Welcome To Budapest’s Great Market Hall!
It’s another of Hungary’s most majestic buildings!
The Great Market Food Hall was built in 1897 – making it the largest, oldest and most beautiful of all Budapest market halls!
C’mon inside – the Central Market Hall is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the city, because you can shop, stroll and eat all kinds of Hungarian delicacies!
Three Floors Of Fun!
The market hall has three levels. This is the basement, which has butcher shops, a fish market, and vegetable stalls…
Most of the stalls are on the ground floor – they have fresh produce, meats (especially dry salami and sausage), as well as Hungarian pastries, candies, spices, and spirits….here are some:
A Pound Of Paprika Please!
Of course we had to buy some Paprika, which seems to be the national spice of Hungary…and we also bought Hungarian wine as well, which was very good – the reds were a bit lighter in flavor, but tasty – and speaking of taste: it was time to go upstairs for lunch!
The second floor has stalls for souvenirs, but the real reason to go upstairs, aside from the great overview of the entire market, is to eat Hungarian food!
We chose the iconic Fakanal Etterem Restaurant, which is enormous, and offers a huge menu of traditional Hungarian food, served cafeteria style, and there is always a line!
Yes, there is a second menu posted in English as well, but who wants that? Here is a look at the process: you get in line, grab a tray, and then go along and tell them which items you want!
See what’s there on the top left of the photo? That’s Spaetzle, Hungary’s version of “pasta meets orzo!” And it was exactly what I wanted, topped by a Hungarian classic:
Wiener Schnitzel And Spätzle!
That’s right, a piece of veal thinly pounded, breaded and pan fried, sitting on top of Spaetzle, with a wedge of lemon…an iconic Hungarian dish!
Oh, except Alex got something even MORE iconic!
Hungarian Goulash!
Alex opted for a thick, meaty bowl of Goulash, served alongside some potato salad…it was a heartier version of Goulash than she had the day before – take a look at the picture she posted of that dish on Instagram:
This one was served as an appetizer, so it was more of a stew…either way, they were both delicious and filling, just as my Schnitzel was!
Oh, and one other very popular dish was this one:
It was a pork trotter, held in place with a big carving knife, and served with a great Hungarian beer! Yes, we had to get one of their local beers as well:
There you go: traditional Hungarian food at Budapest’s oldest and most iconic market – just one of the many incredible adventures we had in this incredible city!
Budapest at night is bathed in golden light, an incredible sigh to see – here are pictures and video of a sunset cruise on the Danube:
Let me know if you are a fan of Schnitzel and Spaetzle!
Categories: Art, Exotic Travel, Food, food blog, Food Review, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food, wine
johnrieber 
Oooh awesome John!
I love food, and visiting market halls when I travel. All that Hungarian goulash, schnitzel and spaetzle look sooo tasty! It must have been really hearty and filling!
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Thanks for commenting – yes, very filling…perhaps heavier food than we’d eat on a regular basis, but it was truly “local cuisine” and we loved that!
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Ah, Spaetzle! Isn’t about time they develop an Odorama feature on the Internet so at least we can get that theater lobby/popcorn kind of olfactory rush when reading your pieces? I swear I could smell the goulash, but I’m afraid it was just a few brain cells dying off.
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HA! I agree! All of the food was truly “local”, so we got to experience how they eat there on a regular basis, and it was delicious but a bit heavy! Thanks as always for the comment!
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I would have chosen the schnitzel. despite political correctness about veal here, it is one of my favourites.
Did you try any ‘Egri Bikaver’ red wine? It is sometimes called ‘Bull’s Blood’. In the 1980s, it was one of my favourite reds. https://www.tripsavvy.com/bulls-blood-of-hungary-1501569
Best wishes, pete.
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I didn’t try that Pete but now I want to find it to see how it tastes – thanks for the link!
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Lovely city. The park outside town with the remnant statues of communism is a must see.
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We didn’t get there but I will be sharing a few more of the castles and fortified locations from the war…it has a feel of a country that is coming out of a long fog…
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I thought that too. It is a long while since I went. An amazing city- like time travelling.
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Yes, so much of it feels stuck in the 50’s
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I loved clothes shop windows there for that reason
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I am so enjoying following your trip – and I love paprika!!
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I forgot that it’s their national spice it seems – bags and boxes and cans of it all sizes for sale! Goulash had a healthy dose too!
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We love goulash!! Enjoy your trip x
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Yes, goulash isn’t made enough and I have to change that!
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What a beautiful building and experience. Have heard good things about Budapest from people. I am so enjoying your European vacation – envious!!
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Thanks for reading and commenting – much appreciated – and still more to come!
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