Although famously historic, London’s markets are far from old-fashioned. Here you’ll find some of the city’s best street food, from mouthwatering bao to vegan burgers, where both local flavours and international cuisine are on the menu. Pick up fresh produce, bag a vintage bargain or even treat yourself to a bouquet of fresh flowers.
These shopping spots have been a century in the making – see for yourself how they merge old and new, and celebrate their diversity.
Whether you’re into vintage clobber or antique items, bespoke Converse or a British-made Goan curry, you’ll find everything you never knew you needed – and some more. Check out the best foods or try something completely new at one of London’s many markets. Make a day of it, make a night of it, or even make a weekend of it. All you need is some money – and a big appetite.
Camden Market rocks London’s alternative scene. You can’t mistake its punk vibe, a throwback to the 1970s when Camden was the birthplace of this musical revolution. Today you’ll find anything goes – no one cares. Grab a bite at one of the lively eateries by the canal or check out its street-food stalls. Pick up a pair of vintage slacks or some battered Dr. Martens and swing by the iconic Dingwalls Dance Hall.
Dubbed the original East London market, Old Spitalfields Market sits beneath a characteristic Victorian market hall drenched in history. Its arresting location is home to more than 50 shops and stalls, including independent retailers, local producers and some well-known brands. It also offers lots of good street food and global dishes. For antique treasure hunters there’s a Thursday Antiques Market.
Meet London’s first sustainable community market, Elephant and Castle’s Mercato Metropolitano, and get a wholesome helping of good, clean, naturally and ethically produced food, sourced as locally as possible. Expect a lively social vibe, where you can pick up anything from artisan groceries to homemade fresh pasta, craft beer to bao buns, all located within a former paper factory. Or check its second site, Mercato Mayfair, in the beautifully restored Grade I-listed St Mark’s Church, complete with wine cellar.
Covent Garden has luxury shopping boutiques housed under the iconic Piazza, but from Tuesday to Sunday you can shop for everything from hand-crafted jewellery to handmade T-shirts at the Apple Market. Monday’s Jubilee Market is an antique collector’s haven with vintage tins and one-off pieces, and you can also explore handmade soap and handbags of the East Colonnade Market any day of the week.
The East End’s Brick Lane is a melting place of curry houses, cafes and vintage shops, with places to read, drink and dance tucked along its side streets. You’ll also find a collection of no fewer than five markets known as the Truman Markets, held in the former Truman Brewery. Although Brick Lane Vintage Market is open daily, every weekend you can catch arts and crafts at the Backyard Market, antiques at The Tea Rooms and independent fashion from Rinse. Upmarket is the star of the show: explore its eclectic street food hall packed with tasty treats.
Set among the 19th-century railway arches of Ropewalk, south-east London, you’ll find the weekend Maltby Street Market. Seen as a lesser-known alternative to the buzzing Borough Market, it’s no less rewarding with more than 50 artisans serving mouth-watering nosh. Will you go for dumplings from Gyoza Guys, top-notch British meat at The Beefsteaks, French flavours at Crêpes à la Carte, or something else? Whatever you’re into, come armed with a curious palate and an empty stomach.
Every Sunday, East London’s Columbia Road comes alive with big, bountiful blooms, from the exotic to the local, thanks to the Columbia Road Flower Market. Immerse your senses in colour and scent, and even if you leave empty-handed you’ll never be disappointed you came. Spilling into side streets, you’ll find lots of local businesses from delis to vintage shops, antiques to local boozers: it’s a perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Arguably the world’s largest antique market, Notting Hill’s Portobello Road Market is a London institution. Visit on a weekend to get the best of it all, from Friday’s offering of vintage stalls, antiques and bric-a-brac to Saturday’s full-swing market of more than 1,500 stalls. Enjoy the hunt and the haggling.
In the shadows of the iconic London Bridge, the world-renowned Borough Market is steeped in history. With more than 1,000 years to its name, this is today’s go-to place for foodies. Discover its meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, or explore the mouth-watering Borough Market Kitchen. Delve into its massive array of street food stalls, where you’ll be hard pushed to find something that’s been left out of the menu. Grab a vegetarian thali from Gujarati Rasoi or a slow-cooked Hobbs Roast pork sandwich and enjoy the buzz of this bustling ancient market.
Hang out with the cool kids at Hackney’s Saturday Broadway Market. Arguably the ‘hippest’ market in town, it welcomes up to 130 stalls each weekend selling everything from fabulously fresh produce to vintage threads, blooming flowers and artisan coffee. Although there are no stalls on weekdays, visiting Broadway Market is an enjoyable pastime any day of the week to enjoy its chic boutiques, original restaurants and a seriously robust coffee culture.
Just an eight-minute train ride (or a leisurely riverboat ride) south of the river, you’ll find Greenwich Market. Depending on which day you visit, you could be picking up one-off hand-crafted gifts or bespoke bunting at the Arts & Crafts Market, taking home some treasures from its Antiques & Collectables Market or refuelling at the many vibrant food stalls before exploring the historic and pretty Royal Borough of Greenwich.
With almost 100 dealers, Alfies Antique Market is London’s largest indoor antiques market. Located in the fashionable East End, this four-floored bohemian treasure trove has been attracting new and serious collectors, interior designers and celebrities for the past four decades. Hunt for vintage collectables, antiques or art, then kick back with a drink at its roof-top cafe – an oasis for sun-lovers.
