Borough Market has been feeding London locals and visitors for over 1,000 years, and holds the title of London’s oldest food market. In a city as historic as London, that’s some achievement!
It’s a tourist hotspot these days, with visitors drawn in by the hugely diverse range of market stalls offering everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, to cooked meals, sweet treats, condiments…you really can get everything at Borough Market and once you’ve been it’ll be clear to see why it’s so popular!
The market itself is split into three ‘sections’. There’s the Green Market, located mostly under the railway track and behind Southwark Cathedral. Here you’ll find the more temporary looking stalls with smaller, more specialist traders.
The Three Crown Square has larger traders, more permanent stalls and is probably the place you see most photos of on Instagram. And last but not least, Borough Market Kitchen is the third section where you’ll find the street food stalls. It can get very busy here and they’ll close entry when it gets too full.
What Food is Available at Borough Market?
Borough Market is an absolute treasure trove of culinary delights, offering more food options than you could hope for, catering to all tastes. Highlights include:
- Street Food Stalls: Experience global flavours with offerings like fresh pad Thai, gourmet burgers, Italian arancini, Spanish paella, and Middle Eastern falafels.
- Fresh Produce: Discover a wide range of seasonal fruits and vegetables, artisanal cheeses, freshly baked bread, and organic meat.
- Sweet Treats: Good luck being able to resist these…you’ll find fresh pastries, brownies, desserts, sweets…everything you could possibly wish for.
- Seafood: Feast on fresh oysters, smoked salmon, and a variety of shellfish. Bonus points if you spot the lobster tank!
- Drinks: Enjoy craft beers, fine wines, freshly squeezed juices, and specialty coffees. You’ll find stalls to buy drinks to take home, but there are also a number of pubs in and around Borough Market that are great for a refreshing pit stop.
When is Best to Visit Borough Market?
The market is open from Tuesday to Sunday, with stalls open from:
- Tuesday to Friday: 10am – 5pm
- Saturday: 9am – 5pm
- Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Borough market can get very busy, more so around lunch time when people are hoping to grab a bite to eat from one of the many stalls. If you’re coming to just see what’s on offer and maybe pick up something that you can eat later on then the best time to visit is just after opening. This way you’ll avoid the larger crowds but also have the best choice before anything sells out…win win!
If you’re visiting Borough Market for something to eat then just be prepared to shuffle along with the crowds, join the queues and be sure to keep your bags close to you as it’s the perfect environment to be pick pocketed. Borough Market Kitchen can sometimes close if it gets too crowded, but you can still grab some food from one of the other sections so don’t give up.
Can You Visit Borough Market in the Rain?
Borough Market is technically an outdoor market, so if it’s cold outside you’ll be cold at the market, however a large portion of the market is under cover so you can visit Borough Market even when it’s raining and still be able to enjoy a dry walk around the stalls.
How to Get to Borough Market
Borough Market is super easy to get to, from both within London and from the surrounding areas.
- By Tube: The closest station is London Bridge, served by the Northern and Jubilee lines. It’s just a short walk from the station to the market.
- By Bus: Several bus routes stop near the market. To find the best bus from wherever you’re coming from, check Google Maps or Citymapper, destination: Borough Market.
- By Train: London Bridge station is for both underground (trains within London) and overground (trains across England). The overground side of the station is one of London’s biggest stations, offering connections across the country. From London Bridge station it’s not far to walk to Borough Market, maybe 5 minutes and it’s all flat.
- By Bike or on Foot: The market is well-connected to London’s extensive cycle network and is within walking distance from many central London attractions. In fact, walking to Borough Market along London’s Southbank is a very popular, scenic and enjoyable route that takes in a number of great London sights.
- By Boat: Oh yes, by boat. Although you can’t get a boat directly to Borough Market, you can get it to London Bridge City Pier using the Uber Boat and then walk from there to the market.
Parking at Borough Market
It’s much easier to reach the market by public transport than to drive, as the local London Bridge area is notoriously difficult and expensive to park in. But, if you are driving then you can find parking at the NCP or APCOA car parks near London Bridge train station.
It’s not advisable to park on the street around London Bridge as you will more than likely get a ticket or have your vehicle towed. Traffic is busy and they’re quick to act when parked vehicles cause traffic to build up, and I’m sure the traffic wardens have some kind of ninja powers that mean they just manage to appear out of thin air right when you’ve parked!
If you can, try not to drive through Borough Market itself. There are roads splitting the different sections of the market, but they’re fairly difficult to pass through due to the number of people visiting the market.
Typical Budget for Borough Market
Borough Market isn’t a spot to find a bargain lunch, but quality costs money, right?
You’ll be able to find some cheaper eats if you head to the street food area or stick to the bakery products in The Green Market (under the railway), though you can expect to pay more than at a chain store because these are independent stalls who often make it all themselves.
Here’s a rough idea of what you can expect to spend:
- Street Food: £5-£10 per dish
- Artisan Produce: £3-£10 for specialty items like cheeses, breads, or pastries
- Sit-Down Meals: £10-£20+ per person at the market’s cafes or restaurants
- Drinks: £2-£5 for a coffee or juice, £5-£10 for alcoholic beverages
For a true Borough Market experience, I’d recommend trying bits from a few different stalls and buying some yummy treats to take home too.
