Central Market Hall

Central Market Hall

Central Market Hall
4
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
This market hall, also known as the Great Market Hall, is one of the largest indoor markets in Budapest and boasts beautiful neo-Gothic architecture. Here, you'll find lots of fresh produce, fish, meat, spices, cured meats, and dairy products. And on the upper floors, you can taste authentic Hungarian cuisine (like goulash with dumplings) at the food stalls and eateries. Locals come here for their groceries and lunch so it's best to visit in the late morning or early afternoon for fewer crowds. Don't miss the market's best highlights on a private food tour of Budapest. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Központi Vásárcsarnok
How to get there
  • Fővám tér • 2 min walk
  • Kálvin tér • 5 min walk
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • PepeMF
    Valencia, Spain293 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't forget to visit it
    It is an essential site to see in Budapest. The lower part is a large market where you can see/purchase food of all kinds. Curious and cheap sturgeon caviar from Lake Balaton. The upper part, apart from places to eat (cheap but not highly recommended), has countless interesting craft stalls to visit with good prices and the possibility of haggling.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 20, 2024
  • Belkis Melike M
    4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best chocolate strawberries in the world
    A huge market hall that you should definitely take a look at. But it can be a bit boring for young people, as they mostly sell fruit and dishes etc. BUT I ate the best chocolate strawberries of my life there. Definitely try the middle on the ground floor. Langos (upper floor) is also very tasty but the staff there are unfriendly (at least the one who served me)
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 24, 2024
  • Simona B
    8 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't have lunch there
    Nice market to visit, shame it has become a hellish trap for tourists. Already been in the past and the prices have become absurd in comparison. Heated street food for €35 per person. We spent €70 between us to have lunch on plastic plates and fake cutlery. Families who have paid bills of €150 before our eyes to eat poor quality reheated fried food. I absolutely advise against having lunch there or pay attention to the prices anyway. We got screwed big time.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 24, 2024
  • Hocico
    Frankfurt, Germany25,780 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very nice market hall
    A beautiful building - for a wholesale market hall - and a very good selection. Of course, the prices are very reasonable (they would be bad sellers if they misjudged the number of tourists and their willingness to pay), but there are often (not always) very good things and really good quality. I always enjoy walking through here.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written February 26, 2024
  • Neil B
    Failsworth, United Kingdom43 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bit of a let down!
    We were hoping to find a really diverse market but were a bit underwhelmed. The building is very impressive, but the market itself was very much repetitive. All the stalls seemed to be the same selling food, paprika products, and chillies. Maybe my expectations were a bit different than I experienced, and if you are after any of the above, then go for it!!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 1, 2024
  • Robin C
    Lakewood Ranch, Florida739 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    We enjoyed our visit but would not go back.
    We were here on a non-weekend and could not figure out how to get in as there was no one around and many entries that looked like they were reserved for vendors. Inside, first floor is a food and beverage market shopped by locals and the second floor is a food court and reserved for vendors selling souveniers. We were staying in the central area of Budapest and it was a bit of a haul out to this area and there is nothing else around to visit. So it was a long trip for a market that was not very busy.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 6, 2024
  • Waltersen
    Hamburg, Germany185 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Authentic on the ground floor, snack bars etc. on the 1st floor are overpriced.
    The market hall is in the city center, in Pest. We came from the Jewish quarter, and then you can walk along the Danube. There are many meat and vegetable stands on the ground floor. Many locals also shop here. I found the snack bars on the first floor to be overpriced. There are better and cheaper ways to get full in Budapest. That's why we didn't eat anything.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 14, 2024
  • MaFer12
    General Pico, Argentina1,065 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Curious place
    Very good place to visit, there is everything, even to eat on site. The outside is very beautiful to photograph and inside it depends on the number of people walking around. There are wide hallways and another one at the top that is a bit narrow. You can take your travel gifts from there. it's worth knowing
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 18, 2024
  • Ian B
    18 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great vibe
    Great way to enjoy local culture & cuisine. Also best place to buy souvenirs & trinkets. It has a very friendly vibe about it. It’s quite big so allow time to take it all in.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 19, 2024
  • Mara M
    Targu Mures, Romania13 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A big market
    Haven’t seen all the market because its pretty big with a lot of stuff. You can find food, snacks, souvenirs etc and a supermarket (aldi) downstairs but careful because they’re kinda expensive. Although its a nice place for shopping for food because you can find, i think, almost all in one place. (I know its not the best photo but its the only one I have from there)
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 26, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles9,269 reviews
Excellent
3,165
Very good
3,591
Average
1,733
Poor
483
Terrible
298

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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CaribbeanClai
London, UK108 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Family
Full of local foods, gifts, and souvenirs. Very tight and crowded upstairs, to sit down and eat is near impossible, would recommend coming outside to eat anything. Stalls were selling similar items to the Christmas markets outside but at a cheaper price, worth a visit for that reason alone. There was a bathroom but required around 1 euro in change to use it.
Written December 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Madeleine
Stockholm, Sweden91 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Couples
Nice market in cool building. The ground floor is kind of empty - a butcher and a grocery store as well as the occasional shop and toilet. The ground floor consists mainly of charcuterie/meat, vegetables, spirits and spices while the upper floor sells regular tourist-knickknacks and has a few restaurants. Slightly overpriced on some things, but most keep the same price picture inside the area. If you walk a few streets away there are the same gadgets in smaller shops at lower prices in terms of souvenirs (like bath ducks, spices, spirits, bags, magnets, etc.).

