Guidebook for London
Food Scene
Jack's Cafe
101 Salusbury RdGo here for an excellent fry up
The Borough Barista is a subdued little neighbourhood cafe with big ambitions. Serving Union, their lead barista, Bill, makes a very good coffee and keeps busy evangelising the bean. The name reflects the cafe owners' desire to have a branch in every London borough...
11 locals recommend
The Borough Barista
60 Seymour StThe Borough Barista is a subdued little neighbourhood cafe with big ambitions. Serving Union, their lead barista, Bill, makes a very good coffee and keeps busy evangelising the bean. The name reflects the cafe owners' desire to have a branch in every London borough...
This tiny Soho store features Crosstown’s unique handmade doughnuts alongside a choice of espressos from Caravan Roasters. There are a small number of seats and an attractive and enticing display of Crosstown’s wares including special seasonal doughnuts such as collaborations with the likes of Caravan and Jura Whisky.
The texture and quality of Crosstown’s doughnuts has come a long way in a short period and I’ve enjoyed the coffee and doughnuts here. If you haven’t tried Crosstown doughnuts for a while, I recommend you do. Crosstown is one of the very few London cafes serving Prana Chai (originally from Melbourne) which is a must. Look out for creatively priced coffee and doughnut combination deals. And they are open late, which suits Soho!
Crosstown Soho - Doughnuts & Coffee
4 Broadwick StThis tiny Soho store features Crosstown’s unique handmade doughnuts alongside a choice of espressos from Caravan Roasters. There are a small number of seats and an attractive and enticing display of Crosstown’s wares including special seasonal doughnuts such as collaborations with the likes of Caravan and Jura Whisky.
The texture and quality of Crosstown’s doughnuts has come a long way in a short period and I’ve enjoyed the coffee and doughnuts here. If you haven’t tried Crosstown doughnuts for a while, I recommend you do. Crosstown is one of the very few London cafes serving Prana Chai (originally from Melbourne) which is a must. Look out for creatively priced coffee and doughnut combination deals. And they are open late, which suits Soho!
In between the numerous niche guitar shops and the lego block-like Google offices south of Centre Point, you'll find the latest Fernandez and Wells standing proudly on the corner, with its signature chunks of meat hanging unapologetically in the cafe window.
Cured meats. Select cheeses. Sourdough bread. Simple and good. What F&W may lack in range they replace with quality. This is reflected in their paired back, classic decor: parquet wooden floor, simple black chairs and central coffee-making, meat-sawing station slash bar. Has Bean coffee and chorizo don’t sound like typical palate mates, but Fernandez and Wells will make this a new favorite with unashamed, Spanish flair.
15 locals recommend
Fernandez & Wells
8A Exhibition RdIn between the numerous niche guitar shops and the lego block-like Google offices south of Centre Point, you'll find the latest Fernandez and Wells standing proudly on the corner, with its signature chunks of meat hanging unapologetically in the cafe window.
Cured meats. Select cheeses. Sourdough bread. Simple and good. What F&W may lack in range they replace with quality. This is reflected in their paired back, classic decor: parquet wooden floor, simple black chairs and central coffee-making, meat-sawing station slash bar. Has Bean coffee and chorizo don’t sound like typical palate mates, but Fernandez and Wells will make this a new favorite with unashamed, Spanish flair.
Flat White was the original London speciality coffee shop back in 2005. Still something of a coffee destination, despite changes of management, Flat White has re-invented itself of late. The place is always hopping with both locals and visitors, and there are plenty of places for both to sit. Like its sister cafe, Milk Bar, Flat White now serves Drop Coffee and is still very much a Soho essential and London favourite.
18 locals recommend
Flat White
17 Berwick StFlat White was the original London speciality coffee shop back in 2005. Still something of a coffee destination, despite changes of management, Flat White has re-invented itself of late. The place is always hopping with both locals and visitors, and there are plenty of places for both to sit. Like its sister cafe, Milk Bar, Flat White now serves Drop Coffee and is still very much a Soho essential and London favourite.
