Borough Market

What makes it special

A railway viaduct runs straight over the stalls, carrying trains into London Bridge station above you while you shop. It has cut through the market since 1862.

Under and around it, more than 100 stalls, stands, restaurants, bars and shops trade side by side, with tea, cheese, charcuterie and oysters among what they sell. One cheese stall melts raclette over potatoes and makes melted-cheese sandwiches. Hot meat baguettes are sold to eat as you walk.

It was a fruit and vegetable wholesale hub before it switched to selling high-quality food to the public. The community still owns it through a charitable trust, run by volunteer trustees rather than a shopping-centre landlord.

Visiting

Free entry and no booking mean you can walk the areas in turn, at your own pace. Start with the street food in Borough Market Kitchen on Jubilee Place.

From there, walk into the Green Market for the small specialist produce traders, then Three Crown Square for the larger producers and merchants. The market sets no single rule on cash or cards, so ask at each stall before you order.

Seating is limited throughout and cannot be reserved, so be ready to eat standing or on the go. For a table, book one of the market's restaurants; without a booking, a sit-down lunch nearby often means waiting an hour or more. Public toilets, accessible ones included, are in Three Crown Square, Borough Market Kitchen and the Market Hall.

Guided or on your own

Walking the stalls alone works fine; the market's official, licensed tours add an expert guide. A public tasting tour runs on selected Friday mornings from 10am to 1pm and must be booked ahead.

Official tours include talks and tastings from traders and end in a hidden wine warehouse with a glass of English sparkling wine. Dates and booking are on the market's official tours page.

Tips

Bring a reusable cup for coffee, a bottle to refill and a bag for anything you buy to take home. The whole market is smoke-free.

If you come as a group, split into fives or sixes. Dogs are welcome on a lead or carried, but bikes, scooters and rollerskates must not be ridden through. Southwark Cathedral stands opposite and is free to enter if you want to add it.