Okay, world. Here’s my personal declaration: London is now a foodie town. In my humble opinion, you can find more creative and diverse food in London than you can in Paris or Chicago.
Yep. I wrote it.
Don’t believe me? Read on to learn all about London’s best food markets I discovered during my three weeks in the Smoke.
I ventured to all of these markets under the shrewd guidance of my friend and fellow travel blogger Amanda. Amanda knows all about where to find the best eats in London; she’s even writing her dissertation on London’s up-and-coming craft beer scene!
Table of Contents
Netil Market
Netil Market is a tiny market located nearby larger and more frenetic Broadway Market. Its aesthetics are delightfully hipster-friendly with clapboard stalls, green pinstripe awnings and picnic benches. And despite its small size, Netil Market has lots of great eats.
What I loved: Um, this bao from Bao London. The only dish on the menu, this classic gua bao is filled with slow-braised pork belly, pickles and cilantro, and dusted with peanut powder.
It took everything in my power not to order a second one.
Also, the market offers lots of childhood classics like cupcakes and grilled cheese (which kind of goes with the hipster theme, no?). And I always thought grilled cheese was an American thing!
Where to find it: Every Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 23 Westgate Street, E8 3RL
Broadway Market
Craving London’s best ethnic food? Get ready to queue up at Broadway Market, the sprawling market located only a stone’s throw from London Fields.
The market offers up quintessentially British eats like Scotch egg and stilton cheese, as well as a kaleidoscope of ethnic cuisines, from Italian to Indian.
What I loved: At Hanoi Kitchen, I had some of the best Vietnamese I’ve had outside of Saigon; I was in heaven over my barbecued pork and my beloved Vietnamese coffee. I even went back for a second coffee… whoops.
Amanda seemed to enjoy her first taste of Ghanian food quite a bit too!
We finished off the meal with a bit of caramel New York cheesecake in London Fields. While it didn’t quite compare to the cheesecake I’ve had stateside, it was still a nice taste of home.
Where to find it: Every Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Broadway Market, E8 4PH
Brixton Village
Brixton Village is a covered arcade market boasting the kind of fresh-off-the-boat fare that foodies dream of, from jerk chicken to traditional Japanese. It’s located in Brixton, a rougher immigrant neighborhood that’s a bit out of the way; but this food is worth the hike, I promise.
What I loved: We beelined to Okan, a tiny Japanese eatery for my first taste of okonomiyaki. Um, yeah, how have I never had this AMAZING dish before?
Okonomiyaki is a savory pork and scallion pancake topped with fish flakes and spicy mayonnaise. Drool. And because it’s always beer o’clock in Ashley and Amanda world, we cracked open some icy Japanese brews to accompany.
As we wandered around the market after lunch I cursed my stomach for not having more room; everything looked so good! I did find space for some frozen Greek yogurt that I tried in Greece a few years ago. It was as delicious as I remembered!
Brixton Market also seemed like a great place to buy inexpensive groceries; I saw tons of fishmongers and vegetable stalls in the area.
Where to find it: Brixton Village is open 8 a.m. – 11.30 p.m. every day except Monday, when it shuts at 6 p.m. The directions are complicated so check the website below.
Website: brixtonmarket.net/brixton-village/
Borough Market
Borough Market is a food market located in Central London, right on the Thames. Although a bit pricey, it’s the perfect spot to stop while sightseeing. The baked good selection is particularly tempting!
And as I so eloquently wrote last year, spit roast pork sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies and sangria all in one sitting? Yes please.
What I loved: While in town I stopped by Borough Market on at least four occasions. But the best thing I discovered this year was La tua pasta, a pasta stall that sells some of the tastiest black truffle tortellini in existence. My mouth is literally watering just writing about it.
Where to find it: Borough Market is open for lunch Monday and Tuesday (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and offers a full market Wednesday and Thursday (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.), Friday (10 a.m. – 6 p.m) and Saturday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.). It’s located at 8 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TL, right outside the London Bridge tube station.
Here is a map I made to help you find all the markets!
View London Food Markets in a larger map
What’s your favorite London food market? And if you’ve never been, which one entices you most?
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I love Borough Market but I have never been to Broadway and I have to say, definitely have to go now! The foodie scene has spread up north too and in Newcastle, there’s a great street food event every first weekend of the month Long may it continue!
I am going to have to bookmark this page! We are heading to London this Fall, and we love us some great food! Do you have any recommendations on great vegetarian or vegan food in the city? Thanks for sharing your experience.
Try this Greg: http://www.naturallysassy.co.uk/city-guides/london
Great! Thank you! I just told my wife Holly about it, and she is totally down.
Hey Greg! I’m not entirely sure about vegetarian/vegan but ask Julika from Sateless Suitcase- I know she found some great vegetarian eats when she was in London!
Thanks Ashley! I will do that.
Love food posts! I love borough market especially after being in Asia so long- it’s great to have such a variety of western style food all in one place! We went back a couple times during lunch to meet ben’s brother. I’ll have to give the others a try next time. I have been seeing these scotch eggs pop up on tv & magazines, etc lately and hadn’t heard of them at all before 3 months ago- now I see them everywhere!! weird. I want one!