With a Union Jack on the wall and jars of jam, marmalade and marmite on the tables, you might mistake this for a teahouse, but don’t worry, the Australians behind the La Marzocco make top quality coffee. There is plenty of space to sit indoors or out along a lovely picturesque Hampstead side street.
25 locals recommend
Ginger & White
5a Perrin's CtWith a Union Jack on the wall and jars of jam, marmalade and marmite on the tables, you might mistake this for a teahouse, but don’t worry, the Australians behind the La Marzocco make top quality coffee. There is plenty of space to sit indoors or out along a lovely picturesque Hampstead side street.
Jeremy Brill opened Clerkenwell Music in 1999 adding coffee and bagels in 2006 and finally becoming Brillafter a refit in 2011. Brill is so firmly established in the Exmouth Market community it has the lived-in feeling of a local institution. In 2015, Brill began a relationship with The Officina Coffee Roasters, developing their own espresso blend which is very well made at Brill and suits milk superbly.
When you enter this quirky, welcoming coffee shop, it’s a treat to see shelves of CDs and vinyl and you can enjoy the now ancient pursuit of browsing the racks – the pursuit I seem to remember spending most of my waking hours involved in once. There are music books and magazines to read and plenty of room to sit and chat – even a quiet garden out back.
Brill are fiercely independent and very focussed on quality; Jeremy famously cycles to Brick Lane every morning to collect 80-100 fresh bagels and he also serves up Forman and Field Smoked Salmon, Seven Seeded Bakery bread and pastries and cakes from Galeta and Dee Light bakers. You can also enjoy granola with fruit and fresh orange juice or one of the famous bagel combinations for breakfast with lunch options including -salad bowls, avocado on toast, the ever classic salmon and cream cheese bagel and their much loved cheese and everything bagel, impossible to eat daintily! Give it a try.
12 locals recommend
Brill
27 Exmouth MarketJeremy Brill opened Clerkenwell Music in 1999 adding coffee and bagels in 2006 and finally becoming Brillafter a refit in 2011. Brill is so firmly established in the Exmouth Market community it has the lived-in feeling of a local institution. In 2015, Brill began a relationship with The Officina Coffee Roasters, developing their own espresso blend which is very well made at Brill and suits milk superbly.
When you enter this quirky, welcoming coffee shop, it’s a treat to see shelves of CDs and vinyl and you can enjoy the now ancient pursuit of browsing the racks – the pursuit I seem to remember spending most of my waking hours involved in once. There are music books and magazines to read and plenty of room to sit and chat – even a quiet garden out back.
Brill are fiercely independent and very focussed on quality; Jeremy famously cycles to Brick Lane every morning to collect 80-100 fresh bagels and he also serves up Forman and Field Smoked Salmon, Seven Seeded Bakery bread and pastries and cakes from Galeta and Dee Light bakers. You can also enjoy granola with fruit and fresh orange juice or one of the famous bagel combinations for breakfast with lunch options including -salad bowls, avocado on toast, the ever classic salmon and cream cheese bagel and their much loved cheese and everything bagel, impossible to eat daintily! Give it a try.
Pizza Pilgrims Exmouth Market
15 Exmouth MarketAMAZING pizza
Paesan
2 Exmouth MarketCoin Laundry
70 Exmouth MarketMacellaio RC Clerkenwell
38-40 Exmouth MarketHummus Bros
62 Exmouth MarketMorito
195 Hackney RdSantorè
59-61 Exmouth MarketDishoom Shoreditch
7 Boundary StIncredible Indian Street Food
the Petite Corée
98 W End LnLocanda311 West Hampstead
311 West End LaneThe Wet Fish Cafe
242 West End LaneBanana Tree West Hampstead
237-239 W End LnLadudu
Delicious Vietnamese food
Authentic Israeli food. This little gem is located at one end of West Hampstead and I stumbled upon a place serving delicious and I mean delicious falafel and schnitzel with superb service that was attentive and sincere. I really enjoyed eating here and was completely taken aback at how professional, clean and a polite the staff were. The decor was nicely presented in a fresh funky but cosy atmosphere. It is clearly family or independently run and makes a change from the run of the mill high street average I'm used to. I've tried falafel in many places but this is quite simply the best I've tasted. I can't recommend this place enough for a quick take away or a lazy lunch sitting in. Gluten free too if that's a concern for you?
