Popular London Markets

Popular London Markets is a subject that gets a lot of Londoners feeling quite opinionated. There are scores of local markets in every corner of London, offering everything from food and flowers, to books and bric-a-brac. Locals are particularly proud of their own local market and swear blind that it’s better than any other market in London.

So, it’s no easy task to decide which we consider to be the most popular of London’s markets. Therefore, we’ve decided to create two posts on this subject. Today’s post will feature the most famous markets that London has to offer. Markets such as Portobello, Camden and Spitalfields will be covered. Then, in a subsequent post, we’ll try and list as many of the other markets that we know of (there are loads!!!) , so as always, we can offer you as much information as possible.

Let’s start with Portobello Road in West London. Famous for it’s role in the film ‘Notting Hill’, the market is home to over 2,000 antique dealers, as well as many vintage and retro fashion and memorabilia stalls. The shops are open Monday – Saturday, but the market comes alive on a Saturday. Come as early as possible as it really does get very busy. The nearest tube station is Notting Hill. Visit Portobello Road for more details.

Borough Market is where to go when you’re feeling hungry. If you’re on a diet, avoid at all costs, because calorie counting will go out of the window once you’re surrounded by all the cheeses and cured meat selections. The market is a total maze, but you should turn up expecting to spend several hours ‘grazing’ from all the different stalls. You can even finish off with dessert in the form of a £1 Crème Caramel pot from the indoor section – Jubilee Market. The market is open from Thursday to Saturday and the nearest tube/rail station is London Bridge. Visit Borough Market for more details.

Columbia Road, located in the heart of the East End is a flower market that is only open on Sundays. You should expect to find beautiful cut flowers and exotic plants at bargain rock bottom prices. If you can wait until after 2.30pm, when it’s a bit quieter, the prices will plummet further still, although the selection is more sparse. Although the main focus of the market is flowers, there is also a small bric-a-brac market just off Ezra Street that’s well-worth a look at. Columbia Road market is accessible from Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath and Old Street Stations. Visit Columbia Road for more details.

Spitalfields Market is located on the edge of the City and East End of London. It’s covered by a large glass Norman Foster-designed canopy, allowing the market to be accessible in all types of British weather! The market offers 110 stalls selling quite a range of goods. There’s everything from vintage fashion and accessories, jewellery, home furnishings and music. It’s also considered quite a family-friendly market as it’s fully push-chair friendly and has stalls offering bespoke children’s toys. The nearest station is Liverpool Street and the market is open every day except for Monday and Saturday. Visit Spitalfields Market for more details.

Down the road in the East End’s Hackney, lies Broadway Market. Saved from closure by volunteer market traders in 2004, Broadway is an interesting mix of food and fashion. According to their own research, 90% of people that visit the market, do their weekly shopping there. Whether it’s a week’s worth of groceries you want, or food on the move, you can get meat and fish, fruit and veg, cheese, bread and cakes. It’s also a mecca for fashionistas, with vintage, designer and even cross-dressers. The nearest station is London Fields and the market is open on Saturdays. Visit Broadway Market for more details. 

In North London, Camden Markets are a number of adjoining markets in Camden Town, including Camden Lock Market and the Stables Markets at the Chalk Farm end of Camden. Camden Markets have always had a reputation for welcoming the more rebellious members of society. It’s certainly a place that’s synonymous with music and attracts punks, goths and indie-lovers. If you’re looking for crafts, t-shirts, records, second-hand-books and corsets, then you’ve come to the right place. Camden gets HUGELY busy. The nearest stations are Camden Town or Chalk Farm and the markets are open every day. Visit Camden Markets for more information.

Brick Lane’s Sunday Market is extremely chaotic and random, but in recent years it has become more popular since former Spitalfields traders have moved to Brick Lane to join in the fun. The market includes two indoor markets at the BackYard Market and the UpMarket at the former Truman’s Brewery. You should expect clothes, t-shirts and jewellery in the indoor markets and anything you could possibly imagine being sold on the street. The nearest stations are Aldgate East or Liverpool Street. Visit Sunday UpMarket for more details.

Greenwich Market is set in a beautiful location. There are over 150 stalls to choose from. Although the shops surrounding the market are open on most days, the market itself runs from Wednesday to Sunday. On a Wednesday, you should expect a plethora of food stalls, offering fresh and organic produce. Thursdays and Fridays are antiques days with a range of collectables and other arts and crafts. At the weekend, you can browse through anything from jewellery, gifts, accessories and wonderful global food options. The nearest stations are Greenwich DLR/Rail and the Cutty Sark DLR. Visit Greenwich Market for further details.

So, these are arguably the most famous and most popular London markets, but keep your eyes glued to our Moving to London blog, so that you can catch the next Markets in London post, that will list as many London markets that we can think of.