Regent's Canal
Since Borough market has become a tourist destination in the last few years, it has put me off going there in the weekends... I was there with a friend a few weeks ago and it was so packed that I couldn't even get to the stalls! Although I visit my local farmers market weekly, I am also interested in food markets in other parts of London. In the past, I have visited Brixton market (very colourful & exotic), Ridley Road market in Dalston (amazingly cheap but a bit chaotic), Shepherd's bush market (I haven't been there recently but it's huge and great for upholstery products, it's much cheaper than John Lewis!) and Whitechapel market (cheap but they sell in bulk, so it's great if you live in the area).
Since its relaunch in 2004, Broadway market has become more and more popular, partly due to the rise of young professionals, artists and designers living in Dalston and Hackney over the past few years. Now it is officially 'THE' trendiest market in London, luckily, there is no tube station nearby, so it still hasn't been invaded by tourists yet (unlike Spitalfields market nearby)! However, it is still very busy because it only opens on Saturdays, so it's best to come early.
Market stalls
The best way to get there is by bus, or alternatively on foot or even by boat... since the market is by the Regent's Canal, it probably would be quite nice to walk along the canal from Islington in warmer weather. The market is not huge, but it's interesting enough to spend one or two hours here. There's enough street food to keep your stomache busy here, the most popular ones are the Vietnamese stall Bánhmì11 which sell pho and banh mi, the cupcake stall by Violet Cupcake, the coffee stall by Chimpson & Sons and a fresh oysters stall. But the best thing about the market is that apart from the market stalls, there are also interesting and independent shops, delis and cafes along the street. One of the most famous one is F.Cooke, a traditional pie and mash shop which has been around since the 1930s. If you want to try jellied eels, then this is the place... although I like eating Unagi/ Japanese grilled eels, I am still a bit hesitant about jellied eels, for the mean time, I think I will just go for their cherry pies!
Pie & mash at F.Cooke
Chimpson & sons is a coffee wholesaler but they also have a small cafe here. The atmosphere here is relaxed but it can get quite busy and there's usually a long wait for the coffee... However, the coffee (not latte or cappuccino) itself is good, quite strong but not acidic, definitely much better than the average cafes or chained coffee shops in London.
Chimpson & sons cafe
There are quite a few book stores here including vintage bookstores which is always quite encouraging to see. But if you like art and design, then Artwords is an interesting place to visit because it has many unusual design books and magazines here. Not far from the bookstore (off the market street) is Hub, an independent fashion store housed inside an unique looking building.
Hub
Yinka Shonibare’s space (or Guest Projects) on Andrew's Road (opp. the Canal) is an interesting gallery space exhibiting contemporary work by different artistic discipline (dance, visual arts, music). The current project is 'Physical Centre', originated from Brooklyn, New York, features emerging artists whose work include videos, photography and sculptures.
Although I keep mentioning that I don't like trendy places, I quite like the atmosphere of Broadway market (probably because there is still a 'local' feel to it), I just hope that it will not become the next Borough market... fingers crossed!
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