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Markets »
Shoppers are spoilt in London.
All sorts of London markets give your browsing ability a workout!
London's huge antique emporiums, funky street markets and cool designer-maker studios will land you in shopping heaven.
Below we have listed the London's most popular, most sought-after, and best-loved markets. Give your senses a treat and pop along to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of London's markets.
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Bermondsey
Antiques market, famous for once being where thieves could sell their goods with impunity (a royal license meant that stolen goods bought here did not have to be returned, and subsequent legislation - repealed as late as 2000, restricted that to being before sunrise, hence the market's early hours) which has suffered a lot since that privilege was withdrawn and the site developed. Frankly it's over-rated and not worth the trip - don't believe the hype. Lots of small stalls. Come here early in the morning (from 04:00) for the best bargains, bring a torch. Reasonably good for silver (but not as good as the South Molton Street area - by Bond St Tube, or Portobello's off-road markets)..
Friday 04:00 -12:00
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Tube: London Bridge (Northern/Jubilee) Train: London Bridge Bus: Tower Bridge Road |
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Berwick Street
Tiny, cheap, fruit and vegetable market in the heart of Soho. Comsumables need to be eaten on the same day. Haunted by the ghosts of the 1960s. It's difficult to lay a finger on why everyone loves it. Not really worth a special visit, but if you're after vinyl or CD the shops on Berwick Street are the best places to start.
Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00
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Tube: Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly, Bakerloo) Leicester Square (Northern) Bus: Shaftsbury Avenue/Wardour St. |
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Billingsgate Fish Market
If you're an early bird, head down to Billingsgate Fish Market to browse the daily arrivals of fresh seafood from the coast and overseas. It's the largest inland fish market in the UK. Children under 12 are not allowed in the market.
Open: Tues to Sat 5am-8.30am, Sun 6am-8am
Trafalgar Way, E14
Borough Market
One of London's trendiest markets, mainly for its unspoilt Victorian architecture and its location in 'Booming Borough' under the railway as it leaves London Bridge Station. A film location manager's dream, there's rarely a month when a film isn't being shot here it seems (eg. Bridget Jones, Richard III, Lock, Stock and....). Under threat from developers allied to railtrack. Not really worth a special visit (though you're likely to be close to it at some time during your London stay) except on Saturdays when there's a farmer's market - good quality food, to take away and also produce, though a bit on the expensive side. Get there early on Saturday as it gets very crowded. Quite a few good restaurants on the fringes including our favourite Brindisi. Excellent for breakfasts all week (esp The Monmouth Coffee Shop) Getting more expensive and more yuppified by the month though. Good for buying for picnics (eg in Greenwich Park) Excellent Cheese shop (Neal's Yard Dairy) a loaf and a piece of Montgomery Cheddar from here are sublime for eating outdoors. Fruit wholesale 04:00-08:00 Mon - Fri. Farmers' Market 1200-1700 Friday, 1000-1600 Saturday.
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Tube: London Bridge (Northern/Jubilee) Train: London Bridge Bus: London Bridge Station |
Brick Lane Market
If you are looking for a general flea market, Brick Lane is ideal as it has a vast hotchpotch of stalls. Traders here sell everything imaginable: food, furniture, kitchen appliances, DVDs and general bric-a-brac.
Open: Sun 8am-2pm
Tube: Liverpool Station
Brixton Market
Brixton Market is Europe's biggest Afro-Caribbean food market. It sells unusual foods and spices, exotic fruit and vegetables and specialist meats and fish. You will also find local art, bric-a-brac, clothing and lots of reggae music!
Open: Mon to Sat 8am-6pm
Tube: Brixton
Camden Market
Currently recovering from a serious fire, and more damage by developers, Camden Market is one of London's top attractions. Virtually everything is on sale here, clothing, music, antiques (though this sector is shrinking - not a patch on Paris' St Ouen Marche aux Puces) , collectibles, ethnic art, rugs and kelims, food and drink.
However recent tasteless development of the Stables market has put up prices and destroyed the impromptu feel. It does tend to get a bit crowded on Sundays, and has a wide variety of food stalls, pubs and restaurants - and there's much live music and comedy in the evenings. Very mixed quality of goods on offer but there are few real bargains to be found. Recently it's become a haven for emerging fashion designers - the 'latest' club wear (yawn) is to be found here. It has, however peaked, and is sliding towards consumerist tat, but slowly. Weekends from about 09:30 to 17:00.
