LONDON — Even loyal fans of the Gay Hussar, a restaurant favored for decades by London’s political left, will acknowledge its shortcomings.
Quite a few admit that those include the food.
Lawmakers from the opposition Labour Party are excited when taken to the Gay Hussar, said Kevin Maguire, associate editor of the left-leaning Daily Mirror and a regular diner, “but usually if they have never been there before.”
Many have, however, and Mr. Maguire said that when he invited one female politician for lunch here recently, she replied, “In that case, I’ll have a sandwich first.”
But now, the Gay Hussar is up for sale, and suddenly its supporters are legion. Around 160 politicians and journalists have banded together as the Goulash Cooperative to try to buy the place.
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Devotees remain loyal, even from afar, including Mark Seddon, former editor of Tribune, a left-wing publication. He said arriving at the restaurant was “like walking into your own front room with your best friends, and sometimes people they have invited — who are likely to become friends.”
Now working at the United Nations in New York, Mr. Seddon said he had fabulous dining options in Manhattan but still hankered after goulash and stuffed cabbage. “If I had the choice, I would go to the Gay Hussar,” Mr. Seddon said, adding that he was calling on “diners of the world to unite” to save it.
“You have everything to lose,” he added, “including your cherry soup.”
A version of this article appears in print on February 25, 2015, on page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: Iconic Restaurant for Sale (Don’t Mind the Food). Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
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