The site of the Jardinette was once home to the Szürke Csacsi (Grey Donkey) restaurant, founded around the turn of the 20th century. At that time, there were no water mains, so donkeys were used to carry the water up the hill. The reputable restaurant was established so that donkey drivers and donkeys would have a place to rest and recuperate.

After fifty years, the restaurant was nationalised, and some government official came up with the idea that, since it is located opposite the Farkasréti cemetery, and so many come here to find comfort for their sorrow, the restaurant should be renamed Búfelejtő (Nepenthe).

This was the legacy that Dr. Péter Kálmán, in his own words, turned into a place where not only the name on the sign, but also the garden, the sunlight, the blossoming flowers and the atmosphere of the whole place evokes joy and melodies. Good catering, in his view, is about caring, a home, friendship, good deeds, joy and rapture; the harmony of body and soul.