Schnitzel Chicken & More
339 W End Ln Authentic Israeli food. This little gem is located at one end of West Hampstead and I stumbled upon a place serving delicious and I mean delicious falafel and schnitzel with superb service that was attentive and sincere. I really enjoyed eating here and was completely taken aback at how professional, clean and a polite the staff were. The decor was nicely presented in a fresh funky but cosy atmosphere. It is clearly family or independently run and makes a change from the run of the mill high street average I'm used to. I've tried falafel in many places but this is quite simply the best I've tasted. I can't recommend this place enough for a quick take away or a lazy lunch sitting in. Gluten free too if that's a concern for you?
Hawksmoor Air Street
5A Air StSTEAK STEAK STEAK. Delicious.
Sea Containers Restaurant
20 Upper GroundYUM
fter a promising start, Mark Hix’s chicken and steak restaurant has lost some allure. The room remains a winning combination of fun, glamour and heritage: a Damien Hirst cow and chicken in formaldehyde suspended over the main dining room makes a striking first impression set against the backdrop of a building that once generated the power for east London’s trams.
The child’s meal deal is generous, and the house wines are very drinkable. But the overly keen table-turning (we were moved on long before our slot was supposedly up) and variable food soon strip away any stardust. The short menu has steak (rib, sirloin or salad) or chicken as mains. Steak salad passed muster, though we’re unconvinced by the topping of battered onion rings. Whole roast chicken (barn-reared these days, rather than the free-range birds initially used) arrives at the table up-ended on a spike, and surrounded by fries; at £25 it easily serves two and can stretch to three, helped by seasonal sides such as (delicious) wild garlic mushrooms.
Starters (just-so yorkshire pudding with whipped chicken livers) and desserts (super-sweet salted caramel fondue with marshmallows and doughnuts, £12.50 to share) had more wow factor. Staff are friendly yet stretched, leaving diners feeling more than a little processed.
100 locals recommend
Tramshed
32 Rivington Stfter a promising start, Mark Hix’s chicken and steak restaurant has lost some allure. The room remains a winning combination of fun, glamour and heritage: a Damien Hirst cow and chicken in formaldehyde suspended over the main dining room makes a striking first impression set against the backdrop of a building that once generated the power for east London’s trams.
The child’s meal deal is generous, and the house wines are very drinkable. But the overly keen table-turning (we were moved on long before our slot was supposedly up) and variable food soon strip away any stardust. The short menu has steak (rib, sirloin or salad) or chicken as mains. Steak salad passed muster, though we’re unconvinced by the topping of battered onion rings. Whole roast chicken (barn-reared these days, rather than the free-range birds initially used) arrives at the table up-ended on a spike, and surrounded by fries; at £25 it easily serves two and can stretch to three, helped by seasonal sides such as (delicious) wild garlic mushrooms.
Starters (just-so yorkshire pudding with whipped chicken livers) and desserts (super-sweet salted caramel fondue with marshmallows and doughnuts, £12.50 to share) had more wow factor. Staff are friendly yet stretched, leaving diners feeling more than a little processed.
The two London Rivingtons could be called the mid-market arm of the very smart Caprice Holdings group (Le Caprice, The Ivy, J Sheekey), although prices still aren’t cheap. The dining space at the original is calm and white, with crisp linen and enough of both formality and trendiness to gratify different audiences. Contemporary art such as a Tracey Emin light sculpture add a splash of Shoreditch cool.
Menus follow the distinctively British style set by Mark Hix, chef-supremo of Caprice group when the Rivington opened, using fresh, seasonal British ingredients from sustainable sources. The wine list offers an excellent choice by the glass or carafe. Which is all to the good, but the cooking for our Sunday lunch was pleasant without offering any kind of zip. Queenie scallops with garlic butter had mellow flavour, but hadn’t been cleaned properly; strathdon blue cheese and chicory salad, and Sunday roast rib of beef and yorkshire pud were decent yet anonymous.
