37 Best Places to Shop in Budapest, Hungary

Open every Sunday, this relaxed flea market is set in the Jewish District's main food hall. A regular assortment of stalls sell everything from old jewelry to Soviet-made watches, vintage cameras to communist-era household goods, making it a great source for rare souvenirs. It's all priced quite fairly, but most sellers are also willing to bargain. The market is officially open from 9 am to 4 pm, but stalls start packing up around 2:30 pm, so it's best to get there early.

Want to make a positive impact when buying your souvenirs? This socially conscious design gift shop sells ethical, sustainable, natural goods made by social enterprises and NGOs from all over Hungary. You'll find everything from artisan chocolate to handmade candles, along with some of Pest's friendliest shopkeepers.

Architect László Rajk got a lot of negative attention for his design of this market, unveiled in 2002 and considered one of Budapest’s ugliest buildings. But even those who call this gaudy, yellow-and-red building by its nickname, the Kofahajónak (the ship for peasant grannies), cannot deny that Lehel Csarnok is one of the best markets in town for produce, meat, and other local food products. Stroll the aisles for kolbász (Hungarian sausage), körözött (a spicy cottage cheese spread), savanyúság (pickled goods), local honey, cheese, and the freshest fruit around. If you fancy something unique, try the Ló- or Szarvaskolbász (horse or deer sausage) or kovászos uborka (fermented pickles). You will have to try out some Hungarian here, as most vendors are local farmers just doing their business at the local market. When you are done, reward yourself with lángos, the traditional Hungarian fried bread (best covered with sour cream, cheese, and garlic), and a beer at the popular Lángos Centrum. The site has always been popular as a market ground as well as embedded in colloquial controversy. The original open-air market was built over part of a local cemetery in 1890 when the square was called Ferdinánd tér. One hundred years later, when the old complex was finally torn down, construction halted as rumors of a Jewish cemetery underneath were explored. For now, it looks like the ship of the peasant grannies will sail on for many more years to come.

Located within an ornate 19th century building centered around a charming courtyard, Paloma brings together a collective of local designers to showcase their handicrafts. The small boutiques are run by the designers themselves and sell all manner of creative designs, including handbags, ceramics, jewelry, stationery, and children's toys. The space also hosts regular contemporary art exhibitions.

A properly lovely little place on the edge of Tabán, an area not really known for its shopping, Prezent is everything a modern gift shop should be: interesting, sustainable, and with a focus on local producers. You'll find sweaters, chocolate, and soaps, as well as considerably-less-touristy-than-usual fridge magnets and postcards featuring sketches of the city.

For a uniquely Hungarian souvenir, check out this homegrown shoe company named for a beloved river that flows through eastern Hungary. The company is known for its rubber-soled shoes, boots, and sneakers, which were all the rage behind the Iron Curtain in the 1970s. Tisza soles were the basis for scores of "domestic" shoes back then as well, providing workers with sturdy and comfortable shoes in which to toil. New designs as well as heritage classics make the sneakers popular with the hipster crowd. You can also find them at Westend Shopping Center, but this shop in the 7th District is the original and the biggest.

Hand-cut lead crystal isn't as cheap as it once was in Hungary, but for a uniquely Central European gift, head to this leading Hungarian manufacturer for fine crystal. The huge selection of colored glasses—martini to cognac—comes in rich reds and blues, as well as pastel pinks and yellows. All can be packed for a long trip home. There are several outlets around town.

This store specializes in handmade and hand-dyed leather gloves made in Hungary. Some of the men's gloves have shearling lining and will keep you warm in near-Arctic temperatures. The buttery ladies' models are lined with cashmere or wool. A selection of ladies' hats completes the inventory.

The Buda branch of this jolly mini-chain of bookstores was set up by three couples who wanted somewhere that sold both quality children's books and well-made toys in the same place. Bartók Pagony delivers on its promise, and offers comfy armchairs and play areas, too. Kids will love the airships on the ceiling; adults will love the café.

For those who like their souvenirs a little unusual, this traditional old stamp shop is a gem, clinging on to its patch on this increasingly cool street. Old Hungarian stamps, coins, and medals are all on offer, including some very rare items.

The stock at this popular bookshop consists almost entirely of English-language books and periodicals, including Hungarian classics translated into English, popular British and American best-sellers, and newspapers. There's a French-language section as well.

Open since 1997, this charming little stationery store sells hand-bound notebooks, diaries, postcards, writing utensils, wrapping paper, and more. The attractive, often Budapest-related graphical designs make them perfect souvenirs or gifts. There's a second and equally lovely Bomo Art store almost directly across the river by Várkert Bazár.

A traditional showroom on the second floor of a nondescript building, Clique Design Studio functions as a collaborative working space while also showcasing the work of young Hungarian designers, including Delacier jewelry, clothing, shoes, and bags from designer Dóra Domokos.

