There is no better Christmas market in Europe for foodies than in this city in aptly named Hungary. Budapest has been named the continent’s most authentic food destination in a study by Saga Holidays.
While the UK has some good spots for Christmas markets with bratwursts, sweet treats and mulled wine, for real food enthusiasts, Budapest is the place to go. The city hosts the Advent Basilica Christmas Fair, which starts tomorrow, on November 14 and runs all the way until January 1, 2026.
There are more than 100 stalls at the market as well as an ice rink set in St Istvan Square. Just around the corner is the city’s oldest and most famous Christmas market too in Vörösmarty Square. There really is no shortage of places to try authentic cuisine.
The study by Saga Holidays analysed 5,000 restaurants across 125 European cities using Google review data to track where diners praised food as ‘authentic’ to rank the top European food destinations, along with a sentiment score out of 100.
Budapest scored an impressive 98/100 in the study. Many of the top ten destinations host Christmas Markets, including Budapest which is the perfect place to try traditional Hungarian dishes like goulash and lángos. It is dishes like these that helped the city earn its stellar score.
A hearty goulash, a warm beef stew, is a great way to warm your insides during the winter cold. Lángos is another interesting Hungarian staple – a deep fried flat bread topped with sour cream and cheese. Great comfort food.
Getting to Budapest is affordable too, with flights from Manchester Airport starting at £29 one way. Flights from London Luton are as cheap as £28 with Hungarian carrier Wizz Airlines. This is the price without added baggage or seat allowance.
Two cities in Greece, Piraeus and Athens, ranked in second and third place. Although neither are known for their Christmas festivities, Piraeus is known for its fresh seafood as Greece’s largest harbour, while Athens is a popular spot for gyros and souvlaki.
Rounding off the top five were Vienna and Krakow, cities both famous for their Christmas Markets, where you can sample traditional dishes like Polish pierogi and Austrian Kasespatzle.