London’s best street-food markets and food halls

Dating back to the thirteenth century, this historic institution is now regarded as the mother of all artisan foodie markets in London – a sprawling cornucopia of home-grown producers and gourmet goodies from across the globe. Wedged in among the butchers, bakers and cheesemakers, you’ll find a host of street-food stalls selling everything from French confit duck sandwiches to aromatic Ethiopian stews, Spanish chorizo sarnies and gourmet cheese toasties.

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm.

Meet Bang Bang Oriental: a gargantuan pan-Asian food court in Colindale. Yes! Colindale! This is the largest food hall of its kind in Europe, with almost 30 individual kiosks offering a whole range of Oriental cuisines and seating for up to 450 people. The vast space also hosts Chinese beauty parlours, a community dance rehearsal studio and the 300-cover flagship Golden Dragon restaurant. Don’t know where to start? Here’s our list of five things to eat at Bang Bang Oriental, from dim sum platters to fried intestine. Well worth a trip to Zone 4.

Mon-Thur and Sun 12-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 12-10pm.

Arguably London’s trendiest market, this crowded, buzzy parade is the food-loving hipster’s hangout of choice and an East End classic known for its vibe, as well as its quality. It usually welcomes well over 100 stalls selling a fabulous array of stuff, including plenty of delectable street food from the likes of Deeney’s (Scottish toasties), Makatcha (south-east Asian classics), and Zardosht (two sisters taking a fresh look at Persian food). The current big draw is Emerald Eats, serving late-night Irish snackage such as chicken fillet rolls, spice bags and curry chips. There are food stalls on Sunday too, but Saturday is a much bigger affair.

Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm.

Open seven days a week, Old Spitalfields Market (the 'new' one is a wholesale fruit and veg traders spot in Leyton) is still one of east London’s busiest attractions. Despite a revamp it still maintains buckets of old school East End charm and food here is endlessly impressive. There are gloriously succulent burgers from Bleecker, perfect pizza from Sud Italia, coffee from Climpson & Sons, big fluffy donuts from Doh'Hut, spiced tea from Chai Guys, jianbing from Pleasant Lady, banging bahn mi at Pho Street Eats and TikTok-famous puds at Humble Crumble. Seek out too 'The Kitchens', which was launched by Nuno Mendes (of Chiltern Firehouse fame) and features rotating kiosks including pan-fried soup dumplings from Dumpling Shack and Japanese skewers at Kushi. A very, very fun time. 

Mon-Fri 8am-11pm, Sat-Sun 9am-11pm.

This Covent Garden food hall has got the lot, you can either stay at street level, where you’ll sit roughly where you’ve ordered, or head down a level, where there’s a ring of food units around lots of communal tables. The look is industrial with a soft retro edge: slatted wood and ice cream parlour pastels set against lots of exposed brick and concrete. As for where to eat, traders (a mix of street food faves and restaurant concessions) change every six months or so. Right now we love Bad Boy Pizza Society, and their latest additions include dirty burgers, paratha wraps, fried chicken sandos and Columbian fusion tacos from Motherflipper, Kolkati, Lucky’s Hot Chicken and Los Gordos, as well as west African eats from Jollof Mama. 

Mon-Tue 12pm-10pm, Wed-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-9pm. 

While culture vultures flock to the Southbank for artsy attractions, fans of world food circle around its food market beside the Royal Festival Hall seeking their weekly fix of street nosh, booze, coffee and artisan produce. If meat is required, try The Frenchie's duck confit bun or Beast & Field's steak – others fill up from Nobiani's Korean barbecue in burritos, rice, bowls and salad boxes. The New Orleans style scran at Voodoo, and Levant Kitchen does some serious shawarma. For booze, get real ale from the Hop Locker and sparkling wines from Grays & Feather.

Fri 12pm-9pm, Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 12pm-6pm.

You can’t move in Brixton for fab food spots these days – and Brixton Village is a gastro ground-zero of sorts. Its strengths lie in its sheer whatever-you-fancy variety. Superlative barbecue? Got it. Japanese okonomiyaki pancakes? Sure! Gigantic plates of home-style Latin cooking? Si, señor! French cheese and bubbles? Naturellement! The vibe’s a little more refined and less yuppified than nearby Pop Brixton, too.

Mon 8am-6pm, Tue-Sun 8am-midnight. 

Food halls don't come much finer than the mighty Arcade. Find this perfectly formed foodie paradise at the bottom of Centrepoint and slap bang in the middle of town. Then prepare to face the hardest decision of your life – what to order. Fine Japanese dining and omakase offerings from Sushi Kamon, majestic Mexican from Mexa, or – our fave – hot (in all the senses) Thai from Plaza Khao Gaeng.

Mon-Sat 11.30am-10.30pm, Sun 11.30am-9pm. 

