The best Saturday markets in London

10am-6pm

Good for: furniture, antiques

Alfies is packed to the rafters with heart-flutteringly handsome twentieth-century home decor. This market hosts more than 100 dealers in vintage furniture and fashion, art, accessories, books, maps and more. We especially like Dodo Posters, who sell 1920s and ’30s ads.

9am-5pm

Good for: food

The famous Borough Market is London’s oldest – dating back to the thirteenth century. Now, it’s also the busiest and most popular for gourmet goodies. Here, traders satisfy the city’s insatiable appetite for beautifully displayed organic fruit and veg, cakes, bread, olive oil, fish, meat and booze. They say ‘don’t go shopping on an empty stomach’, but there’s a lot to nibble on at Borough Market, and it’d be rude to say no.

8am-12 midnight

Good for: food, cafés, textiles

Compared to the culinary homogeneity of Borough Market et al, Brixton Village is a sensory fiesta. The air is thick with the sizzle of jerk chicken stalls, your ears are serenaded by tinny reggae riddims and you can't help but overhear yam-based price disputes. You better rock down to Electric Avenue (but also plan your trip because not all of the market is open late).

9am-5pm

Good for: food

If it’s Saturday, then it must be Hackney’s Broadway Market. Well, at least as far as east London’s foodie-fashionistas are concerned. Relaunched in 2004, Broadway market is beaut for indulging in top-notch snacking options from an array of hot food stalls. Expect to find locals congregating at the market, picking up well-priced fresh fruit and veg, artisan cheeses, rare-breed meat, and luscious cakes.

10am-late

Good for: clothes, accessories, souvenirs

There are several markets under what you might call the Camden Market umbrella. Once you’re in Camden they’re all pretty easy to spot – a sprawling collection that offers a real smörgåsbord of street culture. Saturdays are not for the faint-hearted – you’ll see endless crowds swarming over lava lamps, skull rings, fashion, interiors, music and vintage items, too. There’s a lot to see, do and eat here, so we recommend making a day of it. 

9am-6pm

Good for: fruit and veg

If the bellowing, clattering traders selling a good mix of fruit, veg and tat aren’t Albert Square enough for you, then the frequent presence of a real-life ‘EastEnders’ actor on the street might be. It’s not unusual to see locals Martin Fowler or Cindy Beale here picking their way through the apples and pears. Predominantly a local market, Chapel Market has no airs and graces despite the Islington area that surrounds it.

10am-8pm

Good for: antiques, gifts

This London institution may appear too commercial and crowded to provide a characterful retail experience, but some quirky gems lift the experience. The collonaded nineteenth-century Piazza building houses Apple Market, where tourist-friendly crafts are the staple, as well as cutesy chain stores – although it’s worth keeping a lookout for independents still holding their ground such as Eric Snook’s Toyshop and the specialist tobacconist/cigar shop Segar & Snuff Parlour. Saturdays and Sundays are reserved for arty knick-knacks and crafts largely geared toward tourists.

Around 11am-10pm – check individual traders for exact times

Good for: food, arty homewares

Most of Deptford Market is your standard south-east London fare: three-pack pants, timber wolf fleeces, Duracells and lighters. Head towards Deptford Market Yard, however, and you’ll be greeted by a new collection of stores that are a bit more arty.

10am-5.30pm

Good for: antiques, collectables

Situated in historic Greenwich, this market is well-worth a look. There are plenty of stalls here that sell everything from bric-a-brac, second-hand clothes and ethnic ornaments to CDs crafts and jewellery. Tip: there’s no need to set an alarm for this market – just wander on down when you’re dressed.

9am-10pm

Good for: food, gifts, lunch

While Broadway Market is clogged with whippet-walkers, busking indie bands and buggies, Netil Market (just a few steps away from the main drag) is an altogether more sedate affair. The small collection of stalls (usually about 15) offers a microcosm of Broadway Market with espresso coffee, gourmet baked goods, bric-a-brac, crafts and even a rotisserie.

10am-5.30pm

Good for: antiques, fruit and veg

Northcote Road’s historic food market dates back to the 1860s, providing locals with fruit and veg stalls to complement the original high street packed with butcher shops, bakeries and local services. Though the market suffered serious decline in the 1990s, it’s enjoyed a surge in popularity in the last decade as localism has become fashionable. Groceries are still on offer, though the market has expanded its remit to sell flowers, crafts and vintage clothes, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays when all the stallholders are out.

9am-7pm

Good for: food, antiques

Portobello is actually several markets rolled into one, all penned in by Notting Hill Gate tube at one end and Ladbroke Grove tube at the other. The stalls start with antiques; further up are the grocers; and emerging designer and vintage threads are found under the Westway. Saturdays are manically busy so head out early, especially if you’re serious about buying antiques.

10am-4.30pm

Good for: food, household goods

Often overlooked in favour of its bigger, goth-tinged neighbours, Queen’s Crescent is one of Camden’s oldest markets, and within walking distance of Parliament Hill Fields and Primrose Hill. Expect to find flowers, fruit and veg, and some seriously cool stallholders.

9.30am-4pm

Good for: food

With everything from domestic and exotic fruit and veg, fish and meat to cheap clothes, household goods, toys, bric-a-brac and fabrics from Africa and India, Ridley Road is truly diverse. With more than 120 stalls and such a fantastically varied selection, the atmosphere here is pretty vibrant.

9am-6pm

Good for: food, haberdashery

While Shepherd’s Bush Market is just a hop and a skip away from Europe’s largest urban shopping centre at Westfield, it’s a world apart in every other sense. At this gritty, multicultural market you’ll find a fantastic range of foodstuffs (Indian, Caribbean, African and Polish). You’ll also see vivid print fabrics, goatskin rugs, saris, home furnishings and electronics.