London's food markets fall into two groups: produce markets such as Borough Market, where you can shop and graze, and street-food markets such as Maltby Street and Mercato Metropolitano, where you come to eat. Borough is the one to see if you only have time for one; most of the others are at their best at weekends.
A food market in London can mean many things. Some are centuries old and sell cheese, bread, meat and vegetables from permanent stalls. Others appeared in the last fifteen years in railway arches, car parks or old warehouses, and are really open-air food courts with dozens of small kitchens. Almost all are free to enter, and you pay stall by stall.
This guide compares the best-known markets, explains when each one runs and gives advice on beating the crowds. Opening times below come from each market's own website in September 2026. Individual stalls keep their own hours, so check before a special trip.
| Market | Area | Best for | Regular opening (September 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borough Market | London Bridge | Produce, cheese, lunch | Closed Monday; Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00; Sat 09:00-17:00; Sun 10:00-16:00 |
| Maltby Street Market | Bermondsey | Street food under railway arches | Fri 17:30-21:00; Sat 10:00-17:00; Sun 11:00-16:00 |
| Mercato Metropolitano | Elephant and Castle | Evening food hall with bars | Daily; from 12:00 on weekdays and 11:00 at weekends, until late |
| Broadway Market | Hackney | Weekend street market by the canal | Sat 09:00-17:00; Sun 10:00-16:00 |
Borough Market: the benchmark
Borough Market, beside London Bridge station, is London's most famous food market and the one most visitors should see first. It has around 1,000 years of history and has stood on its present site since 1756. It was a wholesale fruit and vegetable market for much of the twentieth century and began to reinvent itself as a retail market for high-quality food in 1998.
The market is split into three main areas: Three Crown Square for larger producers and merchants, the Green Market for small specialist traders, and Borough Market Kitchen for street food. Around them are restaurants, bars and shops. Entry is free. It is closed on Mondays, except in December, when it opens seven days a week.
Borough is at its most crowded on Saturday afternoons. For a calmer visit, go on a weekday morning. Our full guide to visiting Borough Market covers what to eat, how to avoid the crowds and what else is nearby.
Maltby Street Market: arches and street food in Bermondsey
Maltby Street Market has run since 2010 on the Ropewalk, a narrow cobbled lane lined with railway arches in Bermondsey, a short walk south-east of Borough Market. It is smaller and more compact than Borough, with a row of street-food traders, bars in the arches and a few produce stalls. The address is Arch 46, Ropewalk, Maltby Street, SE1 3PA.
According to the market, it opens on Friday evenings (17:30-21:00), Saturdays (10:00-17:00) and Sundays (11:00-16:00). It is not a weekday market, so do not plan a Tuesday visit. The lane is narrow, and on sunny Saturdays it can be slow to move through at lunchtime.
The area around it, including Bermondsey Street and the railway arches towards Tower Bridge, is covered in our guide to Borough and Bermondsey. A good weekend plan is a morning at Borough Market for coffee and shopping, then lunch on the Ropewalk.
Maltby Street works best as the second stop of a Saturday. Borough opens at 09:00 on Saturdays, an hour before the Ropewalk. Shop and taste at Borough first, then walk the 15 minutes or so to Maltby Street when its traders are up and running for lunch.
Mercato Metropolitano: a food hall that stays open late
Mercato Metropolitano calls itself London's first sustainable community food market. Its main site is at 42 Newington Causeway near Elephant and Castle, a large covered and open-air space of about 17,000 square feet with more than 40 independent traders serving food from many countries, plus bars and a garden area.
Unlike most markets, it opens every day, including bank holidays, and it stays open late. In September 2026 the Elephant and Castle site opened from 12:00 to 23:00 Monday to Wednesday, to midnight on Thursday, to 01:00 on Friday, from 11:00 to 01:00 on Saturday and from 11:00 to 22:00 on Sunday. That makes it one of the few markets that work for dinner.
There are two other sites. Mercato Mayfair is inside St Mark's Church, a Grade I-listed church near Oxford Street, and Mercato Wood Wharf has operated in the new riverside district next to Canary Wharf since May 2022. Hours differ by site, so check the official website.
Weekend street markets in east London
East London has several street markets that mix food with clothes, flowers and crafts. They are less about shopping for ingredients and more about eating as you walk.
Broadway Market, Hackney
Broadway Market is a Victorian street between London Fields and the Regent's Canal. The shops on the street open all year, and the market stalls run 52 weeks a year: on Saturdays from 09:00 to 17:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00. Saturday is the main day. There are stalls for bread, cheese, coffee and hot food, and a walk along the canal towpath makes a good start or finish.
Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Columbia Road
Around Spitalfields and Brick Lane, the covered market hall and the weekend markets in the old brewery buildings have large food areas, especially on Sundays. Our guide to Old Spitalfields and the Brick Lane markets explains which parts open on which days. Brick Lane is also famous for its curry houses; see our page on Brick Lane and London's curry scene.
