Downtown Market – Gastro and gourmet market in the heart of Budapest

Budapest has several markets, which are all characterised by special features. The Downtown Market (Belvárosi Piac) is located in an especially great spot, because it welcomes visitors in the neighbourhood of the US Embassy to Budapest, close to Szabadság Square and the Parliament. Locals and tourists are seduced by good-quality Hungarian products and exceptional restaurant offers.

The Downtown Market, which used to be called Hold Street Market, was built in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it was originally designed to become the pearl of Budapest’s 5^th district. The eclectic building was constructed between 1892 and 1896 based on the plans of Győző Czigler. It was completely renovated in 2014, so today it attracts visitors in its fullest glory.

The curiosity of the building is that it is not a separate establishment, but the inside of a building between Hold Street and Vadász Street. From the outside it looks like an average downtown block of flats, but a 2017 m² hall was developed on the inside at the end of the 19^th century. The rich past is reflected by the “Entrance” (Bejárás) and “Exit” (Kijárás) tags, because the hall was originally designed in a way that horse carriages could also go in and out, but the traffic could only be one-way due to the narrow space.

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Nowadays, the Downtown Market mainly functions as a market, but its restaurants – mostly found on the first floor – also offer great dining opportunities. The current operator puts great emphasis on the gastro market aspect, so high quality is elemental. They created a farmer’s market in the 100 m²central place, where 50 producers can sell their products fresh out of their garden.

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Gastronomy adventurers can fulfill their passion for unique experiences, because several restaurants and bistros welcome exigent guests. You can try true Hungarian specialties like lángos (Fritú), or uniquely flavoured sausages wrapped in bread (KOLBice). There are also bistros with fish, steak and other international menus, but this is also the location of Bocuse d’Or winner Tamás Szél’s bistro, Stand25, which welcomes guests with further culinary experiences.