Like other market halls, it can get crowded, especially upstairs with smaller (narrower) aisles. The food seemed slightly more expensive and the environment is not super nice to eat in - both tourists and locals are found in restaurants and cafes outside.

Definitely worth a visit whether you are looking for souvenirs or just want to spend a while at a local market. It's nice to just stroll around.

PS. The entire room is accessible for wheelchair or stroller. However, it gets crowded upstairs (we were there one Wednesday after lunch, can imagine that weekends are even crowded). So if you have the option not to bring a wheelchair/walker/stroller, I would recommend it.
Automatically translated
Written September 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Valentina B
15 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Family
Central market very dense with shops, on the ground floor you can find groceries while upstairs you can find various objects and clothing.
Personally I found the Central Market quite anonymous, the Christmas decorations present certainly helped to make the environment more beautiful but personally I expected it more experienced by locals as I happened to see in other places. If the decorations hadn't been there it would probably have been a lot more disappointing.
The only positive note is that the cost of fruit is affordable and we took the opportunity to have a snack at an affordable price given how expensive the city is in general.
Automatically translated
Written January 10, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

melix2014
Milan, Italy26 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Family
I expected something more. On the first floor there are refreshment points where you can taste the local cuisine but there is little space to sit and the dishes are served in plastic plates. Very low value for money. I deserve the visit but not the stop for lunch. The bathroom inside is charged 200 hf or 0.70 cents
Automatically translated
Written September 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Spase M
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia2,533 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
The Central Market Hall is located in an excellent location, in a building with beautiful architecture, right across from the pedestrian street Vaci. This is the icon of Budapest, where you can meet locals and tourists alike. Here you will find just about everything. Unlike the souvenir shops around the city, it is much cheaper here. From here I bought homemade paprika for 1,000 forints, I bought a cheaper "secret box", magnets, keychains, and there are food stalls on the upper floor, so the food is cheaper and very tasty. I tried goulash, which was very tasty. On the ground floor you can buy Hungarian traditional things like chocolates, sausages, paprika, etc. There is an Aldi on the underground floor, while the first floor has souvenirs, clothing and restaurants. The people who work here are very kind and they all know English. The market is open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Monday, and from Tuesday to Friday until 5 p.m. On Saturdays it works until 3 a.m. and it does not work on Sundays.
You can reach the market by bus No. 15, 83 and 115, tram No. 2, 47, 49 and subway No. 3.
Whatever you go with will put you ahead of the market.
Written September 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Liam P
Leeds, UK386 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Solo
Central Market Hall was an interesting place to explore, especially for grabbing lunch. However, the restaurant I chose seemed to overcharge compared to other places, likely due to the captive audience. There was a good selection of souvenir stalls and plenty of options for self-caterers, especially in the meat section. Visiting around dinner time, I found it quite busy, so if you dislike crowds, aim to go earlier. The downstairs section was a bit of a letdown, with many stalls closed or permanently shut down.
Written August 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rugbymetalman
Derby, UK198 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Couples
Went here as we wanted to see it for real after seeing it on a UK cookery programme. We went at 12:30 and it was very busy.

Amazing layouts of foods, spices etc etc
Upstairs are lots of souvenir stalls and food outlets (very overpriced)

Got a Chimney cake downstairs, so ticked that off our list.

Word is it is rife for pick pocketing, twice I felt a tug on my backpack whilst squeezing through the crowds upstairs. Luckily my pack is lockable.

It’s worth seeing and then you can go out the front door, across the road and walk straight up through the city centre.
Written May 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KritischerKunde
Europe33 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Couples
from the outside and inside architecturally a great experience, but that was it with the highlights
Goods offered are standard, typically Hungarian and additionally very much for "tourists" (average goods at greatly excessive prices)
The restaurant is simply mass-processing on little to almost no space, but the prices are clearly excessive and the quality below average.
Cleanliness is rather bad and in terms of construction, some would also be renewed or renovated
Automatically translated
Written November 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

a j
14 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Couples
After being told about this market my wife and I decided to call in and experience it ourselves.
The ground floor area is spotless and full of fruut/ veg stalls and fresh meat stalls, all very interesting and interesting. We then went upstairs to sample the food....... I asked for a small piece of sausage and a flat bread, expecting to pay equivalent to about €3-4 , the woman asked for the equivalent of €14 !!!! I questioned the amount and she became very rude and when I refused to pay , she hurled abuse at me. Do not be scammed, more expensive than a decent restaurant in the city. Wonder what happened to her sausage 🤣🤣
Written November 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katerina S
Reykjavik, Iceland5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Family
Very beautiful market, amazing building. Great selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. A lot of souvenirs in the second floor. Advertised local street food stands- skip it, not worth at all. You are served food in paper boxes and plates, offered to eat it from dirty table in the crowd and pay for it restaurant prices. Be aware to be overcharged- the guy in Laroš stand sold me small draft beer in plastic glass for 2000 (!) ft and when I asked is the beer really costs that much, he just looked at me and confirmed that. Completely enough just to walk around, buy some fresh fruits and go to eat somewhere else.
Written July 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Central Market Hall - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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