If you’re visiting London on a budget then even just walking through the market to see all the goodies that are on offer is just as good! The smells will have you wishing you could eat everything…except maybe the raclette, that’s certainly an acquired taste and smell!
Tours of Borough Market
If you’d like a guided tour of the market these are provided by a few different operators. Tours are great for the background information and history the guides can share about the market, the stalls and to get real recommendations of what to try. Some tours even visit a restaurant or nearby pub after to sample a few bits there too.
If you’re travelling on a budget then you can absolutely tour the market by yourself. It’s free to enter, and while the cost of some of the dishes are a bit pricey, you can easily spot the popular places by their queues. Some stalls have gone viral recently and you’re unlikely to find locals queueing up to buy strawberries covered in chocolate at astronomical prices, but it’s all part of the experience, right?
Pubs at Borough Market
Pubs and Bars Close to Borough Market
London Bridge and Southwark are really popular areas for both locals and visitors, and if you pop to a pub in the area after working hours on a week day you’ll find a lot of people out for a drink after work before heading home or on a break from their day of sightseeing.
There are plenty of pubs close to Borough Market to explore in the area, and if you walk for a few minutes you’ll find one easily. However, if you’re not one for randomly walking and seeing what you find, a few of my tried and tested recommendations are:
- The George: This is a really historic spot, built in 1676 and is London’s only remaining galleried inn. There’s a nice courtyard that is full of life in the summer, and inside the place has retained a lot of its character.
- The Bridge Tap: A lively sports bar with yummy grub on offer.
- Southwark Tavern: When I think of British pub, this is the kind of place that comes to mind, with the low light, dark wood and smell of spilt beer. There’s a downstairs area with cosy seating so don’t be put off if you go in and see no seats. Or if it’s sunny, join the locals and stand outside the front with your drink.
- The Globe Tavern: This pub is right in the heart of Borough Market, and while it’s nothing noteworthy in itself other than being a typical London pub, the real attraction here is for fans of Bridget Jones because her flat is above this pub! You’ll see the door just next to the pub, and I hope you join me in wondering how an assistant afforded to live in such a prime location…only in film world!
- The Barrowboy & Banker: Just on the edge of actual London Bridge, this bar is in a converted bank. It’s split level inside and has kept elements of the bank vibe inside to give it extra character.
- Anchor Bankside: I have never seen this place not busy, but there’s a reason for it! It’s got a prime spot next to the River Thames, inside there are multiple floors to try and navigate and the riverside terrace has tons of seating and a great vibe.
- Flat Iron Square: A collection of bars, beach chairs and a huge screen showing sports, this place feels as close to a mediterranean beach bar as you can get in London. Minus the sea. And often minus the sunshine.
- Katzenjammers: An underground Bavarian bar that serves a huge range of beers in tankards, and the best German food I’ve had yet in the city! Some nights there’s live music and it can get pretty loud, but it’s a fun place to spend some time.
Other Things to Do Near Borough Market
There’s so much to see and do in the area around Borough Market that you could actually spend all day sightseeing close by. Borough Market itself backs on to Southwark Cathedral, an historic cathedral with origins back to 606AD that has links with nearby St Thomas Hospital as it was the original site of the hospital. It’s free go inside and an impressive site to visit.
The amazing location of Borough Market means you can also easily visit London Bridge. It may be very underwhelming as many visitors think Tower Bridge is London Bridge – we have a few bridges, it can get confusing! – but thankfully from London Bridge you can get a great view of Tower Bridge, win win! It’s not too far to walk from Borough Market to the Tower of London too if that’s on your ‘to see’ list.
London Bridge is the name of an actual bridge, but also of the area around Borough Market (and near the bridge, hence the name). It can get confusing but you can usually tell if someone is talking about an area of London or a bridge…usually.
The location around London Bridge is one of the best in the city. You can easily walk across the river to the Monument of the Great Fire of London, great for an insight into a bit of London history but you can also climb it for great views of the surrounding area. Sky Garden is within easy walking distance for even better – and free – views of the city, plus the popular St Dunstan in the East, church ruins that has been an Instagram hit.
If you’re staying south of the river, the famous landmark building The Shard should be on your to-see list, offering one of the best views of the city from its upper observation decks. There’s also Hay’s Galleria, a good starting point to enjoy a walk along Southbank.
Southbank is, as the name suggests, the south bank of the River Thames. It’s a vibrant and lively area with lots to see and do, but the walk from London Bridge to the London Eye is great and includes a lot of sights including Shakespeare’s Globe, the Golden Hinde, Tate Modern and the Oxo Tower. It’s a really nice walk on a sunny day with a great vibe, I’d even choose to skip public transport in favour of enjoying the riverside walk if time permits.
If you don’t feel like walking but want to see the sights, there’s a boat terminal close to London Bridge and Tate Modern where you can jump on a boat to explore the city from the river or just to use an alternate method of public transport.
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