The 10 Best Markets for Dining & Shopping in London
Looking for the best places to eat and shop on a trip to London? Check out these ten markets, which offer everything from flowers to street food to antiques.
Enjoy the vibe and the tasty snacks at Borough Market.
Borough Market is one of London’s biggest and oldest markets. From Tuesday to Sunday, vendors and suppliers come here from around the country to sell some of the most delicious fruits and vegetables, fish, freshly baked bread, chocolate, charcuterie, jam, olives, and so much more.
Borough Market, boroughmarket.org.uk, open Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm, Tube London Bridge
Find vintage gems at Alfies Antique Market.
This is a true treasure trove for anyone who loves antiques and vintage items. In this enormous, covered labyrinth more than a hundred vendors sell their wares, from teaspoons to sideboards. It’s also a great place to pick up Middle Eastern antiques and art. Tin Tin Collectables is highly recommended for vintage clothing, and model Kate Moss and actress Keira Knightly are regularly spotted here. In the Rooftop Kitchen you can also get a classic English breakfast or lunch.
13-25 Church Street, www.alfiesantiques.com, open Tue-Sat 10am-6pm, Tube Edgware Road/Marylebone
Check out the famous Portobello Road Market.
Since the release of the movie with the same name, Notting Hill has been more popular than ever. Don’t come here for culture; come to enjoy the great atmosphere. The neighborhood is full of charming shops and restaurants, such as on Westbourne Grove. Be sure to also check out the Portobello Road Market. You won’t find any bargains here, but it will be a unique experience.
Every day there are different goods to browse through, and antiques are available only on Saturdays, when the market is at its biggest. The farther down the street you go, the more unique the offerings, so don’t be put off by the somewhat shabby overpass.
Portobello Road, www.thehill.co.uk, market open Mon-Wed & Sat 8am-6:30pm, Thu 8am-1pm, Tube Notting Hill Gate/Ladbroke Grove
Find original designs at the Upmarket.
Upmarket in the old Truman Brewery is the perfect location to buy unique, handmade products directly from the designer or artisan. There are more than 140 stalls where you can buy clothing, art, and delicious baked goods.
Ely’s Yard, www.sundayupmarket.co.uk, open Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm, Tube Aldgate East/Liverpool Street
See the bustling and colorful Columbia Road Flower Market.
Every Sunday Columbia Road blossoms with the Columbia Road Flower Market, which attracts Londoners with green fingers, but what makes it fun are the shops and pubs. Go to Mason & Painter for vintage furniture and accessories. The Red Mud Hut has ceramics and pottery. Angela Flanders sells unique perfume, and Precious and Colenimo have ladies’ wear. And that is just the start!
Columbia Road, www.columbiaroad.info, open market Sun 8am-3pm, Tube Old Street
Mix with London’s hippest at Broadway Market.
Broadway Market is the perfect place to come on a Saturday morning and sit with a cup of coffee while you watch London’s trendsetters pass by. Donlon Books and Artwords sell exclusive photography and art books that are difficult to find anywhere else. Arabica has the best Americano. Once you’ve seen all the original clothing, handmade quilts, and other knickknacks, head to Off Broadway for a cocktail.
Broadway Market, E8, www.broadwaymarket.co.uk, open Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am- 4pm, Tube Bethnal Green, Train London Fields
Smithfield Market is famous for its meats.
For the past eight hundred years, meat has been bought and sold at Smithfield Market. The beautiful Victorian building dates from 1867. If you want to see the market in full swing, you’d better get here early—preferably before 7am.
Charterhouse Street, www.smithfieldmarket.com, open Mon-Fri midnight-7am, Tube Farringdon/Barbican
Sample the street food at Maltby Street Market.
For culinary inspiration and an overall good time, head to Maltby Street Market. This market is made up of two main parts: Ropewalk (the street vendors) and Spa Terminus (the shops underneath the train track). Stroll along the various stalls and shops, taste handmade goodies, and enjoy the general atmosphere.
Maltby Street, www.maltbystreetmarket.co.uk, market open Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm, restaurants Wed-Sun 10am-10pm, Tube London Bridge
Pick up antique items at Old Spitalfields Market.
In recent years Old Spitalfields Market has been modernized, and an increasing number of big chains have moved in, somewhat affecting the market’s unique character. Nonetheless, stores such as Belstaff and restaurants such as Wright Brothers still make this an inviting place to come and shop—especially on Thursdays and Fridays, when there are stalls with antiques and vintage items, and clothes and art, respectively. If you go on Sunday, all the stalls will be open, but it will also be very crowded.
105A Commercial Street, oldspitalfieldsmarket.com, open Mon-Wed & Fri 10am- 6pm, Thu 8am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm, Tube Liverpool Street
Partridges Food Market is crammed with food stalls.
Partridges Food Market is a bustling Saturday market where you can come to sample and buy the best of British and international food. The delicacies on offer include regional cheeses, freshly baked bread, and locally sourced shellfish, as well as Japanese sushi, French crêpes, and Italian olives. There is something here for everyone. Since it opened in 2005, the market has grown considerably, and now there are more than seventy different food stalls.
Duke of York Square, www.partridges.co.uk/foodmarket, open Sat 10am-4pm, Tube Sloane Square
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