For true bargains and possibly an adventure, make an early-morning trip to the vast and meandering flea market on the outskirts of the city. A colorful, chaotic market that shoppers have flocked to for decades, it is an arsenal of secondhand goods, where you can find everything from frayed Russian army fatigues to Herend and Zsolnay porcelain vases to antique silver chalices. Goods are sold at permanent tables set up in rows, from trunks of cars parked on the perimeter, and by lone, shady characters clutching just one or two items. As a foreigner, you may be overcharged, so prepare to haggle—it's part of the flea-market experience. Also, watch out for pickpockets. Although the best selection at Ecseri Piac is on Saturday morning, when the market is generally livelier, prices are said to be 10% to 20% higher than on weekdays. Haggle hard. Hours are Monday through Saturday 8–4 and Sunday 9–2.

It might seem like Hungarian fashion can't get out of its Central European comfort zone, with its heavy preference for monochrome. But costume designer and stylist Kriszta Szakos offers refreshingly vibrant, colorful knitted patterns for clothing and household decor. You can also find her work at Retrock, but this shop on Nyár utca offers a much wider range of her fashion collection as well as jewelry and clothing by other local designers.

Showcasing a fantastic range of Hungarian artists, this sleek gallery aims to promote them internationally while also welcoming visitors to its HQ. Worth a browse if you want to take the temperature of the modern art scene in the country or pick up a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

A well-chosen selection of contemporary Hungarian artists' work is shown here, in rotating exhibitions, with many pieces for sale.

Not merely a gallery but a gateway into the beautiful, delicate fairy-tale world of the Hungarian artist and etcher Arnold Gross, this attractive space—with furnishings designed by the artist's son—is also a popular café.

You can get a glimpse of the world-famous Herend porcelain that has graced the tables of royal houses for centuries at one of several branches in Budapest. Carefully hold a saucer up to the light and see how nearly transparent the finely worked porcelain is. All the brightly hand-painted animal figurines as well as most patterns can be picked up directly or ordered here. Sadly, prices are competitive with prices abroad. The multilingual staff is at the ready with calculators, though, for easy currency conversion.

Master wood craftsman László Holló has resurrected traditional motifs and styles of earlier centuries to create the beautiful handicrafts on sale in this shop. You'll find lovely hope chests, chairs, jewelry boxes, candlesticks, Easter eggs, and more—all hand-carved and hand-painted with cheery folk motifs (most commonly birds and flowers in reds, blues, and greens).

For a look back into the world before video games and action figures, stop in at this tiny store, where fabulous reproductions of antique European toys are sold. From simple paper puzzles to lovely stone building blocks to 1940s wind-up metal monkeys on bicycles, these "nostalgia toys" are beautifully simple and exceptionally clever. Even if you're not a collector, it's worth a stop just to browse.

Massolit Budapest Bookstore and Café is an excellent place to find rare English translations of books by Hungarian and other Central Eastern European writers. A popular meeting place with expats, it serves good coffee as well as delicious homemade cakes and cookies, and regularly hosts book launches, poetry readings, and literary events.

If antique weapons are your thing, then check out this esoteric shop, which specializes in 18th-century weaponry. A curious array of militaria and firearms and torture devices will keep even the casual browser interested.

A trip to Budapest wouldn't be complete without a visit to this spectacular grand food hall, a 19th-century iron-frame construction that was reopened in the mid-1990s after years of renovation. Pictures on the east wall show the history of this market, when it was Budapest's central location for meat and produce coming in from the countryside. Even during the leanest years of Communist shortages, the abundance of food came as a revelation to shoppers from East and West.

Like most markets in Hungary, seasonal products prevail: in summer tomatoes and peaches are abundant; in November celeriac and pumpkin. The stalls on the ground floor sell meat and produce as well as prepared food. This is the place to buy Hungarian delicacies such as piquant salamis, robust paprika, and buttery goose or duck liver pâtés. Upstairs is filled with folk-art vendors, souvenir shops, and a few fast-food kiosks. Handmade tablecloths, painted boxes, and traditional embroidery are the best buys among the handicrafts. For the full experience, go morning or midday in the week, as its only opened until 3 on Saturday and closed on Sunday.

Part designer boutique, part artisan coffee shop, the flagship outlet of this high-end Hungarian fashion brand is well worth a look. Founded by London College of Fashion graduate Sandra Sandor (whose nickname is Nanushka), it has gained a loyal international following for its stylish, feminine, but functional designs. The clothes aren't cheap, but you'll get more bang for your buck than at the big-name luxury brands on nearby Fashion Street. The coffee is fantastic, too.

The city base of this design studio, run by a couple in the town of Szentendre, showcases cool, modern Hungarian and European design and homewares, from lamps to cutlery, bowls to pans.

Printa is a local design house dedicated to offering modern, environmentally conscious fashion with Budapest flair. This store is part design shop, part art gallery, plus a screen-printing studio and café. You'll find one-of-a-kind pieces, some with vintage, repurposed elements; be sure to check out limited edition clothing collections and zero-waste products.

This quirky art and design store is a browser's paradise, with a variety of eye-catching artwork on sale, including original paintings, prints, photos, posters, and postcards. But that's just the start: shoppers can also pick up original clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, homeware, toys, books, and even foodstuffs. The store is located in a passageway between Semmelweis utca and Károly körút (and accessible from both).

This boutique Belváros chocolate shop has a tempting selection of artisan bars and truffles, many with unusual flavor combinations, and the sweet treats are wrapped in lovely, arty packaging.