Old Spitalfields and the Brick Lane Markets

Published 18 September 2026 · By the Guide to London editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

Old Spitalfields Market is a covered Victorian market hall on the edge of the City, open every day, with an antiques market on Thursdays. Brick Lane, a five-minute walk east, has several markets inside the old Truman Brewery that trade daily or at weekends, plus a street market on Sunday mornings. Sunday is the liveliest day to visit both; Thursday is best for antiques.

The two areas are next to each other in the East End, just north-east of Liverpool Street station, so most visitors combine them. They feel quite different. Spitalfields is tidy and under one roof, with selected traders, small brands and a food court. Brick Lane is rougher and louder, with vintage clothing, street food, record stalls, curry houses and street art, and it is at its most crowded on Sunday.

Both markets change their line-up through the week, so this guide sets out what trades on each day, based on the markets' own websites and Tower Hamlets Council, all checked in September 2026.

Old Spitalfields Market: the Victorian hall

There has been a market on this site for centuries, and the present hall and roof date from the Victorian era. It was a wholesale fruit and vegetable market until that trade moved out to Leyton in the 1990s. Today it is a retail market surrounded by shops and restaurants, with the stalls in the middle of the hall and the food traders at its heart.

The daily market has more than 70 retail stalls and street food traders, according to the market. You will find independent fashion, homeware, prints and art, jewellery, hats, children's clothes and gifts, much of it made or designed in London. It is a good place for presents that do not look mass-produced, although prices reflect that.

Around the edges of the hall are permanent shops, some of them well-known brands, plus cafés and restaurants. The shops set their own opening hours, which are often longer than the stalls.

What is on at Spitalfields each day

The weekly pattern below comes from the market's own event pages. Special events, such as craft workshops and design weeks, are added through the year, so check the market's website for extras.

The market's pages do not all agree on closing times, and the antiques market is listed as closing at 5pm on one page and 6pm on another. If you are coming late in the day, check on the day or arrive earlier. The market says it is open all year, including the Easter, May and August bank holidays.

Thursday antiques and the Friday vinyl market

The Thursday antiques market has been part of Spitalfields since 2003, and the market describes it as one of the most affordable places in London to buy antiques. Collectors, interior designers and stylists come early. Fashion finds include workwear, 1950s to 1970s clothing and costume jewellery, alongside homeware, art, postcards, militaria and old cameras.

Polite bargaining is normal with antiques dealers, especially if you pay cash or buy more than one piece. Ask for a receipt with a description for anything valuable.

Record collectors should aim for the first or third Friday of the month, when the Vinyl Market brings dealers in rare and second-hand records, from 1960s psychedelia to 1990s hip hop, from 10am to 5pm. If you prefer antiques on a Saturday instead, Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill is the classic alternative.

The Brick Lane markets in the Truman Brewery

Brick Lane runs north from Whitechapel towards Shoreditch. Halfway along, the huge former Truman Brewery has been turned into shops, bars, offices and several markets. They are run by the brewery's owners, and each has its own days.

• Brick Lane Vintage Market (F Block, 85 Brick Lane): an underground hall with more than 100 vintage traders, open seven days a week. Hours are 11am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sunday.
• Upmarket, the Brick Lane Food Hall (83 Brick Lane): once the "Sunday Upmarket", now a daily food hall with more than 40 street food traders, open 11am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sunday. A retail section with makers and a few vintage stalls is added at weekends.
• Backyard Market (next to 146 Brick Lane): Saturdays 11am to 6pm and Sundays 10am to 6pm, with independent stalls selling fashion, jewellery, art and small-batch goods.
• The Tea Rooms (next to 146 Brick Lane): the same weekend hours, with antiques, homeware, rare books, vinyl and retro furniture.
• Ely's Yard food trucks: an outdoor food truck area, open daily from 11am to 11pm, although individual trucks vary.

Along Dray Walk, the alley beside the brewery, there are independent shops, including the record shop Rough Trade East. For more on the area's vintage shops, such as ATIKA on Hanbury Street and the Rokit stores on Brick Lane, see our guide to vintage and second-hand shopping in London.

Sunday on Brick Lane: the street market

On Sunday mornings Brick Lane itself becomes a street market. Tower Hamlets Council lists it from 10am to 3pm, describing flea-market stalls, street food, household goods, jewellery and retro fashion. The council says the market was established in 1888.

This is the most crowded time of the week in the whole area. The Truman Brewery markets, Old Spitalfields and the street stalls are all trading at once, and the pavements fill by late morning. If you dislike crowds, come early or visit on a weekday, when the Vintage Market, the Upmarket food hall and Spitalfields' daily market are still open.

Petticoat Lane, the market next door

A few minutes' walk south of Spitalfields, towards Aldgate, is Petticoat Lane Market. There is no street called Petticoat Lane any more: the Victorians renamed it Middlesex Street, and the market spreads into the streets around it. The council lists the Sunday market from 9am to 3pm, selling clothing, textiles and leather goods, with fabric shops behind the stalls.

