, including atmosphere, service quality, presentation, ingredient authenticity, wine selection, comfort, lighting, noise levels, and cleanliness.

This holistic approach provides tourists with reliable guidance about what to expect beyond just exceptional food, ensuring memorable dining experiences throughout their Budapest visit. The evaluation begins the moment inspectors arrive at restaurants and continues until they close the door behind them.

Ethical Standards and Independence

The guide maintains strict ethical principles ensuring objectivity and independence. Anonymous inspectors pay for their meals and reveal neither their identity nor mission. The French-created international standards provide uniform evaluation methodology while maintaining strictly independent and objective assessments.

The supportive approach emphasizes providing open, honest, and fair feedback to industry professionals while respecting culinary artistic freedom. Rather than building critical walls, Gault&Millau seeks to create alliances with restaurant industry players, supporting sector development and renewal.

Supporting Hungarian Producers and Artisans

The guide extends its recognition beyond restaurants to honor over 100 Hungarian producers and premium food manufacturers. This comprehensive approach showcases the complete ecosystem supporting Hungary’s culinary excellence, from farm to table.

International visitors gain insights into authentic Hungarian ingredients and products, enhancing their understanding of local food culture and providing opportunities to take home genuine Hungarian specialties.

Recovery and Evolution After Challenges

The eight-year gap since Gault&Millau’s last Hungarian edition witnessed significant industry transformation. The restaurant sector contracted from approximately 25,000 establishments nationwide in 2017 to fewer than 21,800 currently, largely due to pandemic impacts.

However, positive developments have emerged from these challenges. Hungarian cuisine now demonstrates stronger emphasis on organic ingredients, health-conscious dining, and innovative fusion concepts that blend international influences with traditional Hungarian flavors. The post-coronavirus period has intensified demand for organic ingredients, healthy eating renaissance, and the importance of freedom experiences alongside flavor experiences.

Enhanced International Accessibility

The bilingual publication ensures international visitors can fully utilize the guide’s recommendations. The digital version available on the official Gault&Millau website provides convenient access for trip planning, while printed copies are available in bookstores and premium hotels throughout Hungary.

The guide’s commitment to international inclusion reflects its fundamental principle of supporting both established famous chefs’ work and helping discover emerging new talents, with English-language restaurant recommendations specifically targeting foreign dining audiences.

Building Culinary Community Rather Than Criticism

The guide’s philosophy emphasizes partnership with the restaurant industry rather than harsh criticism. This supportive approach encourages culinary innovation and development while making restaurant dining more accessible to broader audiences.

Gault&Millau’s mission serves as a compass in gastronomy’s diverse and continuously developing world, discovering the most excellent performances and consistent quality through objective and authentic restaurant criticism, inspiring guests to join in discovering the best restaurants.

Strategic Timing for Tourism Growth

The guide’s return coincides with Hungary’s growing reputation as a culinary destination. As emphasized by industry leaders, gastronomy represents much more than ingredients and recipes – it embodies Hungarian culture, creativity, and hospitality that immediately communicates the country’s character to visitors.

The comprehensive coverage extending beyond Budapest allows tourists to discover outstanding restaurants throughout Hungary, supporting culinary tourism that extends far beyond the capital city while showcasing regional diversity and excellence.

Planning Your Culinary Journey

The Gault&Millau guide provides tourists with authoritative recommendations for exploring Hungary’s diverse culinary landscape. From world-class fine dining establishments earning multiple chef hats to innovative POP restaurants offering exceptional value, the guide ensures memorable dining experiences regardless of budget or preference.

Whether seeking cutting-edge gastronomy that pushes culinary boundaries or authentic local flavors rooted in Hungarian tradition, the guide helps visitors find places where truly great experiences await – from everyday lunches to festive occasions to friendly dinners.

This historic return of Gault&Millau to Hungary signals international recognition of the country’s culinary evolution and provides discerning food enthusiasts with trusted guidance for exceptional dining experiences. The guide’s fundamental goal remains simple: helping visitors discover places where genuinely good experiences await, believing that good food and good hospitality belong to everyone while serving as a reliable companion in discovering new flavors.