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Central Market Hall

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Eve Carr
Eve Carr
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

The Central Market Hall and Fakanal Etterem Restaurant

  • May 24, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by sararevell from London, United Kingdom
The Central Market Hall and Fakanal Etterem Restaurant

The Great Market Hall next to the Szabadsag Bridge in Budapest’s 9th district is the city’s largest indoor market. Opened at the end of the 19th century and renovated in the 1990s, the hall manages to keep a foot in the past but is a treasure trove to tourists and Budapest residents today. The hall was designed by Samu Pecz, who also had a hand in the renovations of the Matthias Church and gained a reputation for his striking diamond-patterned Zsolnay tilework, which are displayed to great effect on the roofs of both buildings.

We saw locals strolling out with armfuls of fresh bread while inside others pored over the fruit and vegetable selections. I was personally impressed by the sausage displays at the meat counters, arranged to look like an epic intestinal jungle. For gift hunters, stalls on the ground floor offer spicy and sweet paprika in cute red tins topped with miniature wooden scoops. Pale Hungarian honey and sweet Tokaji wines line glass shelves and jet black Unicum can be bought in large, medium, small, or very small bottles.

The first floor of the market is dedicated to native handicrafts such as lace, dolls, clothing, glassware and some slightly less traditional t-shirts. It’s also a great vantage point for snapping a photograph of the market hall. From here you can appreciate the beauty of this immense structure, especially on a clear day when shafts of dusty sunlight light up the market’s sea-green skeleton.

It was here that we stopped into Fakanal Etterem, a canteen-style cafeteria serving up trays of goulash and other Hungarian delights. Despite having the appearance of a countryside kindergarten, meal prices at Fakanal Etterem aren’t subsidized. Daylight spilled in through the glass ceiling as we shuffled along with our grey tray, collecting plates of goulash and vegetables followed by a choice of soft or alcohol drinks. Overhead, paper poppies with oversized flower heads and clutches of straw dangled down from the window frame. The meat was on the gristly side and I suspected the veggies of coming from the deep freeze but given the jolly location I would still recommend stopping in for lunch. It seemed especially ideal for large groups as wooden picnic tables are pushed together in long rows. Also paying before you’re seated eliminates the need to divide up a large bill at the end of the meal. In spite of the regular turnover of customers there were plenty of free tables and in such a relaxed atmosphere you felt comfortable enjoying a long lunch. They also serve alcohol, much to the joy of a group of grey-haired tourists one table up from us.

The one place we didn’t linger was the basement floor where the pickles are sold. The number of pickled items on offer rivaled the upstairs sausage collections but the smell was undoubtedly more distressing.

From journal Kavehaz Kultura in Budapest

Editor Pick

Central market.

  • March 25, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by LenR from Townsville, Australia
Central market.

This is the largest of five market halls which opened in Budapest at the end of the 19th century. It was built in the 1890s, lovingly restored in 1994, and is still a focal point for city life. It has rightly become one of the most popular and visited shopping sites for tourists.

Designed by the Hungarian architect Samu Pecz (1854-1922), it opened during the era when so many markets were organized and brought under roofs in Europe. The spacious, expansive structure is supported by slender steel columns which allow for maximum light. The outside facade is pyrogranite decor by Zsolnay, a Hungarian tile factory with an international reputation.

The market hall is open Monday 6am to 5pm; Tuesday to Friday 6am to 6pm; Saturday 6am to 2pm; and is closed on Sundays. An excellent booklet in several languages is for sale at some of the souvenir stalls upstairs. Plenty of local people shop for their daily fare here, undaunted by the hundreds of tourists roaming up and down the aisles.

The lower level is devoted to food; there are rows of stalls with fresh vegetables, stands of fowl and meat, and a couple of shops with wine and liquor. The only problem a visitor faces is trying to choose from the salami, strings of red peppers, and packets of saffron. Far in the back, a few small farmers come in from the country with honey, peppers, and fresh berries in season.

