London Markets

Kiwi travellers love London and there’s no need to wonder why. If you want to rub shoulders with the locals, uncover corners of the bustling capital that normally escape the tourist radar and eat fantastic local produce along the way, then you’ve come to the right place. A tour of London’s food markets is the perfect way to experience an array of global cuisines, sample unusual ingredients and really get to know the city from an insider’s perspective.

Borough Market

Stoney Street, Southwark
Nearest tube: London Bridge
Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday
One of London’s biggest, and easily the busiest, food markets, Borough Market’s countless shops and stalls spread out higgledy-piggledy among the railway arches of an old train station. There’s something incredibly romantic about this foodie haven. Wander down the stone steps next to Southwark Cathedral (the oldest church building in the city) and be greeted by the scent of seafood paella and the sound of sausages sizzling on a huge open grill. Make sure you visit with an empty stomach as there are loads of takeaway food stalls alongside the produce on offer. Our highlights? A charred chorizo and roasted capsicum sandwich from Spanish food purveyors Brindisa, washed down with a cup of coffee from Monmouth just over the road. Pick up a wedge of red wine-soaked cheese from Jumi, Polish juniper sausages from Topolski and velvety-smooth mushroom pate from the friendly team at Pate Moi.

Broadway Market

London Fields
Nearest tube: Bethnal Green
Open 9am-5pm Saturday
Lively and often bizarre street performers, packed-out pubs and heaps of cyclists. There’s a real neighbourhood buzz about this place – after all, it was volunteers from the local traders and residents association who set about transforming the once struggling fruit and veg stalls that inhabited this narrow East End street. Running from the boathouses lining Regent’s Canal to the historic London Fields Park, you’ll find bookshops, antiques and vintage clothing stalls, not to mention some of the finest cakes the city has to offer. The insanely pretty cupcakes from Violet are a real highlight and sell out fast. Dine from one of the Vietnamese banh mi vans, grab Mexican at The Taco Stand, or tuck into a blue cheese-topped burger from Lucky Chip just around the corner at spin-off Netil Market. If you want a really authentic East End experience, order hot jellied eels from F. Cooke’s Pie & Mash Shop, which first started trading in 1900.