The 2025 London spring market guide

Navigating The Capital’s Weird, Pretentious, Delightful and Delicious Market Scene

There is nothing more synonymous with Spring as a good old-fashioned street market. Here in London, they pop up across the city as frequently as daisies (or weeds, depending how you look at it) and, if the phrase ‘vegan sourdough’ doesn’t fill you with anxiety, it can be a wonderfully exciting opportunity for some insubstantial shopping. So, it’s time to wean ourselves off the Lemsip, shed our collective dressing gowns and emerge from the winter hibernation in search of a new knick knack.

Maltby Street Market

The good news about Bermondsey’s most esteemed market street is that everything you put in your mouth is likely to be delicious. The focus here is very much on food. You can dive proverbially into a wealth of duck fat frites, Ethiopian vegetable curries, Criolla empanadas and fresh calamari. Yum! The downside is you will be strongly encouraged by both the vendors and (probably) those around you to drink Aperol Spritz, which has become more contagious in South London than the latest strain of COVID.

Score: 8/10

Walthamstow Market

Robust. Gritty. Affordable. It could only be Europe’s longest market (this is true, I have sources) in Walthamstow. Not only a cornucopia of food, clothes, crafts and toys, but also one of the only places in London where you can buy a curry and a carwash for under a tenner. This is a first choice destination for anyone who is running low on soap and doesn’t want to pay the Boots market rate. Arrive ready to haggle and blend in by wearing black puffer coat and reebok classics.

Score: 7/10

Broadway Market

A trip to Hackney really is something to behold in the year 2025. In this quasi-mythic land, hipsters roam the streets like Paleozoic creatures, grazing on lentils and almond butter, and yogis clutch their mats in terror as thousands of financial workers descend upon their parks for the weekend squeeze. There is no more quintessential shopping spot in the borough than the oh-so-famous Broadway Market, where you can peruse an assortment of scarves, candles, cheeses and greeting cards. Is it a cheap day out? No. But is it worth it for the experience? Also, no. Really, this is the height of east London frivolity but maybe you like that, and, besides, you’ve been on the lookout for a wooden spatula since ages.

Score: 6/10

Portobello Road Market

You may know this white-bricked west London street fair as the setting for the classic 1999 romcom, ‘Notting Hill’ or, more recently, the ‘Paddington’ franchise. I have been and, unfortunately, was unable to locate either Hugh Grant or any species of bear. On the plus side, there were plenty of delicious appetisers on show - dumplings and pickled garlic, for example. As much as it would be nice if Julia Roberts were to make an appearance, I’m also just a boy, standing in front of a market, asking for some free olives.

Score: 9/10

In my experience, marketing is a lot like marketing - eh? You get out what you put in. So, this Spring, why not go forth and seek out your own personal market paradise.