Fish and chips was somewhat better than you get in most gastropubs, though at twice the price. Since the Rivington opens early, there’s also a big choice of breakfast and brunch-style dishes. Perhaps these are what to go for.
25 locals recommend
Rivington Shoreditch
28-30 Rivington StreetThe two London Rivingtons could be called the mid-market arm of the very smart Caprice Holdings group (Le Caprice, The Ivy, J Sheekey), although prices still aren’t cheap. The dining space at the original is calm and white, with crisp linen and enough of both formality and trendiness to gratify different audiences. Contemporary art such as a Tracey Emin light sculpture add a splash of Shoreditch cool.
Menus follow the distinctively British style set by Mark Hix, chef-supremo of Caprice group when the Rivington opened, using fresh, seasonal British ingredients from sustainable sources. The wine list offers an excellent choice by the glass or carafe. Which is all to the good, but the cooking for our Sunday lunch was pleasant without offering any kind of zip. Queenie scallops with garlic butter had mellow flavour, but hadn’t been cleaned properly; strathdon blue cheese and chicory salad, and Sunday roast rib of beef and yorkshire pud were decent yet anonymous.
Fish and chips was somewhat better than you get in most gastropubs, though at twice the price. Since the Rivington opens early, there’s also a big choice of breakfast and brunch-style dishes. Perhaps these are what to go for.
Best farm-to-table: 8 Hoxton Square
This place is made of a great mix of ingredients: comfortable tables, reservations, reasonable pricing, and -- above all -- delicious food. With laid-back service and a regularly changing menu, it’s the kind of spot you can visit repeatedly without getting bored. Seriously, do roast Tamworth pork and buttermilk fried cod cheeks sound boring? Plus, the all-day nibbles served between lunch and dinner are outstanding. Do yourself a favor and get the gorgonzola custard. It’ll change your life.
221 locals recommend
Hoxton Square
Hoxton SquareBest farm-to-table: 8 Hoxton Square
This place is made of a great mix of ingredients: comfortable tables, reservations, reasonable pricing, and -- above all -- delicious food. With laid-back service and a regularly changing menu, it’s the kind of spot you can visit repeatedly without getting bored. Seriously, do roast Tamworth pork and buttermilk fried cod cheeks sound boring? Plus, the all-day nibbles served between lunch and dinner are outstanding. Do yourself a favor and get the gorgonzola custard. It’ll change your life.
Hidden just off Hoxton Square, this cult-inducing church of meat is the kind of place where no one will judge you for scarfing down your food. While the burger's always a winner, it's the chili cheese fries and monkey fingers (like buffalo wings, but with no bones to get in the way) that cause tables to fall into communal meditative silence. Feeling competitive? Ask about the Triple Chili Challenge -- it’s not for the faint of heart.
59 locals recommend
MEATmission
15 Hoxton MarketHidden just off Hoxton Square, this cult-inducing church of meat is the kind of place where no one will judge you for scarfing down your food. While the burger's always a winner, it's the chili cheese fries and monkey fingers (like buffalo wings, but with no bones to get in the way) that cause tables to fall into communal meditative silence. Feeling competitive? Ask about the Triple Chili Challenge -- it’s not for the faint of heart.
As London’s only Michelin-starred pub, you can expect big things from the Harwood Arms’ British-inspired gastro menu. With classics on the menu including black pudding Scotch egg with wild garlic and asparagus and roast Suffolk duck breast with carrots cooked in hay, black cabbage and blood orange, The Harwood will satisfy even the heartiest of app
137 locals recommend
The Harwood Arms
Walham GroveAs London’s only Michelin-starred pub, you can expect big things from the Harwood Arms’ British-inspired gastro menu. With classics on the menu including black pudding Scotch egg with wild garlic and asparagus and roast Suffolk duck breast with carrots cooked in hay, black cabbage and blood orange, The Harwood will satisfy even the heartiest of app
Pollen Street Social is another achingly cool eatery from Jason Atherton, whose philosophy is ‘deformalised fine dining’. The décor is smart and simple – think white walls, linen draped tables and bold wood panels – and the menu is grounded in traditional French and English cuisine.
