Markthalle Basel: food court under the 1929 dome
Under a concrete dome spanning about 60 metres, opened in 1929 as a wholesale market, Basel now eats at stalls from around the world. Cheap, quick and open late.
Photo: Aaron Nesci, via Google Maps
Our verdict
The Markthalle is the best cheap place to eat near the station. Under the great dome, stalls from around the world cook; you collect your food and sit at the long tables.
A building with history
The hall opened on 15 October 1929 as a wholesale market, under an octagonal reinforced-concrete dome spanning about 60 metres. Market trading ended in 2004.
Exactly 84 years after its first opening, on 15 October 2013, it reopened as a market hall with food stalls.
On the plate
What is on offer changes with the stalls: Thai food, Argentinian empanadas and steaks, street food from many countries. With the Bierrevier, the hall also has one of the best beer bars in the city.
Our advice
Come when you want to eat before or after a train, as Basel SBB station is five minutes away. On Fridays and Saturdays the hall is open until 2am, though individual stalls close earlier.
Read next: Eating in Basel: specialities, prices and where locals eat and Basel Läckerli: history, recipe and the best addresses in Basel.
Sources: the establishment's website, Basel Tourismus, Google Maps (address, reviews, October 2026), timetables from transport.opendata.ch, walking times calculated on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
How much does food cost at the Markthalle in Basel?
How late is the Markthalle in Basel open?
Samuel Tschudin
Samuel spent eight years guiding groups through the Old Town, from Münsterplatz to the Rhine promenade. He builds his routes on foot, watch in hand, and cuts whatever does not fit into a real day. He would rather write that a visit is not worth the ticket than pad out a list.
