Farmers Markets in Budapest

Many locals in Hungary prefer to buy their fresh food at farmers markets, market halls, or even from traveling markets, which are still quite popular in the countryside. Tasteless strawberries, green bananas from the southern hemisphere, and tomatoes from greenhouses in Spain may be cheap, but they don’t catch our eye or our taste — and that’s exactly what makes us avoid supermarkets. The market halls of Budapest offer a great variety of local products, but this time, I set out to collect the most popular open-air farmers markets in and around Budapest, where you can meet the producers themselves, have a chat with them, and experience what these lovely markets have to offer.

Czakó Kert & Piacz

Czakó Kert & Piacz is “the oldest house in the Tabán, with a vineyard garden, a wine cellar, a farmers market in the garden, a bistro and a pastry shop in the barn”, as they say in their introduction. Located in Buda’s first district, Czakó Kert offers a variety of experiences around food. Taste Slovak beer, or fancy a cake? Visit Czakó Kert any day between 9 am and 10 pm.

For the market itself, come on Saturday between 8 am and 2 pm. Bread, cheese, meat, honey, vegetables, fruits, jams, and fruit syrups from local farmers are on offer, guaranteed to delight you. They also organize events (find them on facebook), like the “Bee-Saving Flower Seed Sowing”.

Pancs Gasztroplacc

Pancs Gasztroplacc is a farmers market organized in Élesztő craft beer pub in Tűzoltó street, every Sunday between 8 am and 2 pm. You find delicacies, quality food products, made by farmers all around the country. These producers are suppliers for several Budapest shops and restaurants, but they also sell their products abroad, like the goose sausages, goose liver,  hams and salami producers, who live up to French restaurants’ standards. The sellers are mainly here every Sunday, so you do not have to worry if you miss them, as they will be back next week! Some of the great products you find here:Vibalance, a fairly new company creating award-winning granola; Kanálka, with vegetable creams, chutneys, and vegetable chips; plus great jam producers, fruit syrups ( a favorite drink in the summer heat in Hungary), bakers, cheese makers, healthy cakes and snacks, besides other great local products.

It is good to plan your visit to Pancs around lunchtime, as lunch is cooked every Sunday by various chefs.