20 locals recommend
Pollen Street Social
8-10 Pollen StPollen Street Social is another achingly cool eatery from Jason Atherton, whose philosophy is ‘deformalised fine dining’. The décor is smart and simple – think white walls, linen draped tables and bold wood panels – and the menu is grounded in traditional French and English cuisine.
London’s coolest counter dining hotspot, Barrafina is a dab hand when it comes to serving up Michelin-worthy Spanish-style fare. Watch the chefs in action as they create intricate plates of exquisite tapas, whilst you sit back and relax on one of their luxe leather stools. Small plates with big flavor.
75 locals recommend
Barrafina
26-27 Dean StLondon’s coolest counter dining hotspot, Barrafina is a dab hand when it comes to serving up Michelin-worthy Spanish-style fare. Watch the chefs in action as they create intricate plates of exquisite tapas, whilst you sit back and relax on one of their luxe leather stools. Small plates with big flavor.
Another trendy Hackney eatery to be awarded its first Michelin star, Pidgin serves a four-course supper-club-style set menu that changes weekly. You won’t have any choice in your meal, each course is carefully curated by the talented chefs, but we guarantee the food – in whatever form it comes in – will not disappoint.
91 locals recommend
Pidgin
52 Wilton WayAnother trendy Hackney eatery to be awarded its first Michelin star, Pidgin serves a four-course supper-club-style set menu that changes weekly. You won’t have any choice in your meal, each course is carefully curated by the talented chefs, but we guarantee the food – in whatever form it comes in – will not disappoint.
Parks & Nature
The Regent's Park
The Queens Park Hotel
48 Queensborough TerraceHyde Park
Essentials
M&S Kilburn Simply Food
66 Kilburn High RoadM&S Queen's Park Foodhall
31 Salusbury RdSainsbury's
2-3 King StGetting Around
Kilburn Park Station (Stop KB)
Kilburn Station
Shoot-Up HillWest Hampstead station
Kilburn High Road station
Drinks & Nightlife
London Cocktail Club
108 Essex RoadGo here for amazing cocktails
Shopping
Go here to check out amazing stalls with more flowers than you can imagine.
1660 locals recommend
Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia RoadGo here to check out amazing stalls with more flowers than you can imagine.
Camden Market actually refers to the several markets that cover the northern end of Camden Town. Each market has a character of its own, from the crafts and curiosities of Camden Lock Village to the Stables Market stalls' proclivity for all things boho. And of course there's more to shopping in Camden than the markets. There's also some awesome vintage shops, like Lost 'N' Found.
1028 locals recommend
Camden Market
54-56 Camden Lock Pl Camden Market actually refers to the several markets that cover the northern end of Camden Town. Each market has a character of its own, from the crafts and curiosities of Camden Lock Village to the Stables Market stalls' proclivity for all things boho. And of course there's more to shopping in Camden than the markets. There's also some awesome vintage shops, like Lost 'N' Found.
Brick Lane Market is growing faster than your waistline after a Bengal curry. Formerly just a trail of bric-a-brac and a smattering of fruit stalls, the now sprawling market has a buzzy new appendage every time you visit, from the fashion fare at the covered Upmarket to quirky T-shirts and jewels at the Back Yard, retro furniture at the Tea Rooms and an eclectic jumble of tat and vintage on the main thoroughfare.
The dolling up (and dulling down) of Spitalfields worked in Brick Lane’s favour, causing the more madcap and small-scale stallholders to migrate to the surrounding streets. Now Brick Lane Market is in many ways how East End veterans recall Spitalfields in its heyday: full of surprises, a bit ramshackle, very noisy and packed to the gunnels with strange smells, sights and stalls.