From Monday to Friday a smaller market trades on Wentworth Street from 8am to 4pm, with cheap clothing and a cluster of street food stalls, according to the council. It is a practical, bargain-hunting market rather than a place for vintage or crafts, but it shows another side of East End trading.

Where to eat around Spitalfields and Brick Lane

You will not go hungry. Inside Old Spitalfields, The Kitchens is a food court at the centre of the hall with around ten street food kitchens, open 11am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. The Upmarket food hall on Brick Lane has more than 40 traders, and Ely's Yard adds food trucks outdoors.

Brick Lane is also famous for two things you should try at least once. The southern half of the street is lined with curry houses, and the northern end has long-established bagel bakeries selling salt beef and smoked salmon bagels. Our guide to Brick Lane and London's curry scene explains how to choose a curry house, and our guide to cheap eats in London has more low-cost ideas. Coffee lovers will find plenty of independent cafés in the surrounding streets; see our guide to coffee in London.

A Sunday morning route through the East End

If you have one Sunday, you can see three markets on foot:

1. 8am to 10am: Columbia Road. Start at the Sunday flower market, which opens at 8am and is at its best early. Our guide to Columbia Road Flower Market has the details.
2. 10am to 1pm: Brick Lane. Walk south to Brick Lane, about 15 minutes away, for the street market, the Vintage Market and the weekend stalls in the Truman Brewery. Have lunch at the Upmarket or in a curry house.
3. 1pm to 5pm: Old Spitalfields. Finish under the roof at Spitalfields, which stays open until 5pm on Sundays, and if you still have energy, look into Petticoat Lane before its stalls pack up.

For the evening, the bars and restaurants of Shoreditch are just to the north. Several companies also run evening walking tours of the area's Victorian history, described in our guide to Jack the Ripper walking tours.

Getting to Spitalfields and Brick Lane

Liverpool Street is the main station, about 5 minutes' walk from Old Spitalfields Market. It is served by the Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, National Rail and the Elizabeth line, which also makes it easy to reach from Heathrow and Paddington. All Elizabeth line stations are step-free from street to platform.

Shoreditch High Street, on the London Overground's Windrush line, is about 5 minutes from the Truman Brewery and about 7 minutes from Spitalfields. TfL's station data shows it has lift access. Our guide to the DLR and the London Overground explains how the Overground works.

Aldgate East (District and Hammersmith & City lines) is about 8 to 10 minutes' walk from both markets. Aldgate East and Aldgate (Metropolitan and Circle lines) are the closest stations to Petticoat Lane. Many buses run along Bishopsgate and Commercial Street, including route 67, which stops on Brushfield Street beside the market. A bus fare is £1.75, rising to £1.85 on 1 November 2026.

The area also sits right on the edge of the City of London, and it is roughly a 20-minute walk south to the Tower of London, so a market morning combines well with sightseeing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Old Spitalfields Market open every day?

Yes, the market is open seven days a week, all year round. The daily market of stalls trades every day except Thursday, when the antiques market takes over the hall instead. Shops and restaurants around the hall set their own hours.

What day is the Brick Lane market?

The Brick Lane street market is on Sundays, from 10am to 3pm according to Tower Hamlets Council. The Brick Lane Vintage Market and the Upmarket food hall in the Truman Brewery are open every day, and the Backyard Market and Tea Rooms open on Saturdays and Sundays.

When is the antiques market at Spitalfields?

Every Thursday, from 8am. More than 80 dealers sell antiques, furniture, jewellery, prints and vintage fashion. It is best to arrive early, when the widest choice is available and the hall is less crowded.

Which station is closest to Spitalfields Market?

Liverpool Street is the closest, about 5 minutes' walk away, and it is served by several Tube lines, the Elizabeth line and National Rail. Shoreditch High Street on the Overground and Aldgate East on the District and Hammersmith & City lines are also within walking distance.

Is Brick Lane worth visiting on a weekday?

Yes, if you want to shop rather than soak up the atmosphere. The Brick Lane Vintage Market, the Upmarket food hall, the vintage shops and the curry houses are open during the week, and the street is far calmer. The weekend-only markets and the Sunday street stalls will be missing.

Sources

• Old Spitalfields Market - Visitor information (checked September 2026)
• Old Spitalfields Market - Daily Market (checked September 2026)
• Old Spitalfields Market - Antiques Market; Vinyl Market (checked September 2026)
• The Truman Brewery - Our Markets (checked September 2026)
• Upmarket - The Brick Lane Food Hall (checked September 2026)
• Tower Hamlets Council - Markets in Tower Hamlets (checked September 2026)
• The Truman Brewery - Getting here (checked September 2026)