or is there another restaurant that we should consider for a sunday brunch?

thanks for all the suggestions. finally pinning down reservations.

Linca-I recommend the Marriott brunch, not only because I ate their breakfast buffet every day for 5 days and could eat nothing until tea time or later, but because the location of the Marriott along the Duna Promenade is quite lovely-you can watch the river traffic if you get a table near the windows, and of course, Gellert Hill and the Castle District are on view as well.

Gundel's by contrast, is way up north on Andrassy utca, it's quite formal, and there is no view. Plus, I don't think you'd get the variety and assortment of foods at Gundel's that you would at Marriott's-however I'm sure their pastry section would be first-rate. For a brunch, I would not prefer to go to a more formal place, the Marriott is very inviting and casual, which I like.

And remember, the Marriott is a brunch institution amongst the Hungarians as well as the ex-pats who live there-it's extremely popular, for all the right reasons. (it would be hard to find better pastries than Marriott's -those that they put out daily on their pastry bar are hard to resist!) I found their fish dishes, partic. salmon, to be expertly prepared and flavorful. Their kitchen is very good.

thank you for the input. am really looking forward to this trip.

Check to see if the Four Seasons has a brunch. They have renovated the Gresham Palace on the bank of the river and it is fantastic. They preserved or replicated all of the lovely old art nouveau adornment--and added fabulous floral arrangements, etc. It's wonderful. If they don't have a brunch, at least stop there for drinks some evening. worth a cab ride just to stop and take in the decor.

You know the beautiful turn of the century Art Deco bldg. that houses the 4 Seasons/Gresham Palace IS impressive, and it sits right there on the Pest end of the Chain Bridge. I did go in, as usual, to check it out, but I wasn't too taken with the interior. It has that sterile minimalist look and vibe that I don't particularly care for, so I didn't come back to have a drink there. But the look of the exterior, when lit up at night, is quite stunning.

And you WILL love Budapest, it is a true gem of a classic European city. Can't believe it took me so long to discover it.