Borough Market

If you’re in London even for a few days like I was, you need to make time to go and visit Borough Market. The market can be accessed with little difficulty as it is right behind the tube station, London Bridge. You could as well travel there by bus, but make sure you ask the driver for advice. The bus stops that you could jump out from would be London Bridge, Borough High Street and/or Southwark Street.

The market is open from Monday to Saturday and is closed on Sundays. The time for the market differs for different periods and I recommend that you check the hours beforehand. You’ve got a few sections of the market. There will be an area where you could purchase fruits, vegetables and products from cheese, to cured meats, to truffles, meat and seafood. The list goes on and on really. Since I live in France, I took a snap shot of the cheese and cured meat shop there, which could have easily been a shop that you could find here in Paris.

You can also a walk in the section with cafes, restaurants, bars and other eateries. Again, they have so many different businesses here that offer such a massive variety of food and drinks that you will have a hard time picking what to have. All of them appealed to me when I was hungry, so it might be tough to single one or two out. I did see quite a few take-away bags and boxes of fish and chips from a place called Fish! Restaurant, so my assumption was that this place is worth a visit.

My favourite thing about Borough Market is its liveliness. I love the fact that that restaurants and cafes traverse beyond their indoor seating areas. They would offer hot meals that are quick to be made and could be purchased outside. For example, one place here had a gigantic pot of paella, cooked before your very own eyes. They also have other winter warmers, such as Asian curries and stews. The vendors are also really nice and thoughtful in the way they treat the onlookers. I was one of many people who peeked over to see what the curries and stews were all about. One guy grabbed a small teaspoon and scooped up a sample for me to taste. It was really nice, especially as the warm curry instantly warms you up. I just wished that he would have either used a bigger spoon or given me more samples though!

I already had eaten a big breakfast prior to my visit, but I could not really stop myself from trying the hot paella with Spanish stew. I know that paella and stew with chorizo is not the most 'English' dish out there, but the aroma was just compelling me to buy some. I joined the line of fellow hungry foodies that were also enticed by the vibrant colours and nose-kicking aroma of the food. Since I was stuffed from my morning breakfast, I chose to avoid the beer. My friend ended up buying some beer though, and I must say that they do have lots of options for drinks here. After all, you might as well try out as many local beers as you can while in England - or at least that’s what we tried to do for every single meal time. For this specific place, you get a choice of either mash potato or paella to go with the stew. I chose paella, since I had mashed potato the night before with some delicious pie - I will try to talk about my experience at this pie and mash place next if I can find some pics to show you guys.

Just next to Borough Market, there is a cathedral. This is not just any cathedral, though, as its roots go way back to 606 AD. Southwark Cathedral is in the perfect location for you to appreciate the effortless blend between the antiquated and the modern. Various events are organised at the cathedral, and you can find out more information about these via the link at the very end of the post.

I would personally recommend that you go to Borough Market just in time for your brunch/lunch. There is a lot to see and do in and around the market. You could easily spend an hour wandering around and then maybe half an hour more grabbing something to eat - and trust me, you will have so many options to choose from. Another advantage about visiting Borough Market is that it’s the perfect starting spot for your day if you were to visit more famous London attractions, like St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, amongst others. We had a great walk from Borough Market along the River Thames to Tower Bridge: it took us around half an hour, but that included us stopping every once in a while to take some photos. It is a pleasant walk along the river, complete with some great views, and is the perfect way to burn off the calories from your previous meal!

The market is a fantastic place to start off your long day in London. You will thoroughly enjoy walking around the market and its smaller streets, as well as visiting or taking a seat at Southwark Cathedral, or viewing the tall skyscraper of The Shard, this is a place that has so many things to do and see (and eat). If this post has appealed to you, you may also want to check with your hotel and the locals for other similar markets; I know of a few other but can’t speak of them since I did not get a chance to visit them. Do check out Borough Market if you’ve just recently moved to London, and make this place a priority first stop for your day if you’re simply visiting the city!

If you like the content of this post, or just want to check out some pictures that I take on my adventure, feel free to like and/or follow me on instagram at oat93, cheers!

Important links:

• Borough Market
• Southwark Cathedral