Don’t miss...
While you’rethere, have a look at some of the quirky shops neighbouring the market.Rough Trade East on Dray Walk is arguably London’s best independent music shop and plays host to an impressive line-up of in-store gigs.
Downside...
Overzealous poppadom pimps poised outside curry houses; bikes sold by iffy-looking youths who hang out on Sclater Street – if it’s brand new, worth £500 and selling for £50, then it was stolen from the pub railings last night...
Refuel at...
Grab a handmade gastro-burger from Moos Boosh on Dray Walk – where stallholders buy their lunch – or if you fancy a drop of London beer in an authentic East End boozer, then nip down to the Pride of Spitalfields (3 Heneage St).
Our insider: Thelma Speirs, East End fashion celebrity and designer/partner in Brick Lane’s Bernstock Speirs hat emporium (www.bernstockspeirs.com).
When should you visit Brick Lane?
‘Every Sunday. It’s best to go as early as possible for bargains; it winds down at around 5pm.’
Top spots
‘Twentysevenpalms.com is a lovely, colourful stall in the UpMarket section of Brick Lane, selling cushions made from bright printed fabric. The carpet stall (actually more of a wall than a stall) sells carpets and rugs very cheap. It is located just off Brick Lane on Bacon Street. In the main part of Brick Lane, near the corner of Cheshire Street, there is an occasional stall selling wonderful old luggage and trunks. Also, Hunky Dory Vintage is a shop at 226 Brick Lane that is the best place to buy clothes and handbags.’
What should you avoid?
‘The fur protesters who don’t appreciate my ’60s mink jacket.’
Top tips
‘Combine your Brick Lane experience with a trip to Franze and Evans on Redchurch Street, an Italian café with the best coffee in town, and then drink it in the beautiful surroundings of nearby Arnold Circus. After the market, head for a stiff drink at The Nelsons Head on Horatio Street. It has lovely art on the walls and a fashionable clientele.’
Brick Lane (plus Dray Walk), E1. UpMarket & Backyard market: The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL (7770 6028/www.sundayupmarket.co.uk). Aldgate East tube or Liverpool St tube/rail. 10am-5pm Sun.
825 locals recommend
Brick Lane Sunday Market
Brick Lane Brick Lane Market is growing faster than your waistline after a Bengal curry. Formerly just a trail of bric-a-brac and a smattering of fruit stalls, the now sprawling market has a buzzy new appendage every time you visit, from the fashion fare at the covered Upmarket to quirky T-shirts and jewels at the Back Yard, retro furniture at the Tea Rooms and an eclectic jumble of tat and vintage on the main thoroughfare.
The dolling up (and dulling down) of Spitalfields worked in Brick Lane’s favour, causing the more madcap and small-scale stallholders to migrate to the surrounding streets. Now Brick Lane Market is in many ways how East End veterans recall Spitalfields in its heyday: full of surprises, a bit ramshackle, very noisy and packed to the gunnels with strange smells, sights and stalls.
Don’t miss...
While you’rethere, have a look at some of the quirky shops neighbouring the market.Rough Trade East on Dray Walk is arguably London’s best independent music shop and plays host to an impressive line-up of in-store gigs.
Downside...
Overzealous poppadom pimps poised outside curry houses; bikes sold by iffy-looking youths who hang out on Sclater Street – if it’s brand new, worth £500 and selling for £50, then it was stolen from the pub railings last night...
Refuel at...
Grab a handmade gastro-burger from Moos Boosh on Dray Walk – where stallholders buy their lunch – or if you fancy a drop of London beer in an authentic East End boozer, then nip down to the Pride of Spitalfields (3 Heneage St).
Our insider: Thelma Speirs, East End fashion celebrity and designer/partner in Brick Lane’s Bernstock Speirs hat emporium (www.bernstockspeirs.com).
When should you visit Brick Lane?
‘Every Sunday. It’s best to go as early as possible for bargains; it winds down at around 5pm.’
