The mother of all market halls for selected delicacies is the famous Borough Market in London. Under the protection of the historic halls, there is no need to talk about street food. Instead, the trend that is sweeping through the metropolises of Europe is a clever staging of regional players. Freshly prepared dishes typical of the country with regional products attract visitors. London’s Borough Market as a melting pot of many cultures and cuisines has set an example, other examples are the Mercado da Ribeira in Lisbon, the Markthalle 9 in Berlin or the Torvehallerne in Copenhagen.
Budapest, City of Bridges and Market Halls
The market halls, many of which are historic, are mainly home to local restaurateurs. They deliberately distance themselves from fast-food chains. Regionality, variety and authenticity are in the foreground. It has always been great fun to stroll through the old market halls and look at the colorful displays of the merchants. Unfortunately, shopping for tourists is often pointless due to the lack of preparation facilities. The market hall as a culinary Dorado now offers the opportunity to satisfy one’s curiosity for typical local cuisine right on the spot. The selection ranges all the way to star cuisine, as top restaurants also open satellites of their gourmet restaurants in the form of bistros.
Budapest has the most beautiful market hall in Europe
Market halls have a long tradition in Budapest. The best known is the Great Market Hall in the IX district. It is still considered the central shopping place of the city. The hall on the Freedom Bridge has been awarded the title of “Europe’s most beautiful market hall” several times. Here you can buy just about anything. Particularly noteworthy are the fresh meat and sausage offerings as well as the lavish fruit and vegetable displays. The market halls in Budapest have never lost their importance as a shopping place for locals. Until the 1990s, there were very few supermarkets in the city. And even today, the quality of the goods in the halls is often the best. The fresh baked goods from langos to steaming poppy seed strudel are especially delicious. So if you want to try typical Hungarian food and drinks and are looking for culinary souvenirs to take home, this is the place to go.
The best of the Hungarian gastro scene in one place
But Budapest has five other smaller halls besides the Great Market Hall, They were opened at the end of the 19th century and replaced the city’s open-air markets. Among the small market halls, the Hold Street Market in Hold Utca is the most beautiful. After an extensive renovation, this downtown market is as much a shopping place for daily needs as it is a hip event location and the new home of many bistros run by Budapest restaurateurs. Following the Portuguese model of Mercado da Ribeira, the best of the Hungarian gastro scene is slowly but surely gathering on Hold Street.
The latest example is Bistro Stand 25 by top Hungarian chefs Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló. After winning first prize in the European semifinal Bocuse d’Or in 2016, Széll opened his own restaurant called Stand in 2018, where Széll and his partner Szabina Szullo confirmed the Michelin star the two had already earned at Budapest’s Onyx restaurant. The couple has their sights firmly set on a second Michelin star. Their Bistro Stand 25 has quickly become a center of attraction in Hungary’s gastro scene, drawing many international visitors.
Island of bliss – dinner in the market hall
Chefs are the cosmopolitans and migrant workers of modern times. We met the Hungarian László Papdi in the summer of 2018 still in the Lenkerhof in Switzerland. Now he has returned to his homeland and is contributing his creativity and skills to several culinary projects in the city. Among other things, he has been part of the kitchen team at Stand 25 for a few weeks. We recommend reserving a table and arriving with an empty stomach.
There is always a greeting from the kitchen with good country bread and a salami selection. Individual dishes are also generously portioned. Recommended on the dinner menu is a 4-course meal priced at 9,500 forints (about 30 euros). The menu changes every two weeks, but there are also some fixed dishes, including probably one of the best classic goulash soups in town. Fine meat, harmonious flavors, celery, Hungarian mini noodles called csipetke and a wonderful citrus note characterize the soup. The subtle acidity comes from salted lemons, whose finely sliced peels ferment for six months before being used.
The trout with spinach is a lighter dish, but by no means boring. Even the fresh bright green of the spinach sauce puts you in a good mood. The trout tastes as if it had taken a trip to the sea. Tender and pleasantly salty, it complements well the baby spinach seasoned with garlic. A quail’s egg with liquid egg yolk provides another tasteful side kick.
Dessert should by no means be skipped. Here you can find a dessert that is also served like this in Budapest’s star restaurant Stand. The Somló Galuska is served as a layered pudding in a glass. Its special appeal is the numerous textures, chocolate, crumbles, biscuit dough and cream in addition as a large portion. Booth 25 is definitely worth a try. There is of course a lunch menu offered, then there is even more hustle and bustle at the surrounding stands. But very special is an evening visit to one of the most beautiful market halls in the city.
