Shopping - The Rough Guide to Budapest - page 287

ted to “national tobacco shops” ( nemzeti dohánybolt ), which have frosted glass windows that
make them look like pornography outlets. It's useful to recognize that “Azonnal jövök” or
“Rögtön jövök” signs on shop doors both mean “back shortly”.
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MARKETS
Belvárosi (Hold utca) V, Hold utca 13; map . Right behind the American Embassy, this
fine nineteenth-century market hall still has some smallholders selling their produce. Mon
6.30am-5pm, Tues-Fri 6.30am-6pm, Sat 6am-2pm.
Bio-piac XII, Csörsz utca 18; map . Organic market spreading around the Mom Cultural
Centre (Mom Művelődési Központ), up the road from the Mom Park Mall. Great range of
produce, especially in summer - the peaches, tomatoes and peppers are so much better than
supermarket fare. There is also a playground for children. Sat 6.30am-1pm.
Fényutca II, Lövőház utca 12; map . Popular market that has survived a transfer to a modern
setting. Fruit and veg stalls on the street-level floor, and meat and cheese counters on the top
floor, alongside one of the best lángos kiosks in town - a popular stand-up snack of fried
dough eaten with garlic, sour cream, cheese or all three together. The nearby café seves ex-
cellent coffee Mon-Fri 6am-6pm, Sat 6am-2pm.
Great Market Hall IX, Vámház körút 2; map . By the Szabadság híd at the bottom end
of Váci utca, the Nagycsarnok is the largest and finest market hall of them all, as well as be-
ing the most expensive. Fruit, veg, meat and cheese counters galore, as well as bakers, con-
fectioners and endless paprika stalls, though it's all rather hammed up for the tourists. Mon
6am-5pm, Tues-Fri 6am-6pm, Sat 6am-3pm.
Hunyadi tér VI, Hunyadi tér; map . Another of the old market halls, free of any moderniza-
tion with stalls full of colourful produce spilling out into the square in front. Mon 7am-5pm,
Tues-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 7am-2pm.
LehelCsarnok XIII,Leheltér; map . Large,popularmarkethousedinanugly,ifwacky,mar-
ket hall designed by the former dissident László Rajk - whatever you think of the exterior,
it's a lively place inside with lots of small stalls. Mon-Fri 6.30am-6pm, Sat 6.30am-2pm,
Sun 6am-1pm.
Szimplakert VII, Kazinczy utca 14 szimpla.hu ; map . The weekly farmers' market in
the ruin bar courtyard has a particularly villagey feel, with the stallholders and shoppers ex-
changingbanter.Youcangetsausages,cakes,bread,honey,jams,cheeses-withcheesemak-
ing and other workshops - and maybe a hen or two. But it is still the Szimpla , so there is
music too. Sun 9am-2pm.