A visit to London is no doubt synonymous with a visit to Buckingham Palace, London Eye, London Bridge, Tower of London, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and of course the West-End Shows & Musicals. Checkout my earlier post on London Stories for more of that. At the same time, no trip to London is complete without a visit to the local markets and food markets.
Just as whenever I travel and visit a new country or a new place, I always make it a point to explore the Streets of that particular place, so also it is with markets. The streets and markets reflect the local culture and history of any place and provides true insight and character to a place.
So today, we will explore some of the markets in London. There are many markets all over London, and so I will share with you some of the 6 interesting Markets cum Food Markets in London which I have particularly visited. I find the markets of London to be full of character with their vibrant colours, the positive energy, the great street music and the aroma of street food that fills the air.
1. Portobello Road Market:
Portobello Road Market is known to be the world’s largest antiques market with over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antique and collectible. Visitors flock from all over the world to discover one of London’s best loved landmarks which contains the most extensive selection of antiques in Britain.
This market is located in Notting Hill, London and is free for anyone to enter and is open from Monday to Saturday. The best day to visit the market is however on Saturday as all the street stalls are set up. You will have a field day exploring all the arcades and stalls selling anything and everything from Antiques, Collectibles, Bric-a-Brac, Vintage Fashions and Accessories, Second- Hand clothes, books, shoes and last but not the least – the food market selling everything from fruits, vegetables, delectable food, with cuisines from all over the world.
So the next time you are in London, don’t forget to check out this very interesting Portobello Road Market .
2. Camden Market:
Another famous market not to be missed when in London is the Camden Market.
The Camden Lock Market is quite a characteristic place to explore! And no, its not called Lock Market, because it sells locks! Camden Lock doesn’t actually exist – the waterways flanking the market are three dual locks built in the early 1800s as part of the Regent’s Canal.
Camden Market has stalls selling anything and everything from antiques, bric-a-brac, clothes, shoes, accessories, imitation jewelry, hand-made purses, gift-items, books – new & old, music instruments, CDs, DVDs and food stalls selling cuisines from all over the world.
3. Borough Market:
Borough Market is London’s oldest market, dating back to the thirteenth century, when the farmers from the South and South East of England used to come to sell their products.
It is a wholesale and retail food market in Southwark, London, England. It is indeed a great place to hang-out after work, grab a drink and chill out with friends.
It’s a great place for foodies. There are more than a 100 stalls selling everything from cheese, olives, pasta, burgers, bread, jams, with food from different parts of the world. The list is endless! Borough Market is a Gourmet’s delight! It’s a place with great vibes, positive energy, where the young and old come together to have a great time.
The present market, located on Southwark Street and Borough High Street on the Southern end of London Bridge, is a successor to one that originally adjoined the end of London Bridge. Borough Market is open to the public Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 hrs and on Saturday from 8:00 to 17:00 hrs.
4. Mercato Metropolitano Food Market:
Mercato Metropolitano is the new age first sustainable food hub community market in London with an Italian soul! This food hub is “The place” to be for food lovers. You have the option of either sitting and eating in the indoor or the outdoor area. Located at 42 Newington Causeway, London, it’s neatly tucked away in Elephant & Castle.
Mercato Metropolitano is well worth exploring, particularly if you live or work nearby and are looking for some new lunch options.
This place has got great vibes, great music, awesome food, great drinks, and great desserts and if you have great company to jam with, there is nothing better you could have asked for in life! Life is great!
I would have never stumbled upon this place, had it not been for our wonderful Airbnb host – Josh, who recommended Mercato Metropolitano to us. Josh also recommended another great place: Flat Iron Square among several other great eating places. Thank you Josh!
5. Flat Iron Square:
Flat Iron Square is the new foodie hub located in Union Street, beneath the low-line railway arches of Bankside of Southwark, London. It’s an all-day dining hotspot and a great place to hang-out after work and just chill out with friends.
TimeOut has quoted Flat Iron Square as being A one-stop shop for all your culinary and cultural needs.
Flat Iron Square has also a Flea Market running every Saturday (11 am – 6 pm) and Sunday (10am – 5pm). Apart from the stalls having different stuff to offer every week, they also have live music playing, to liven your shopping experience!
6. Covent Garden Market:
There are two different markets in Covent Garden: the Apple Market and the Jubilee Market.
Apple Market is located at the very heart of the Covent Garden piazza building.
Obviously no longer an Apple Market, the Apple Market is now a artisan crafts market in the centre of Covent Garden Market’s covered area. You will find some great London souvenirs, unique crafted fashion, jewellery, artworks, beauty products, collectables and great gifts.
This is Covent Garden’s largest market and it takes place every day of the week. If tired of shopping, there are some great eating places within its walls.
The Jubilee Market takes place in Jubilee Hall at the South side of the Covent Garden piazza. It is a smaller market than the Apple Market but it is still open seven days a week.
London caters to a wide range of markets spanning farmer’s markets, street markets, flea markets, vintage markets, food markets and crafts markets. I have listed only 6 interesting markets to visit in London, whereas there are many more markets to visit such as Brick Lane Market, Alfie’s Antique Market, Old Spitalfields Market, Greenwich Market, Broadway Market, Southbank Centre Market, Maltby Street Market, Columbia Road Flower Market and Brixton Market to name a few…
Go on, let your imagination run wild, visit all of these iconic markets in London and let the sights and smells of the market tease your taste-buds and tantalize your senses!
Until then, keep traveling and keep sharing your travel stories here.
Your TravelMate
