The Secret Nightlife of Budapest’s Great Market Hall

Last Friday afternoon I kicked off a bit early to do a bit of shopping over at the Nagyvásárcsarnok, the splendorous former customs house that now serves as Budapest’s main market hall. On the front door was posted the above sign goofily (at least in English) informing people that the market was still open for business, despite the fact that the front section of the ground floor looked abandoned. While I didn’t ask around to find out what caused the partial closure, the bottom picture may offer one explanation: If you want, you can rent out the place for dinner.

I got the shot of the party some time back from our friends at the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest, whose have been the caterer for many an event at the Csarnok over the years. From what they said, it’s a fantastic location for a big party. I’m inclined to agree, though you’d definitely want to make sure you don’t spend all night drinking and pigging out, or you might end up waking up the next morning feeling especially gutted.