The city’s winter food calendar gets a serious upgrade as the Mangalica Festival lands at Time Out Market Budapest from January 26 to February 1, 2026, at 1 Blaha Lujza Square (Blaha Lujza tér 1). For one week, the market turns into a celebration of Hungary’s prized Mangalica pork—curly-haired, intensely marbled, and beloved by chefs. Expect special dishes: 11 plates, 11 new flavors, all under one roof. It’s the kind of deep-dive tasting sprint that makes Budapest’s food scene hum in late January, right before February’s festival fever kicks in.
Dates, place, vibe
Mark the week: January 26–February 1, 2026. The venue is Time Out Market Budapest, steps from Blaha Lujza Square (Blaha Lujza tér)—central, lively, easy to reach. The concept is simple and irresistible: a curated lineup of Mangalica-based dishes, each delivering a different flavor profile. Think charcuterie and sausages, roasts, slow-braised cuts, and creative spins that lean modern without ditching Hungarian roots. This is the festival’s promise: 11 distinct plates for 11 fresh flavors, designed for grazing, sharing, and going back for seconds.
What to eat and drink
Mangalica isn’t just another pork—it’s the pork. Highly marbled, rich, and silky when treated right. Expect chefs to showcase the whole animal: cured ham, smoky kolbász, crispy cracklings, confit shoulder, ribs lacquered to a shiny, sticky finish, and possibly a few surprises where Mangalica collides with global flavors. If previous editions are any hint, expect thoughtful plating and generous portions. Pair it with Hungarian wines—dry Furmint, Kékfrankos, Kadarka—or lean into comfort with craft beer. Many stalls will rotate specials throughout the week, so going midweek and again on the weekend isn’t overkill—it’s strategy.
Plan your visit
Time Out Market is built for sampling: communal tables, fast service, plenty of choice. Go early if you want calmer crowds; evenings will buzz. It’s centrally located and a short hop from the Blaha Lujza Square (Blaha Lujza tér) metro stop. If you’re making a mini-staycation out of it, you’re spoiled for choice nearby, from classic hotels to boutique spots and easygoing guesthouses.
Where to stay nearby
– Prater Residence: A newly built six-story building with an elevator and private garage. It has 12 one-bedroom-plus-living-room and 12 two-bedroom-plus-living-room apartments, most with balconies. All come with spacious living and dining rooms—ideal if you want more space while exploring the city.
– Atlantic Hotel Budapest: In the heart of the city near the action yet tucked into a calm, friendly environment. Budapest’s top sights, business, and nightlife districts are minutes away.
– Atrium Fashion Hotel: Right by Blaha Lujza Square (Blaha Lujza tér). Modern design, unique interiors—an easy base for festival-hopping and evening strolls.
– Eurostars Palazzo Zichy: In the Palace District (Palotanegyed), set in a 19th-century Neo-Baroque palace built by Count Nándor Zichy. The façade and interiors keep the historic elegance, crowned by a stunning glass dome in the hall. Nearby: the Hungarian National Museum, the Dohány Street Great Synagogue, the Great Market Hall, and the Holocaust Memorial Center. Semmelweis University’s Faculty of Health Sciences is also close.
– Hotel Bristol Budapest: In the business district, with 49 modern rooms and a distinctive Bristol Garden that works well for meetings if you’re mixing work and play.
– Hotel City Inn: On Corvin Promenade (Corvin Sétány), offering modern rooms, conference spaces, and a wellness section. Steps from a pedestrian street lined with shops, restaurants, and the Life1 Wellness Center.
– Private hotel between the airport and center: In the quiet, green Civil Servants’ Housing Estate (Tisztviselőtelep) neighborhood. Comfortable, well-equipped rooms at three-star prices, with options for short breaks or longer stays.
– Europa Centerpoint Guesthouse: Near the Blaha Lujza Square (Blaha Lujza tér) metro stop, with air-conditioned rooms, showers, fast internet, and a friendly atmosphere.
Eat, sip, and linger around the neighborhood
– Paradise Shisha Bar: Hookah and cocktails from 3 pm to midnight daily. Easygoing, bookable for birthdays, name days, hens’ and stags’ parties, team-building—basically any party that needs low lights and good vibes.
– Palace Café at Novotel Budapest Centrum: Business lunch or date-night dinner in a design-forward space. Hungarian and international dishes, seasonal specials, a strong Hungarian wine list, live piano.
– Pesti Chutney: Indian flavors with a Hungarian twist. Authentic classics, cooking demos, chef-level techniques, and hands-on lessons with real-deal recipes.
– Bamba: Burgers built on fresh, local ingredients, premium Hungarian Hortobágy Angus patties, whole-grain buns, and house-made dips. Monthly specials keep it interesting.
– Chill-Time Dessert Cukrászműhely: In the 8th district at Nap and Futó streets, baking custom cakes and sweets to order. Weekly open days, with one-off creations available any day by request.
– Plus: A 500-square-meter hangout with moody lights, music, a grill kitchen, couches, pub games, and varied gigs—Budapest’s only “entertainment mulberry tree,” as locals like to joke. And a Palace District (Palotanegyed) boutique café tailor-made for breakfasts and special treats.
Festival season keeps rolling
If the Mangalica feast lights a fire, February delivers more: festival roundups and citywide program guides run from January through December, with a dedicated calendar of 2026 Budapest festivals. Track what’s next, plan ahead, and keep that appetite primed—winter is for eating well here.
Good to know
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs. If you’re booking tables, do it early. If you’re booking rooms, even earlier. And if you’re chasing all 11 Mangalica flavors in one go—bring friends.
