Whether you’re after scenic, touristy markets with products packed for gifting, or bustling, grimy wholesale markets, there’s nothing quite like exploring food markets to give you an insight into a city. Twenty years ago, you wouldn’t expect to see a London venue figuring on any list of best food markets – or best restaurants, for that matter.

But London’s food scene has matured. And, since this piece on Europe’s best food markets does not include a single London market (boo hiss!), I thought I’d put together six of the best food markets in London.

The Best Food Markets in London

New Covent Garden Market

Back in the day, Covent Garden Market – you know, the tourist mecca next door to Soho – was a bustling, vibrant fruit, flower and vegetable market. Then the wholesalers were shipped south of the river, to this site, now known as the New Covent Garden Market. Today this is by far the largest fruit, veg and flower market in the UK, and London’s best restaurateurs, bar folk and florists stock up on everything from samphire to cherries here. New Covent Garden Market remains a wholesale food market: while you can buy flowers in small quantities, fruit and veg need to be bought by the box.
When: Mon-Sat, midnight-6am for fruit and veg, 4am-10am for flowers – aim to arrive around 4am
Where: Nine Elms, London SW8
Get there: Vauxhall tube or train

Borough Market

Undoubtedly London’s most famous food market, with prices to match, Borough Market is the place go for fancy-schmants imported olive oil, stunning Spanish cheeses, charcuterie from all across Europe, artisan meats and mouthwatering condiments. The food scene goes way beyond what’s expected of a market, with some very slick offerings – as well as great sandwiches and bakery. Good to look at, with some amazing producers, Borough might be touristy but it’s still one of London’s best food markets.
When: Wed-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm
Where: Borough, London SE1
Get there: Borough tube

Ridley Road Market

Whatever you do, don’t call it Dalston Market – although it is right in the heart of Dalston, with its bustling bar scene and vibrant ethnic food culture. Ridley Road Market is as multicultural as the East End area that houses it – in addition to cheap clothes, plastic tat and fell-off-the-back-of-a-lorry goodies, you’ll find a welter of African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food (traders even get busted selling bushmeat from time to time).
When: Mon-Thu 6am-6pm, Fri-Sat 6am-7pm
Where: Ridley Road, Dalston, London E8
Get there: Dalston Kingsland or Dalston Junction train

Alexandra Palace Farmers Market

Opened by Queen Victoria in 1873, Alexandra Palace took a turn for the worse when the vast, dramatic edifice burned down only sixteen days later. The North London hilltop site that had been something of a white elephant now hosts what’s probably London’s finest farmers market every Sunday, with more than 30 stalls – a great way to spend a sunny day, particularly if you picnic in the green. If Ally Pally has an event, the market relocates to a nearby school.
When: Sundays 10am-3pm
Where: Hornsey Gate, off Muswell Hill
Get there: Alexandra Palace train station, then W3 bus

Smithfield Meat Market

Charles Dickens was absolutely horrified by a visit to this ancient cattle market. And, although the gorgeous Victorian building dates back only to the 1860s, meat and livestock have been bought and sold on the site for well over 800 years. Today, Smithfields is still the UK’s biggest meat market, one of the largest in Europe, and one of London’s most dramatic food markets – not least because of all those blood-stained men running around with meat cleavers. Like Billingsgate and New Covent Garden, it’s still wholesale – although you can pick up portions of meat as small as a single chicken or a box of sausage links. Finish up shopping with a giant, meat-fest fry up at a local caff (or more upscale Smiths of Smithfield).
When: Monday-Friday 2am-10am (be there by 7am)
Where: Clerkenwell, London EC1
Get there: Farringdon or Barbican tube.

Billingsgate

Another very ancient market, Billingsgate was London’s leading fish market by the 1600s – although it moved to Canary Wharf when the area was redeveloped in the 1980s. It’s still the UK’s biggest inland fish market, although it’s focused on wholesale so you’ll need to know what you’re doing to get the most out of it. Or you could just take a course with the Billingsgate Seafood School, who offer everything from knife skills workshops through to cooking courses and the humble guided tour.
When: Tue-Sat 4am-9.30am (be there by 7am)
Where: Trafalgar Way, Poplar, E14
Get there: Canary Wharf tube or DLR, Blackwall DLR

Image: New Covent Garden Buyers’ Walk by Nick Saltmarsh on Flickr’s Creative Commons.