Top spots
‘Twentysevenpalms.com is a lovely, colourful stall in the UpMarket section of Brick Lane, selling cushions made from bright printed fabric. The carpet stall (actually more of a wall than a stall) sells carpets and rugs very cheap. It is located just off Brick Lane on Bacon Street. In the main part of Brick Lane, near the corner of Cheshire Street, there is an occasional stall selling wonderful old luggage and trunks. Also, Hunky Dory Vintage is a shop at 226 Brick Lane that is the best place to buy clothes and handbags.’
What should you avoid?
‘The fur protesters who don’t appreciate my ’60s mink jacket.’
Top tips
‘Combine your Brick Lane experience with a trip to Franze and Evans on Redchurch Street, an Italian café with the best coffee in town, and then drink it in the beautiful surroundings of nearby Arnold Circus. After the market, head for a stiff drink at The Nelsons Head on Horatio Street. It has lovely art on the walls and a fashionable clientele.’
Brick Lane (plus Dray Walk), E1. UpMarket & Backyard market: The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL (7770 6028/www.sundayupmarket.co.uk). Aldgate East tube or Liverpool St tube/rail. 10am-5pm Sun.
Covent Garden Market East Side (Stop X) station
Wandsworth RoadDuring the summer of 2010, a quiet bubble of gastronomic intent was swelling under the railway arches in Bermondsey. This unlikely south-east London backwater quickly became a popular destination for a Saturday morning to early afternoon (9am-2pm-ish) wander with a bit of grocery shopping along the way. Two years on, many new traders have got involved, the recently developed Ropewalk has become a full-on street market, and some of the original bunch have moved down the road to Spa Terminus. Find out about the gastronomic delights that await beneath the arches.
292 locals recommend
Maltby Street Market
Maltby Street During the summer of 2010, a quiet bubble of gastronomic intent was swelling under the railway arches in Bermondsey. This unlikely south-east London backwater quickly became a popular destination for a Saturday morning to early afternoon (9am-2pm-ish) wander with a bit of grocery shopping along the way. Two years on, many new traders have got involved, the recently developed Ropewalk has become a full-on street market, and some of the original bunch have moved down the road to Spa Terminus. Find out about the gastronomic delights that await beneath the arches.
It is the best of markets, it is the worst of markets. Since the 2003 renovation and total overhaul of the much loved Spitalfields Market, it’s a leaner, cleaner, Norman Foster-designed affair, bulked out with slightly soulless boutiques and missing the majority of its displaced stallholders.
It now offers a different shopping experience, but by no means a bad one. With the feel of a mall-with-market, it is now neatly cleaved in two by a slick of chain restaurants like Canteen and The Real Greek. On one side lies an arcade of smart shops and eateries bordered with orderly market stalls (Spitalfields), and on the other, a cross section of stalls crammed into Old Spitalfields, the last remaining portion of the original market.
A pitch here is expensive, meaning that Sunday stalls are fairly safe bets: gastro-nibbles, wittily sloganed baby T-shirts and leather bags. Sunday is also when the market becomes a melting pot of young designers; with achingly cool handmade clothes, vintage accessories and jewellery, it’s like a Topshop Oxford Circus for indie hipsters. If you want to avoid the crowds and come across some more idiosyncratic finds, then forget the popular Sunday market and come on a Thursday – this is where you’ll find heaps of vintage fashion, a great selection of antiques and space to breath and browse around this quite spectacular development.
A downside: the market’s ATMs, which notoriously run dry or sport queues of epic proportions. Bring cash!
The market itself during peak time (Sundays 2-4pm – it can be a bit of a bunfight); the borrower-sized dress stalls run by fashion students (sizes rarely stray above the miniature, which can be embarrassing if you’re trying things on in plain view of a packed market and have overdone it at the brownie stall).
To refuel, you could do worse than stop off at Tracey Emin’s local, The Golden Heart (110 Commercial St), which is small, cosy and absolutely teeming with market exiles on a Sunday. A few doors down is The Ten Bells (84 Commercial St), a capacious old boozer with a young crowd, which neighbours Hawksmoor’s distinctive Christ Church Spitalfields.
