© Will Pearson

London used to be regarded as a bit of a gastronomic desert. The French in particular would mock our 1970’s attempts at epicurean endeavour (remember the ubiquitous prawn cocktail in a glass, sat on top of a piece of wilted lettuce? Perhaps it’s better to forget…). Over the last 30 years things have thankfully moved on, and London is a fantastic place to eat. Whether you’re eating out at a restaurant or selecting ingredients to rustle up a little something at home the choice and the quality of food is superb. London’s food markets are not to be missed if you’re seeking gourmet delights. Here is a pick of five of our favourites…

Alexandra Palace Farmer’s Market
Local North Londoners love this local farmers market at the foot of Ally Pally. There is a great vibe, and the market gets quite lively. The range of produce is good and varies from week to week, so it’s worth going back to. There are butchers, fishmongers and bakers as well as plenty of lovely things to snack on while you wander around (crêpes anyone?!). Once a month specialist traders arrive, and so if you fancy an unusual real ale or a fine olive oil this is the time to come. Every Sunday 10am-3pm - click here for more information.

Borough Market

London’s oldest market has traded on this site for more than 250 years. The market is world-renowned for the quality and range of food available here. It’s open to the public on Thursdays from 11am - 5pm, Fridays from 12pm - 6pm and Saturdays from 9am - 4pm. There are some incredible foods and drinks from around the world on offer here, as well as superb ‘basics’ - we’d highly recommend the bacon from The Ginger Pig. On a Saturday it gets extremely busy, but you can still lose yourself in the wonderful smells and the choices on offer. Click here to see some Borough Market virtual tours.

Parliament Hill Farmer’s Market
Lovely little market that takes place in a school near Hampstead Heath. It’s busy and there’s plenty of ready to eat food (the sausages are particularly good) as well as being one of the rare places in North London that you can go and buy a brace of pheasant should you fancy! The local shops are worth visiting too - in particular the excellent deli, Forks. Saturday’s from 10am-2pm - click here for more information.

Leadenhall Market

© Will Pearson 2009
Leadenhall Market just off Gracechurch Street in the City of London is another ancient market, and whether you’re a foodie or not, it’s worth visiting just to stroll the cobbled streets under the Victorian arches. The old market suffered from the introduction of EU regulations and many of the shops closed. Now, the market has been revamped and is a shopping destination with food stalls every Monday to Friday from 11am and 4pm. Here you’ll find artisan cheeses, foie gras, fabulous salads and more. If you can, avoid the lunchtime rush for a more relaxed browse among the stalls. The stallholders are helpful and will gladly chat to you about their produce. You can wash your purchases down with a drink at the Lamb Tavern. Click here to see a virtual tour of the surroundings at Leadenhall Market.

Spitalfields Market
This Victorian covered market in the City of London is a fabulous place to while away a morning choosing organic ingredients for your evening meal, or just gathering delicacies to snack on. The market stalls are open on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Sunday is naturally the busiest day, but there’s a great vibe on weekdays too. The stalls are supplemented by some excellent shops around the market where you can select artisan pies, tapas and old fashioned fudge. If you do nothing else, visit the Tandoori Hut for a chicken tikka or veggie curry wrapped in a naan bread. Perfect!

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Tags: alexandra palace farmers market, borough market, food markets, leadenhall market, london food markets, London Markets, market virtual tour, market virtual tours, parliament hill farmers market, spitalfields market

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 3:30 pm and is filed under London History & Information, London Markets, London Virtual Tours. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.