109 Commercial Street, London E1 6BG

Thursday & Friday 10am-4pm / Sunday 9am-5pm

Once a fruit and veg market, it has been transformed into a bohemian, sparky, trend-steppin' destination. It's best on Sunday, where you'll find enough organic food to feed an army of foodies, retro lampshades, brilliant art-school fashion, one-off jewellery and a whole array of stuff you wouldn't find anywhere else. Inside the market is The Spitz, a music venue, restaurant and bar which makes a fine vantage point to watch all those people walking in and out of the stalls, pointing at things. As with all markets, visitors who set their alarms to early and arrive with the traders are most likely to scoop themselves a bargain - an estimated 20,000 people visit every Sunday. You can also barter, although remember that this is England and we are slightly embarrassed by anything to do with money.

Borough Market

8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL

Thursday 11am-5pm / Friday 12-6pm / Saturday 9am-4pm

Borough Market divides Londoners like the equally English breakfast spread, Marmite. Some love its endless stalls of organic and free-range food, the myriad cafes that surround the medieval market and the opportunity to queue for hours just to get one of the juicy, dripping,sausages in an (organic) bread roll the market excels at. Others despise the overpricing, the overarching middle-classness of it all - and having to queue for hours to get those narcotic, delicious sausages. Borough Market's location is part of its charm; from London Bridge train station you walk past the gothic Southwark Cathedral, under a railway arch named Green Dragon Walk and into a clamouring sea of pickles, cakes, olives and, yup, sizzling meat.

COLUMBIA ROAD FLOWER MARKET
Columbia Road, London E2
Sunday 8am-2pm

This isn’t just shopping – it’s entertainment. Columbia Road is an unexpected oasis of blooms and blossom tucked away in trendy, grimy east London. You’ll start to see signs that you’re near: couple clutching oversized plants and pots; single men with an orchid tucked under their arm; women with their faces obscured by flowers. You’ll find over 50 stalls selling flowers, plants and garden paraphernalia, as well as heady, thick coffee. Just around the corner on Brick Lane is the famous Beigel Bakery which is dirt cheap and unbeatable.