The second floor contains the handicrafts and souvenirs so dear to many visitors’ hearts: embroidery, leather work, hand-carved chess sets, and matruska dolls from Russia. But even if these things have no appeal, the market is interesting in itself because it gives an insight into local life. The imposing building of the University of Economics stands close by.

From journal Walking Through Budapest

Editor Pick

Central Market Hall

  • August 3, 2005
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Webgoddess from Burke, Virginia
Central Market Hall

This is an extremely large, indoor, two-story market that houses everything from fresh fish to hand-embroidered linens. Its convenient location near the Chain Bridge on the Pest side makes it a great place to shop when the weather keeps you from venturing outside to Castle Hill or Vaci Utca.

It's colorful, noisy, and full of both wares and people. The many sights, sounds, and smells can be a little overwhelming.

The local merchants sell their wares from brightly colored stalls and expect you to bicker over the price. You can buy anything from a handmade chess set (personally engraved on the spot), hand-tatted lace, and embroidered linens to a sampler of Hungarian paprika and sausages.

It's also a great place to stop for a quick, inexpensive bite to eat. At one end, you'll find several Hungarian "fast-food" stalls, which sell various sausages, pastries, sandwiches, and goulash. Seating is in the open food-court style. Be forewarned: this area of the building is rather warm, and there is no air-conditioning.

From journal A Magyar Experience

Editor Pick

Central Market Hall

  • May 5, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by magyar1 from Horsham, West Sussex, United Kingdom
Towards the end of each trip I make to Budapest, I always head to the Central Market Hall (Nagycsarnok) to stock up on numerous food items that are not readily available or prohibitively expensive in the UK. Now that Hungary is finally in the EU, most of the restrictions on the importation of foodstuffs no longer apply, which has led to an increase in the number of painful choices I have to make over what I finally pack into my suitcase.

The Market is a joy to visit, not only to admire the sheer quality and range of food that is available, but also to see a shining example of what a bustling market hall should be. It certainly puts modern supermarkets to shame (visit the Match Szupermarket in the basement to make an instant comparison).

This grand, ornate market hall has been here for over 100 years (when it was first built it was the most advanced market in the world) and was painstakingly restored to its current glory in 1994, after many years of neglect. The range of produce on display is superb, with counter after counter of fresh local vegetables, sausages and other cooked meats, shelves of fiery (and not so fiery) Paprika in decorative tins or presentation packages.

In the basement, you’ll find stalls selling a wide range of pickles and spices (just follow your nose) as well as huge tanks of live freshwater fish. Indeed, when buying your fish, you’ll get a sturdy water-filled polythene bag in which to carry your live purchase home (you can then let the fish spend its last few hours swimming happily in your bath before cooking), ensuring it remains really fresh.

On the gallery level, there are a number of "fast food" stalls offering traditional Hungarian goodies such as Langos (fried dough), Fozelek (vegetable based stews) and Hurka (blood pudding). While these perhaps sounding rather unappetising, they are in fact delicious and very cheap. Langos in particular are fantastic accompanied drizzled in soured cream & cheese or simply rubbed with garlic.

The upstairs galleries are also home to numerous concessions selling various Hungarian handicrafts, including beautiful embroidery, though many items are pretty expensive. Having, you may wish to test your haggling skills to see if you can negotiate a more favourable price.

From journal Budapest - The Jewel in Hungary's Crown

Central Market

  • May 1, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by kylebarber from Seattle, Washington
Central Market

Housed in an amazing building that dates back to 1890 the Central Market has been beautifully restored to its original condition. It now is one of the most popular and enjoyable attractions for tourists to enjoy in Budapest while locals can still go about their day to day shopping needs. Besides fresh produce and meats one can procure local crafts and trinkets on the top floor of the Central Market, where you'll also find an excellent restaurant serving favorite local dishes.

From journal Hungary: Return to Budapest

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