If you want to make a day of it walk up past Stables market to Chalk Farm tube station and follow the signs for Primrose Hill - a great little park with a view over London, merging into the huge Regent's Park (almost as large as the whole City of London). You can walk down through Regent's Park, past the Mosque to Madame Tussaud's (and vice versa) and beyond to the Wallace Collection Gallery in Manchester Square and finish up with an early meal in St Christopher's Place, just north of Oxford Street. You can also walk along the canal into Regent's park and along as far as Little Venice if the fancy takes you, which on a Saturday connects into Portobello Road Market.
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Tube: Camden or Chalk Farm (Northern Line) Bus: Camden Town |
Columbia Road Flower Market
Somewhat off the beaten track this is one of the best ways to start a Sunday - there are several places to have brunch. Well signposted from Shoreditch tube station which opens specially on Sundays for the Market (special buses run from London Bridge also), and from the top of Shoreditch High Street by Liverpool St Station. Flowers and plants. Hardly the stuff to take back home but it's a great place to potter. Then on down Brick Lane to Spitalfields Market for a late lunch. Really great way of spending Sunday. Sunday: 09:00 -12:00.
For hardcore enthusiasts a SUNDAY circuit of: Liverpool St station - train to London Fields, walk back south to Broadway Market (good french delicatessan/cafe, good brunchy pubs and restaurants). Then continue south through Hackney City Farm (restaurant there won best family restaurant of the year 2005..) to Colombia road, along Colombia road then South to Brick Lane, Hugenot district, Spitalfields market and back to Liverpool Street station - see an AtoZ map or go HERE for mapping it out - you may need to expand the map both south and north to get the whole route.
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Tube: Old Street (Northern Line) Shoreditch (East London) Bus: Shoreditch Church |
Covent Garden
Touristy place to hang out. You don't go for the market (overpriced tat) but for the atmosphere and the buskers. The old fruit 'n' veg market that appeared in old Hitchcock films has been converted to a piazza. If you're a Hitch fan you'll want to go and see his house/museum in Leytonstone, and the new murals at the tube station there - our favourite piece of public art (but ONLY if you're a fan) Don't eat or drink in Covent Garden, the quality is bad and the prices sky high (but if you do we recommend the 'All Bar One' chain or the Garden branch of Wagamama). Somerset House is nearby for a hit of culture. The London Transport Museum Shop in the corner of the Piazza is good for gifts. There is a nice cluster of shops around the market which makes it a major, if somewhat expensive, shopping area - see our shopping page for details.
Market: every day 1000-1800, atmosphere: all the time.
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Tube: Covent Garden (Piccadilly) Leicester Square (Northern) Charing Cross (Bakerloo) Bus: Shaftsbury Avenue/St Giles High Street |
Gabriel's Wharf
Small market on the South Bank next to the OXO building, selling mostly jewelry, ethnic nick-nacks and artsy paraphernalia. It's on our walk along the river (See Itinerary Page) - most people stumble across it rather than head for it. You can hire bicycles here and there are one or two restaurants.
Mainly Weekends 10:00-18:00, some stalls keep shop hours.
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Tube: Southwark (Jubilee) Bus: Blackfriars bridge |
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Greenwich Market
Sprawling series of weekend markets selling antiques, arts & crafts, clothing, books. A huge penumbra of flea markets. More of an attraction than a serious market. Not really worht a special trip so visit as part of a trip to Greenwich (Observatory, Maritime museum, Cutty Sark, Naval Academy, Park, Queen's House, Blackheath, Ranger's House.) There's also a covered market in the central square, near the DLR station and the Cutty Sark. The best way to approach this is to take the Docklands Railway through Canary Wharf and get off at Island Gardens, and walk the foot tunnel to Greenwich. Weekends.
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Tube: Cutty Sark/Island Gardens (Docklands) Train: Greenwich Bus: Greenwich Town Hall |
Leadenhall
Well preserved Victorian food market, off Gracechurch St, just north of the Monument. Some of the shops don't look as if they've changed over the past century. More a historic building than a market - it's very busy weekday lunchtimes when it's crammed with city businessmen. Some good, but overpriced eateries, lively pubs. It's right next to the hyper-modern Lloyds building and should be taken in as part of a tour of the City. Features on our City Walk on the itinerary page.
