Borough Market London (South Bank)

Celebrated by foodies and restaurateurs, Borough Market is a haven for those who enjoy a spot of gastronomic indulgence and are seeking out fresh, quality ingredients. Stalls offer a wide range of meat, fish, fruit and veg, dairy goods, beers and wines. A lot of the produce is organic, and there's a delectable selection of cakes and breads that beg to be tucked into right away.

Borough Market reviews

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Anybody with an interest in good quality food should take a Saturday morning trip to Borough Market. The wide range of produce, freshly-made snacks and jovial atmosphere makes it a great place. The traders seem pretty knowledgeable and always happy to share their tips on the best way to cook fennel, for example. It gets very crowded, so go early and be sure to pick something up from Brindisa.

by Milla "top london reviewer" (46 reviews), 19 Jan 2009

Probably the beating heart of foodie London. You can buy almost anything here and on the whole it is top quality. It can get expensive quite quickly if you aren't careful though.

by StuH "top london reviewer" (37 reviews), 11 Nov 2008

Not just a place to get good fresh food but also a great place to hang out, people-watch and take in the unique atmosphere. Gets very busy, so advise to go early.

by thomaslord (2 reviews), 19 Sep 2008

As good a place as any in the capital to buy fresh food, and different foods and... just to try different flavours. I was introduced to Comte Cheese here and can't understand the comment by an earlier reviewer about the 'arrogance' of the suppliers - I've found them to be friendly and helpful, as most people are if you are polite.

by guygibson, 14 Sep 2008

Still fantastic atmosphere, selection of food and ingredients direct from the producers. To avoid the crowds/tourists I recommend going on Thursdays (open 11am to 4pm), Fridays (open 11am to 5pm) or before 11am on Saturdays.

by richardbramble, 16 Sep 2007

The best thing about this market is the abundance of fruit and vegetables. Much is spoke about the meat farmers and foreign importers and quite rightly so, but the fruit and veg stands offer an incredible selection of seasonal products. On the stand called 'Turnips' they even prepare fresh fruits and salads on the premises. Fantastic.

by our trevor, 02 Jun 2007

Expensive unless you are very careful. There is some fine produce here, but also some blatant rip-offs where produce that is widely available elsewhere is sold way over the going rate. It is a shame the Trustees don't exercise as much concern on pricing as quality. The tourists who now clog the place, mostly buying nothing at all, make it a frustrating experience for real shoppers (unless you go very early). Often they stand in front of stalls taking photos of each other and completely obstructing access to people who might buy something!

by Anonymous, 14 Apr 2007

Now only for the tourists and people with large wallets buying overpriced hit-and-miss-quality food. There has been a resurgence in local farmers' markets around London and I would suggest trying out some of these first before heading to this overhyped variant.

by londoncarl, 08 Mar 2007

Pricey, presumably owing to its location, but the stalls are all well presented and quality is high.

by Matthew A. (2 reviews), 15 Nov 2006

I mainly go to the market for the Swiss cheese because it's some of the best I have ever tasted. Some stalls seem overpriced but generally the produce is very good quality, so I guess you get what you pay for.

by cheesey, 09 Nov 2006

Good fun if you like food but overcrowded and will cost you a small fortune unless you know your onions, literally. It's easy to get dragged in, so make sure you've had a Full English before you go. Look out for Farmer Sharp's lamb and mutton, The Ginger Pig for pork and bacon, Mrs King's pork pies, Echire butter, Comte cheese, Neal's Yard Dairy. Go Friday if you can.

by Boat Drinks (13 reviews), 29 Aug 2006

I still love Borough Market and shop there when I can. Most of the complaints below seem to focus on price and there are certainly cheaper places to shop for food. But the quality is superb and it's an enjoyable shopping experience in itself as the traders really know their stuff and care about food. Try to get there before 10.30am on Saturdays as it gets very busy around midday.

by Janita DB (8 reviews), 17 Aug 2006

Expensive, tourist-focused rubbish. Anyone who pays £60 for a small roe deer from a game dealer is a damned fool.

by Baldrick (4 reviews), 20 Jun 2006

Majorly over hyped market that seems to be focused more on the tourist than the real foodie. If you've got nothing else to do, pop in, but expect to fight your way past people who are just looking and wouldn't know what quality was if it fell on them.

by Leon_B (8 reviews), 05 Apr 2006

Did you know that the starting price traders pay for a whole pitch is only £20 per day? Now think about the prices some of them charge...

by tinkerjoe (2 reviews), 22 Feb 2006

This is the best place in London to buy food, in terms of both variety and quality. The quality is phenomenal, the place itself incredibly atmospheric and, because you are often buying directly from the producers, the prices are actually very reasonable.

by Anonymous, 09 Feb 2006

Visited Borough Market for the first time and thought it was amazing! I spent a fortune on produce to bring home to Wales, it was that good. We need this in Swansea!!

by Anonymous, 22 Jan 2006

Prices are often extremely painful, which is sadly typical of most farmers' markets and quite unnecessary. Look out for the Comte cheese (but also watch out for the arrogance of the people selling it).

by MissM, 22 Jan 2006

Currently the thing to do if you are thirty-something and looking to show off to guests. Painfully busy after 11am, sometimes painfully expensive, and too many gawpers standing round eating very average burgers.

Sadly the opportunistic old-school market trader is creeping in and bringing down the quality. That said, there are four great stalls and two shops always worth a visit. They aren't cheap but they are the best... and no, I'm not telling you which ones they are!

by Landon Boy (3 reviews), 07 Dec 2005

Great French stall selling Echire butter by the slab. Also look out for the wheels of Comte cheese!

by finbar (4 reviews), 29 Sep 2005

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