Spitalfields’ top stalls
Seamus Jones
This is a small stall which sells men’s shirts and ties in Liberty-print fabrics for around £30 – about six times less than you’ll pay for one at the store itself.
Spitalfields, Sun.
Klasik
This Spitalfields mainstay has been keeping Eastenders in distinctive retro specs for the past eight years. The regularly updated stock is a mixture of pristine vintage frames from the likes of Dior and Oliver Goldsmith, as well as ’70s NHS frames (which suddenly look desirable rather than trauma-inducing). Bring your prescription, and Klasik will fit lenses to your specs of choice and post them back to you in a week.
Old Spitalfields, Sun (www.klasik.org).
Lee Clarke
This vintage stall specialises in designer seconds in excellent nick for £50 to £700. A highlight is the well-edited selection of shoes; we saw a range of ’70s Ferragamo and tasselled women’s Chanel brogues for around £60.
Old Spitalfields, Thur, Fri, Sun.
696 locals recommend
Old Spitalfields Market
16 Commercial St It is the best of markets, it is the worst of markets. Since the 2003 renovation and total overhaul of the much loved Spitalfields Market, it’s a leaner, cleaner, Norman Foster-designed affair, bulked out with slightly soulless boutiques and missing the majority of its displaced stallholders.
It now offers a different shopping experience, but by no means a bad one. With the feel of a mall-with-market, it is now neatly cleaved in two by a slick of chain restaurants like Canteen and The Real Greek. On one side lies an arcade of smart shops and eateries bordered with orderly market stalls (Spitalfields), and on the other, a cross section of stalls crammed into Old Spitalfields, the last remaining portion of the original market.
A pitch here is expensive, meaning that Sunday stalls are fairly safe bets: gastro-nibbles, wittily sloganed baby T-shirts and leather bags. Sunday is also when the market becomes a melting pot of young designers; with achingly cool handmade clothes, vintage accessories and jewellery, it’s like a Topshop Oxford Circus for indie hipsters. If you want to avoid the crowds and come across some more idiosyncratic finds, then forget the popular Sunday market and come on a Thursday – this is where you’ll find heaps of vintage fashion, a great selection of antiques and space to breath and browse around this quite spectacular development.
A downside: the market’s ATMs, which notoriously run dry or sport queues of epic proportions. Bring cash!
The market itself during peak time (Sundays 2-4pm – it can be a bit of a bunfight); the borrower-sized dress stalls run by fashion students (sizes rarely stray above the miniature, which can be embarrassing if you’re trying things on in plain view of a packed market and have overdone it at the brownie stall).
To refuel, you could do worse than stop off at Tracey Emin’s local, The Golden Heart (110 Commercial St), which is small, cosy and absolutely teeming with market exiles on a Sunday. A few doors down is The Ten Bells (84 Commercial St), a capacious old boozer with a young crowd, which neighbours Hawksmoor’s distinctive Christ Church Spitalfields.
Spitalfields’ top stalls
Seamus Jones
This is a small stall which sells men’s shirts and ties in Liberty-print fabrics for around £30 – about six times less than you’ll pay for one at the store itself.
Spitalfields, Sun.
Klasik
This Spitalfields mainstay has been keeping Eastenders in distinctive retro specs for the past eight years. The regularly updated stock is a mixture of pristine vintage frames from the likes of Dior and Oliver Goldsmith, as well as ’70s NHS frames (which suddenly look desirable rather than trauma-inducing). Bring your prescription, and Klasik will fit lenses to your specs of choice and post them back to you in a week.
Old Spitalfields, Sun (www.klasik.org).
Lee Clarke
This vintage stall specialises in designer seconds in excellent nick for £50 to £700. A highlight is the well-edited selection of shoes; we saw a range of ’70s Ferragamo and tasselled women’s Chanel brogues for around £60.
Old Spitalfields, Thur, Fri, Sun.
Sightseeing
Palace of Westminster
Abbey Road Studios
3 Abbey RdCross that famous zebra crossing