As a pretend Londoner – I live a 20 min train journey away from the big smoke – I can recommend Greenwich and Brockley markets if you venture south of the river. Make sure you hunt down Motherlfipper at Brokley for an amazing burger! Greenwich is a great place to grab some delicious food and go and sit in the park if it’s a nice day. Trek up to the Observatory if you dare! Netil Market is on my list of places to go.
Sophie
x
So glad you included Broadway and Netil, and not just Borough Market (which is now such a tourist-magnet and in every guide book, to the point where it no longer feels as real as it did ten years ago when I was flat-hunting there). They are where the genuinely great food is to be found, made by people with a passion for it, not just mass-produced for profit, which I’m afraid seems to be the case more and more with Borough market sadly. Not to mention the fact that there are some great pubs there, and also parks and the canalside for you to sit and enjoy your purchases! Perfect picnic fayre can always be found!
Yessssss! I completely agree that London is a serious culinary force to be contended with AND if I’m 100% honest, it was our favorite food destination during our time in Europe, beating out Paris, Italy, Spain and Portugal! We only made it to Borough and Brixton markets during our week, but I still dream about food we had at both. In particular, the roast pork sandwich with apple and crackling that we got from Roast seriously haunts my dream. I would eat it every day if I could (oh that I could!).
I remember how I came to London expecting to eat the famously bad, greasy British food, but honestly — London does totally not deserve this reputation! The vegetarian food, the ethnic food, the breakfasts, cakes, and coffees there were among the best I had in Europe so far! So, yes, I totally agree that London should be known as Europe’s new foodie capital!
Borough market is the best! I lived in London for a while after college doing an internship and was so frustrated I didn’t have any place to cook or prepare food after going to these food markets!
THAT BAO. Best thing in London. Hands down.
This post makes me want to cry a little because these markets are the thing I’ll miss most about London. I’ve chosen a Borough Market eating and prosecco on tap excursion for my last Saturday here :)
Also, the line “it’s always beer o’clock” had me literally laughing out loud on the train like a crazy person.
Girl I can’t wait to take you out in Ferndale- there are SO many cool places! I suggest we do a little “bar-crawl” around Detroit. Ah, can’t wait until you’re here!
That pasta- OMG. Netil Market sounds lovely!
Fabulous food doings!!! London has indeed come a long way! And actually, the Ghanian food looked so interesting and terrific!!! Can you share more detail about what that was? Thanks tons. Cheers! – Leah
Hey Leah! I believe it was Afro Carib Takeaway, 68 Broadway Market, SW17 0RJ (020 8767 9602). Hope that helps and enjoy! :)
Just last week I went to a food festival, and one of the stands had Scotch Eggs. The BF convinced me to try it, and it was SO good. I would totally go to London, just for the food.
I thought the food in London was amazing too! I didn’t get to some of the markets, but they look so good! Also, please teach me how to take photos the way that you do, they are stunning.
Can… Can I… Can I just have one of EVERYTHING!!? These all look sooooo good. Glad you finally got to try okonomiyaki – was one of my faves in Japan.
Oh my goodness, this post makes me want to hop on the Eurostar right now, just for lunch! I went to Broadway market in June and loved it, but had no idea about Netil Market. Will definitely have to put that on the list for next time! And despite being crowded and touristy, I still love Borough Market. I recommend the Greedy Goat ice cream – made with goat’s milk and so good!
I’m from London and I only knew one of these markets. Wow, I better get to checking some of them out! And grilled cheese is not one of my childhood foods, so I suspect it is indeed an American thing and has recently been imported to the UK.
Can’t believe that out of all of these, I’ve only been to Borough Market. I’ll know where to go on my next trip to London!
I love all the food pics! This is exactly what I’d do with my time in London too, just wander through markets and eat everything. Great post.
Ummmm all of these markets look AMAZING. Can I teleport myself to one right now? Because your gorgeous photos are making me ridiculously hungry! I want that bao in my belly right now please.
Wow, I only knew the Borough Market before! Thanks for the tips, I will visit the other ones next time:)
I never thought of London is being such a foodie city, but clearly I was mistaken. I seriously love any city that has a diverse selection of food! With all of these London posts I’m getting the feeling that I need to get there ASAP.
I spent a ridiculous amount of time at Borough Market the last time I was in London, so much so that I didn’t have a chance to visit Broadway Market, which I’d also planned on. Definitely a reason to go back though!
My friends recently moved to London and have been talking up the Borough Market, but you honestly could have sold me on any of them. I love how they all have their own style and hope to visit a couple of them when I visit my friends!
Those photos are amazing and so is London! I used to live there after university, and had the craziest time!
I’ve been to all the markets above except for the Netil Market. My fave markets in Londons are Camden Market, Neal’s Yard and one of the oldest fruit and veg wholesale markets still in action, of course, Southwark Market.
Thanks for sharing this post about our lovely British food!
So delectable! That seems to be irresistible!
Broadway Market looks incredible! That Vietnamese coffee…mm
BLACK TRUFFLE TORTELLINI. The food gods have spoken.
I agree with you. London is not just for travelling but also meant for exploring. It is the capital of England. Brick lane, Columbia Road Flowers Market, Old Spitalfields market are some others markets in London.
I love the markets in London- especially Broadway Market :)