Explore the city,
September 03 2023
London’s best street food markets put global food and drink front and centre. The capital’s vibrant culinary scene is on full display in the aroma-filled stalls offering grab-and-go lunches, takeaway meals and freshly baked pastries. From traditional markets and food stalls to converted shipping containers and colourful food trucks, the city has a world full of flavours to try. Here are some of the best food markets in London.
London’s oldest market has long been a foodie destination. Borough Market has supplied the city with fresh produce for hundreds of years. Today, street food smoke and aromas fill the market hall alongside fruit and veg stalls, fishmongers, butchers and delicatessens. There’s Taiwanese bao buns, Italian gelato and Gujarati samosas. Don’t miss your chance to taste Bread Ahead’s famous salted caramel honeycomb doughnuts. It’s an iconic food market Londoners and tourists flock to.
Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am. Closed on Mondays.
Joining Borough Market as one of London’s oldest, Whitecross Street Market in Islington started trading in the 17th century. Locals then called it Squalors Market, but today, it’s known as the best street food market in London for a lunch stop. Plus, The Two Brewers pub by the market lets you bring your food inside and eat it with a pint. There are around 40 traders serving everything your heart desires: Turkish pizza wraps, Caribbean curries, Greek salads, Vietnamese noodle bowls. And there are plenty of local shops and cafes to explore.
Open lunchtimes Monday to Friday. Closed on weekends and public holidays.
Satisfy your food cravings at Southbank Centre Food Market. London’s South Bank area is full of popular attractions, so it’s a convenient riverside pit-stop on a busy day of sightseeing. Satisfy your sweet tooth with Belgian waffles, Portuguese tarts and French lemon crepes. Or go in hard on the savoury dishes, from Ethiopian vegan bowls to Polish pork hot dogs.
Open Fridays to Sundays and bank holidays.
For unique and exciting street food, Covent Garden’s Seven Dials Market is the place to go. Talented future stars serve flavour-filled dishes you can enjoy at one of the communal tables. The concept was created by KERB, who wanted to bring together a cluster of the most exciting food traders under one roof (and sky) for a dynamic food experience in one of London’s most iconic locations. It’s also home to the world’s first cheese conveyor belt!.
Open 11am till late, 7 days a week.
Head to Camden Market for a cool and quirky food experience mixed with fashion, music and art. There are restaurants, terrace cafés, communal benches and food stalls ready to fire up your taste buds. Trace your coffee’s origin story at Glass Coffee. Tuck into tacos at The Lucky Club Camden’s rooftop cafe. Enter the magical candy land of Hans and Gretel to satisfy a sweet tooth. Camden Market’s street food options are ever-changing and never boring.
Open 11.30am to 9pm, 7 days a week.
Still hungry? Find more delicious dishes at food markets such as BOXPARK Shoreditch and Maltby Street Market. Choose a Thistle hotel in a prime foodie hotspot, such as Thistle Trafalgar Square or Thistle City Barbican, and get your fill of London’s best food treats.
