Published: 16/08/2020
Whether outdoors or indoors, the relaxed vibes of a street food market make for a great lunch venue with mates or an after-work drink or two to unwind after a stressful day. London's street food scene is ever-growing in popularity, and we're excited to share with you some of our favourite haunts where you can tuck in and watch the world go by.Borough Market
Top of our pops, Borough Market is undeniably the most iconic of all the London food markets. As it’s always packed to the hilt with hordes of tourists, the best way to enjoy it is to embrace the crush! If you can't face the queues, move away from the hot street food traders and wander along with the artisan suppliers and sample some of their “fayre”.
Nearest tube: London Bridge
Borough Market
Broadway Market
This is one of the oldest food routes in London. At the top of the market, The Cat & Mutton dates back to the era of boats called 'cats' on the Thames which were used to transport sheep. You can buy fresh, locally-farmed produce to take home but expect to find a host of street food traders vying for your attention.
Nearest tube: Bethnal Green
Broadway Market
Buck Street Market
This is a brand-new Camden destination that brings together flagship dining concepts, ethical and sustainable retail, and boutique makers and market stalls. It provides the perfect space for emerging designers, artists, and chefs and has the biggest rooftop in Camden with two al-fresco, foliage-adorned bars, and a millennial-pink terrace.
Nearest Tube: Camden Town
Buck Street Market
Camden Market
Home to impressive street food traders serving first-class dishes from around the world: New York-style salt beef sandwiches to Vietnamese noodles. Look out for vintage steals and take your time sifting through boxes in the many independent record stores which line the streets.
It’s come a long way from its days of serving GMO smothered chicken feet!
Nearest tube: Camden Town
Camden Market
Canopy Market
Take home gourmet groceries to cook. Canopy Market, King's Cross, has long been attracting Londoners from all over the city wishing to buy locally-sourced farm produce as well as artisan condiments and some of the city's finest grab-and-go sugary treats. Besides fresh food, lookout for a selection of stalls selling arts and crafts, jewellery, ceramics, and homeware.
This Friday to Sunday market has recently moved around the corner and down the hill to Coal DropYard.
Nearest tube: King's Cross
Canopy Market
Deptford Market Yard
Hidden around the back of Deptford's vibrant high street, this is a relatively new and glossy complex which is home to Deptford Bites once a week. There are some seriously exciting street food traders who cook up a storm on Saturdays. It is a forward-looking market that is an adventurous foodie's dream.
Nearest station: Deptford overground
Deptford Market Yard
Flat Iron Square
Located under the railway arches close to Borough St Market, this little gem is most buzzy on a Friday evening - there's also a lovely flea market at the weekend, and gorgeous pastries are served in the morning.
Nearest tube: London Bridge
Flat Iron Square
Maltby Street Market
This is undoubtedly the best place to while away a lazy weekend morning. Situated along Ropewalk, Maltby Street Market is in a little bubble, a backwater, and oasis of gastronomic delights. Surrounded by silent grey streets and the odd railway arch turned antique shop, what's not to like?
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We recommend you go before everyone cottons on to what is arguably London's best-kept secret - the home to one of the most up and coming foodie scenes.
Nearest tube: London Bridge
Maltby Street Market
Market Hall Victoria
Market Hall is a converted terminus where the abandoned bays have been reinvented into the ultimate paradise for foodies. It is one of the largest food halls in the UK containing eleven kitchens, three bars, a coffee shop, over three floors.
Nearest tube: Victoria
Market Hall Victoria
Mercato Metropolitano
This Italian-themed venue is the perfect spot for after-work drinks and a casual bite to eat. Although the food isn't exclusively Italian, the best things are undoubtedly the wood-fired sourdough pizzas and the gorgeous gelato. There are regular exhibitions and music events, and if that's not enough, Backyard Cinema has set up camp on-site, so there's no need to leave!
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle
Mercato Metropolitano
Pop Brixton
This shipping container village is an inexpensive eating destination developed in reaction to storefronts being dominated by high street brands. Designed to show off the best of south London's start-ups, you'll find food, drink, retail options, as well as community workspaces and an events area. There's also a large greenhouse space for communal dining and alongside all this, there's a changing schedule of music and entertainment.
Nearest tube: Brixton
Pop Brixton
Street Feast - Dinerama
This market is great for balmy summer evenings. An impressive space, it's a fun place for dinner and drinks before a night out in Shoreditch or Old Street. Less artisan, more fun, music, food, and bars serve an eclectic range of drinks and food.
Where: Shoreditch High Street (Overground) / Old Street underground
Street Feast
Vinegar Yard
This buzzy outdoor venue is an urban garden open seven days a week, with food stalls, vintage clothing and antique traders, and a bar pulling local beers. There's even an installation by artist-in-residence Joe Rush, famous for his scrap-metal sculptures at Glastonbury.
Sit at one of the sprawling outdoor tables, drink craft beer, feast on an eclectic line-up of street food stalls, and enjoy views of the Shard.
Nearest Tube: London Bridge
Vinegar Yard
Whitecross Street Market
This has long been the preserve of hungry city workers at the end of an exhausting week. Occupying the long road between the Barbican and Old Street, this is an old-school food truck and market stall set-up, rather than the more contrived modern market spaces popping up elsewhere.
Nearest tube: Barbican
Whitecross Street Market
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