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[title]Jenő Rácz's name, adventurous reputation and his own Michelin-starred restaurant are a guarantee of outstanding quality.
M'EAT by Jenő Rácz – one of 11 restaurants at Time Out Market Budapest – has started 2026 with renewed vigour, a refreshed concept and new dishes dovetailing with a continued focus on high-quality meat products. This is set in the lively yet relaxed atmosphere of an Iberian tapas bar. The focus is on grilled and antipasti dishes created from fine Hungarian ingredients, which can then be enjoyed in shared company. Just like in a tapas bar, in fact – easy, relaxed and communal.
The renewed menu continues to focus on selected meat products, artisanal hams and salamis, freshly sliced in situ. This has now been expanded with new, hot dishes: an excellent value-for-money steak and a signature creation in Jenő Rácz style. The renowned chef talks about these innovations, the differences between fine dining and street food, and his love of cooking and eating.
It’s been an exciting career path from starting out to achieving a Michelin star for M’EAT. Looking back, where did your love for cooking begin?
I was in seventh grade at school when we had a home economics class every two weeks, which I always looked forward because it was so interesting. That’s when I started to think that cooking was great, and I was fascinated by how other dishes could or should be prepared. I wanted to know more and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.
Why did you decide to set up at Time Out Market in Budapest?
I’ve been to Time Out Markets in other cities around the world and I saw their huge potential and the imagination that has gone into them. I knew that it would work perfectly in Budapest and I also felt that it was just what Hungary needed. So when the opportunity arose, it was almost a no-brainer for me to become involved.
How did the concept for M’EAT come about?
When we were in Lisbon, one of our favourite places was where they delicately slice Iberian hams. In fact, that was the best moment of the evening, when eight or ten of us would enjoy slices of ham together over a bottle of wine. I thought, why not have something like that here in Budapest, since we also have excellent hams and meat products. That's how the concept of M'EAT was born in my head.
Which dish is your biggest seller?
Roast duck liver. This was almost the only dish we used to cook, but it is still our favourite and most popular. That is why we decided to expand the selection, and from the beginning of the year, the M’EAT menu was completely renewed. We started offering more hot dishes, because our guests really love them.
Time Out Market Budapest is completely different to your own restaurant, Rumour. What do you find exciting in the world of fine dining and street food?
Actually, the ingredients and recipes are the same. When it comes to fine dining, of course I cut everything to the perfect size and serve it flawlessly. And the beauty of street food is that the dishes don’t necessarily have to look perfect if they are just as delicious and of the same quality. They may not be perfectly cut, and somewhat rustic, but the taste experience is the same. The common denominator between fine dining and street food is that the food should be delicious, made from the same ingredients and of the same quality. But, for example, we have the same suppliers at Rumour and M’EAT at Time Out. The serving may be different, but always the primary consideration is that the food should be delicious.
Did you have to make compromises when putting together the menu?
Of course, every restaurant is a little different. A lot depends on speed and infrastructure, for example. While in a fine-dining restaurant guests can sit and wait, at Time Out Market Budapest, your food arrives in a few minutes. This is exactly what is exciting in this world, how you can create from existing recipes within a new infrastructure without compromising on taste or quality, but still be able to produce it at a faster pace.
Do you have a favourite item on the menu?
Even if it’s not my personal favourite, the big highlight on the new menu showcases one of Rumour’s signature dishes in a version adapted for Time Out Market Budapest. It’s a real crowd-pleaser, a Jenő Rácz-style creation: cauliflower, our only meat-free dish tailored specifically for the Market. We prepare the cauliflower so distinctively that it feels as if if you were eating meat, because it’s really satisfying.
What do you think is M'EAT's greatest strength?
Of course, among the 11 restaurants, everyone does something different. Our strength is that we focus a lot on meat, because it features so often in our dishes. So if that’s what you're after, here's the place to find it.
Which other dish would you recommend?
Enjoying a decent steak for under Ft 10,000 (€25) is pretty unusual in today's world, and our new menu includes Uruguayan sirloin with French fries and Hollandaise sauce. This is really unbeatable in terms of price-value, so I think meat lovers should be very happy with it.
How physically present are you? Can anyone who visits M'EAT expect to see you?
Quality is very important to me, so I often keep a check on things, which means I show my face every now and then. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you’ll find me at M'EAT.
What kind of experience can guests look forward to at M’EAT and what would you like diners to take away with them?
The most important thing is that not only M’EAT, but the entire Time Out Market Budapest is a place where you can pop in at any time and enjoy a good meal. There is no special occasion and you don’t have to prepare anything, you can just drop in for lunch or dinner. Our main goal is that if someone is walking around the city centre, gets hungry or is after a specific dish, Time Out Market Budapest and M’EAT should be the first thing they think of.
What do you think it means for Hungarian gastronomy now that Budapest has a Time Out Market?
Hungary’s gastronomic presence is getting stronger, and we are now on the world’s gastronomic map. And for tourists, today the city can be a culinary destination in its own right.