Weekdays 08:00 -15:00
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Tube:Bank (Central, Circle) Bus: Moorgate |
Petticoat Lane/Brick Lane
Petticoat lane is a famous but disappointing tat market in the East End. It's day has passed. Not recommended. However nearby Spitalfields/Brick lane is amazing - Sunday only. Try a SUNDAY circuit of: Liverpool St station - train to London Fields, walk back south to Broadway Market (good french delicatessan/cafe, good brunchy pubs and restaurants). Then continue south through Hackney City Farm (restaurant there won best family restaurant of the year 2005..) to Colombia road, along Colombia road then South to Brick Lane, Hugenot district, Spitalfields market and back to Liverpool Street station - see an AtoZ map or go HERE for mapping it out - you may need to expand the map both south and north to get the whole route.
Sunday 10:00-17:00
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Tube: Aldgate/Aldgate East (Metropolitan/Hammersmith & City) Bus: Aldgate |
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Portobello
Portobello Road Market
We remember this market in the late 1960s when people dressed in Sgt Pepper costumes, and antiques could be picked up for a song. Sadly the stallholders have got wiser, and the prices steeper, but if you're after something special you'll find it here - remember to haggle. The South end of the street is mainly antiques, and make sure you go off-street as there are bargains to be had late afternoons ( especially in the smaller markets, underground) the middle is vegetables, and the north end bric-a-brac. About half the size of the antiques sections of Paris' St Ouen - but take this together with South Moulton Street and Chelsea's Kings Road and the two are comparable. As it's held in ultra-fashionable and expensive Notting Hill it's also great for just hanging out. Beautiful rows of white stucco'd houses abound. From Notting Hill tube you can walk south into Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park and down to the museum district.
One way of doing it involves the Hammersmith and City line to Ladbroke Grove (turn left out of tube, market begins 50m on your right) through the railway arch bit of the market, turn left (ie North) and continue to Goldborne Rd, walk it towards the huge ugly, but much loved, tower block (Trellick Tower, a listed building whose occupants were vociferous in their opposition to demolition) and start with coffee and pastry at Cafe Lisboa (on the right side of the road, as you're looking at Trellick)- a London institution - 2 large coffees and 4 cakes for £6, then walk back down Goldborne, turning left back onto Portobello and continue through the three markets towards Notting Hill tube. It's a mile at least.
Our favourite way is to take the Bakerloo line to Warwick Avenue station and walk along the canal through Little Venice to where the canal meets Goldborne Rd - about 100m from Cafe Lisboa. Take cash as there are always huge queues for the ATMs.
Saturdays from about 06:00 to about 16:30.
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Tube: Notting Hill Gate (Central, Circle) Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City) Bus: Notting Hill |
Smithfield Market
Meat has been bought and sold at Smithfield Market for over 800 years, and roughly 120,000 tons of produce pass through it each year. As well as meat and poultry, products such as cheese, pies and other delicatessen goods are available.
Open: Mon to Fri 4am-10am
Charterhouse Street, EC1
Spitalfields Old fruit and veg market
Opposite Liverpool St Station on Bishopsgate, transformed over the past five years into a slightly (it for some time had its own opera house) boho weekend market - it's at its best on Sunday and a good starting point for exploring the Hugenot architecture and history of Brick lane and the surrounding area. Best to go to nearby Columbia Road Flower Market first (for Brunch). Organic vegetables, art, books, ethnic impedimentia, vintage cars - a whole rag tag of merchants. Many leading contemporary artists and sculptors have their studios there. This is what Covent Garden was like before it became a tourist trap, though developers allied to the local council want to turn it into another Covent Garden tourist trap. A good place for Sunday lunch, especially recommended is 'Meson Los Barilles' a spanish restaurant/tapas house - it's quadrupled in size over the past five years and it's still always packed - artists. Gilbert & George can sometimes be seen there in their classic 1950s three piece suits.
Please visit the campaign website to save the market from over-development and sign their petition.
Sunday: 10:00-16:30
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Tube: Liverpool St (Central) Bus: Bishopsgate |
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