A Buzz About Budapest by Devanshi Mody
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Then, Four Seasons came along, took over the historic Gresham Palace, painstakingly restored it and transformed it into one of the world’s most talked about hotels. So the rich and famous came along to check it out. And the not-so-rich-and-famous followed suit. A masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture, the restored historic monument is a Four Seasons hotel like no other.
They say cities make hotels. But sometimes, hotels make cities. This is true of Gresham Palace, named after Sir Thomas Gresham, the 16th-century British financier who founded the Royal Stock Exchange and coined Gresham’s Law, “bad money drives out good.” His bust sculpted by Ede Telcs adorns the building’s façade as do the twin peacocks that greet you at the entrance and whose dance entrances you around the interiors.
Another type of dance also enthralled guests during the time of Xavier the Spy who operated the original cabaret in Gresham Palace when he took time off spying for the British Secret Service…
Also lending glamour to Gresham Palace was a long-term resident of the Gresham Palace apartments, the famous Hungarian actress, Ida Turay (1907 -1997), who was married to the cabaret owner’s nephew. Her apartment had no kitchen, but Dahlin, Who Needs a Kitchen when you can pay your neighbours to cook meals daily and serve them on a silver platter? This was the norm, considering that Gresham Palace’s original residents and indeed current guests are born with silver spoons in their mouths.
So it’s a good that Gresham Palace sustains its fabulous gastronomic tradition, savoured in everything from the city’s best breakfast buffets to the finest lunches and suppers, served in glass-encased restaurants with unrivalled views of the city. For the loveliest lunches or informal dining, try the continental innovations at the Gresham Kavehaz.. Whilst everything is to die for, an absolute must-do is the polenta. Quite possibly the yummiest you’ll ever taste.
Pava, the hotel’s fine dining Italian restaurant, is elegance incarnate. This extravagance of glass is one of the world’s most stunning restaurants. But take time from gazing at the décor and the art adorning the walls to look at what’s on your plate. For this is where the cream of Budapest comes to see and be seen and relish exquisite preparations from the seemingly boundless menu. Finish off the meal with a swig of the famous Hungarian Tokaji wine.
If the chandeliers and walls seem like they are shaking by the time you’re ready to leave the restaurant, but you want to still hit a bar, don’t worry, the city’s most sophisticated bar is a few feet away in the historic Páva Udvar (Peacock Passage) of Gresham Palace. Beneath a stunning glass cupola, of The Bar savour a superb selection of martinis.
But then, don’t make an appointment for an early morning spa appointment at one of the most stunning and unique spas in the world. Gresham Palace offers its guests, both women and men, a selection of inspired treatments, the most remarkable being, undoubtedly the Tokaji Revitalizing Treatment with yes, Tokaji wines… But in this case, a decadent indulge in life's sweetness rejuvenates the body without sitting on the hips: mummification in a Tokaji wine wrap generates a feeling of renaissance as you emerge from the honeyed cocoon. Finish the treatment on a high with a swig of Tokaji!
Tokaji or not Tokaji… Thought that Tokaji was some super sweet desert wine? Think again. Today, these wines span an entire gamut ranging from honey sweet to the crispest, driest whites that can arguably rival the world’s best. You can try them at Baraka, Budapest’s finest gastronomic restaurant, which Gresham Palace recommends to its guests.
Whether you lunch on the restaurant’s lush and leafy terrace or dine in its swanky interiors, where you’re bound to rub shoulders with royals and celebs, you’re in for a right royal treat. From the warm, home made bread through the plethora of adventurous innovations, including gorgeous, gorgeous spinach and coconut soup to irresistible deserts, this is exemplary world class cuisine, where each dish is a revelation, as is the wine served with each course. Indeed, the charming and chatty owner will entertain you with wondrous stories including those about her wine supplier- a young Hungarian aristocratic heiress who wanders around New York with a backpack full of dry Tokaji from ancestral vineyards.
Budapest is exploding with swish new restaurants and bars, but don’t forget to visit the traditional Café Kor, classed amongst the world’s best restaurants by San Pellegrino. The likes of Roman Polanski come here for authentic, homemade Hungarian cuisine, whose renown is such that almost every inch of the café’s walls are adorned with framed awards! The informal and friendly staff further enhance the experience.
The café is close to Gresham Palace, which is the ideal base from which to explore the city’s historic and cultural heritage. The hotel itself abounds with wonders that delight the eye from the sensational Bohemian crystal chandelier in the lobby to the vibrant green and mauve ceramics that evoke peacocks to the superb artworks exhibited. Indeed, the hotel is so exquisite that one knows not whether to look in at it or gaze out at the most fabulous views of all Budapest from the comforts and contemporary chic of your room.
Cross that bridge when you come to it? Well, you will, the moment you step out of the hotel for beyond Roosevelt Square is the famed Chain Bridge that links Buda and Pest. Legend has it, that the lions which guard the bridge at either end have no tongues, an omission that caused the sculptor to drown himself in the river out of shame.
Across the river sprawls the façade of the hilltop palace complex, churches and other historic monuments. Budapest’s Natioanl Gallery is simply superb. It’s worth taking a fresh look at Hungarian art from Medieval to contemporary times. Discover also the city’s period architectural monuments including the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Hungarian National Bank on Liberty Square, Institute of Geology, Museum of Applied Arts, Nagytétény Palace, New York Palace, Philantia Florist’s on Váci Street, Post Office Savings Bank, Turkish Bath, Városliget Calvinist Church and the cluster of museums around the historic Hero Square.
The advent of Four Seasons single-handedly raised standards in Budapest. The xenophobic locals saw troops of tourists descending upon them en masse, accompanied by fleets of Five Star hotels, super swish restaurants, trendy bars, sensational spas and glam international designer boutiques. Today, Budapest is a buzzing cosmopolitan enclave, luring everyone from bakers to bankers. There’s a lot of buzz and bubbly about it. Taste it!