On Sunday mornings, many people combine Brick Lane with the Columbia Road Flower Market, which is a short walk north and has cafés and bakeries along the street. The whole area is part of Shoreditch, which is worth a wander in its own right.
Food at London's general markets
Several of London's best-known general markets have large food sections, and they are often more convenient than a special trip.
- Camden Market has a large street-food area among its stalls and shops, with food from all over the world. It is at its busiest at weekends.
- Greenwich Market is a covered market with a street-food section, close to the Cutty Sark and a good lunch stop on a day in Greenwich.
- Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill is known for antiques, but it has food stalls, especially on Saturdays.
- Leadenhall Market in the City of London is a Victorian covered market building rather than a food market. Its public areas are open around the clock; its pubs and restaurants keep their own hours and are busiest on weekday lunchtimes.
Eating in Chinatown and other food streets
Not all of London's best street food is in markets. Chinatown, between Leicester Square and Soho, is a small grid of streets packed with restaurants, bakeries and dessert shops. It is open every day and is often cheaper than the markets for a full meal.
For more ideas on eating well for less, see our guide to cheap eats in London. Markets can be surprisingly expensive once you add a main dish, a drink and a dessert from different stalls, so a Chinatown noodle shop or a fish and chip shop is sometimes the better-value choice.
Diets, allergies and paying at market stalls
Markets are good places for mixed groups because everyone can choose from a different stall. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are easy to find at every market in this guide; our guide to vegan and vegetarian London goes further. If you eat halal, many street-food traders can tell you about their meat; see our guide to halal food in London.
If you have a food allergy, ask each stall directly. Small traders often work in tight spaces where ingredients are shared, and the labelling may be less detailed than in a restaurant.
Card and contactless payment are standard, and some stalls and market bars no longer take cash. Carry a card that works abroad without high fees. Our guide to money in London explains the options.
Most market seating is first come, first served. Benches and tables at street-food markets fill quickly at 12:30 on weekends. Eat early, around 11:30, or late, after 14:00, and you are far more likely to sit down.
How to plan a food-market day
The simplest plan is to choose one area and walk. The London Bridge side of the river is ideal: Borough Market, the George Inn and Maltby Street are all within a short walk of each other, and Mercato Metropolitano is a stop or two south on the Northern line. In the east, Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Columbia Road can be done in one Sunday morning.
Getting between the markets is straightforward. London Bridge (Jubilee and Northern lines, plus National Rail) is right beside Borough Market. Elephant and Castle, on the Northern and Bakerloo lines, is a few minutes' walk from Mercato Metropolitano. For Broadway Market, London Fields station on the Overground's Weaver line is the closest. Buses are often the most pleasant way to cross between areas, and a single bus fare lets you change buses within an hour at no extra cost.
- Check the day. Borough is closed on Mondays (except in December). Maltby Street and Broadway Market are weekend markets.
- Go early at weekends. The best-known markets are at their most crowded from late morning to mid-afternoon on Saturdays.
- Share dishes. Two people sharing three dishes from different stalls see more of a market than two people with one large plate each.
- Bring a bag. If you plan to buy cheese, bread or chocolate to take home, a reusable bag helps. Before you pack cheese or cured meat for the journey home, check your own country's rules on bringing food in: many countries restrict meat and dairy products.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best food market in London?
For most visitors, Borough Market near London Bridge is the best first choice: it combines produce stalls, street food and a long history, and it opens six days a week. For street food in a smaller setting, try Maltby Street at the weekend; for dinner and late opening, Mercato Metropolitano.
Which London food markets are open on Sunday?
Borough Market opens on Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00. Maltby Street Market is open on Sundays from 11:00 to 16:00, Broadway Market from 10:00 to 16:00, and Mercato Metropolitano every day. The Spitalfields and Brick Lane area is at its busiest on Sundays.
Is Borough Market open on Mondays?
No. Borough Market is closed on Mondays for most of the year. The exceptions are December, when it opens seven days a week, and some bank holiday Mondays, when the market has opened from 10:00 to 17:00. Check the official website for the current year's dates.
Are London food markets expensive?
They are free to enter, but prices at the stalls are often similar to a casual restaurant once you add a drink and a dessert. Sharing dishes helps. For a cheaper meal, Chinatown and local cafés are often better value than the famous markets.
Sources
- Borough Market - Plan your visit (checked September 2026)
- Borough Market - Our story (checked September 2026)
- Maltby Street Market - Home and opening hours (checked September 2026)
- Mercato Metropolitano - Elephant and Castle (checked September 2026)
- Mercato Metropolitano - Locations (checked September 2026)
- Broadway Market - Market hours (checked September 2026)
- Leadenhall Market - Visit (checked September 2026)