Found on Bermondsey’s Ropewalk, between the railway arches and the Lassco salvage warehouse, this heaving strip of a market started taking shape in 2009. Back then, it was just coffee kings Monmouth cupping up for a couple of hours every Saturday. Now it’s a proper institution, and the main contender to Borough Market’s crown. Street food, booze and produce of every shape abounds, emptying the wallets of tourists and locals alike. Look for names like Gyoza Guys, La Pepia (Venezuelan GF), The Beefsteaks and Duck Frites.

Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm.

First there was Borough Market, then came Maltby Street, but those in the know nip around the corner to the railway arches of Spa Terminus. This producers’ collective isn’t strictly street food, but if you’re hooked on all things artisan, it’s the business: coffee roasters, butchers, bakers, cheesemakers, olive specialists, ice-cream churners and the like all ply their trade here, and you can buy their wares on Saturdays. Cruising from arch to arch is a pleasure, but be aware that there are two main sites – so yo-yo between Spa South and Druid Street for the full experience.

Sat 9am-4pm.

A little bro to the creative complex of Netil House just down the road, this London Fields hub is a quirky gem, filled with an ever-changing rotation of rickety stands and more charming than the nearby Broadway and Schoolyard markets. There’s not much cover, but you can brave the hipsters and plonk down in the park on sunny days. You'll find Wingnut Wines and family Italian kitchen Sugo82 (complete with it's super cute, one table private terrace), while the extremely popular pita bar, Pockets, has moved to a permanent spot at nearby Mentmore Terrace.

Tue - Thu (limited traders), 9am-10pm, Fri - Sun (all traders) 9am-10pm.

A kind of epicurean B&Q superstore, this 42,000 square foot temple of Italian gastronomy features a huge retail market, several restaurants, takeaway food stalls, a drinking and dining terrace, and even a cookery school. The market offers more than 5,000 products alongside 2,000 wine labels, constituting London’s biggest cellar. Eataly’s has restaurants too, Pasta e Pizza and there's also a fine-dining spot, Terra, as well as Central Bar for aperitivo.

Mon-Fri 7am-11pm, Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 9am-10pm.

What was a shopping arcade is now a vibrant, opulent space with three bars, a coffee shop and nine kitchens – including big names such as DF Tacos, Butchies fried chicken, and Hotbox barbeque masters, as well as Eggslut, Jude's Thai and Roti King outpost Gopal's Corner. There’s also a 100-seat roof terrace.

Mon-Tue 8am-10pm, Wed-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 8am-9pm.

A weekday sprawl of stalls – stretching from Clerkenwell Road to High Holborn – Leather Lane mixes old-school tat ’n’ threads charm with newfangled foodie appeal (helped along by the road’s status as a coffee hotspot). It’s understandably popular with lunching local workers, desperate to get their mitts on a mac ’n’ cheese toasted sarnie or a banging burrito.

Mon-Fri 7am-7pm.

South London’s finest is a Saturday morning staple right through the year. Stylish SE4 locals mill around, stocking up on succulents and farm produce while scarfing down artisanal coffee, imported wines and fine street food. It’s long been a trendsetter: foraging heroes Mike + Ollie and cult burger faves Mother Flipper started out here, and still ply their trade on a weekly basis. Queues can be lengthy – and seating’s limited to a few benches – but everything here is worth the wait and the vibe is super-friendly.

Sat 10am-2pm.

There’s always plenty of street food to be had among the antiques, everyday goods and crafty bits and pieces over in Clapton. Keep an eye out for the likes of Paddy Field (sushi-style Japanese rice parcels), the Pie Cart, Souvlaki Street, Hanoi Kitchen and other tasty outlets.  

Sun 11am-5pm.

There are over 30 global street food options in Camden’s newest market, Hawley Wharf – which also has a Curzon cinema and an underground theme park for kids. Munch options here include modern Greek at Pita Bun and Street Greek, as well as great Cantonese roast meats at Three Uncles. Right on the side of Regent’s Canal, this is Camden at its slickest.

Mon-Sat: 10am-8pm.

Organic meats, locally baked bread, small batch cakes, raw honey, charcuterie and natural wines… these are just some of the artisan goodies on sale at this foodie-orientated market in the verdant surrounds of Victoria Park. Its Sunday opening times are also perfect for picking up a casual street food brunch or lunch – perhaps a few oysters or spicy chicken momos from Fililil Eats. Sometimes there’s live jazz, too.

Sun 10am-4pm.

From humble beginnings as a monthly gathering of local food producers, Venn Street Market has evolved into something of a community hub in Clapham Old Town. Locals still come here to stock up on organic veg, deli essentials, fresh fish and so on, but there’s also a smattering of street-food stalls for those needing a bite to eat between shopping.

Sat 10am-3pm.

Although famous for its jewellery, crafts and antique stalls, this 200-year-old covered market at the heart of Greenwich’s UNESCO World Heritage Site also does a good line in street food – on any given day you’ll find more than 40 pitches selling everything from artisan sarnies to Ethiopian veggie food. Da Fish Ting is renowned for its epic soft-shell crab burgers, Chuckling Wings specialises in crispy chicken coated in shards of ramen, while Brazilian Churros speaks for itself.

10am-5.30pm daily.