The Stalls Everyone Talks About
Borough Market has around 100 traders, and while quality is high across the board, certain stalls have achieved a level of fame that extends well beyond the market itself. These are the vendors that food writers recommend, locals return to week after week and visitors travel across London specifically to try.
Kappacasein is arguably the market's most photographed stall. The Swiss-style raclette involves scraping a thick layer of melted cheese onto a plate of potatoes, pickles and onions. The sight of the bubbling cheese being scraped from a half-wheel draws crowds, and the taste lives up to the spectacle. They also make an excellent grilled cheese toastie using their own recipe cheese blend.
Bread Ahead started as a stall at Borough Market and has since grown into a bakery with multiple locations across London. Their sourdough doughnuts remain the signature product. Filled with custard, salted caramel or seasonal flavours, they are widely regarded as some of the best doughnuts in the city. The bakery also runs baking classes from its school beside the market.
Meat, Fish and Charcuterie
Brindisa has been at Borough Market since the 1990s, bringing Spanish food to London before it was widely available. Their chorizo roll, a grilled chorizo sausage in a ciabatta roll with piquillo peppers and rocket, is one of the market's most popular items. The queue often stretches several metres, particularly at lunchtime.
Ginger Pig is a butcher that rears its own livestock on farms in North Yorkshire. The sausage rolls, pork pies and Scotch eggs sold at the market stall are made from their own meat and have won numerous awards. If you are looking for high-quality British meat, this is the place. For a full guide to what to eat at Borough Market, including how to plan a grazing route, there is plenty more to discover beyond these headline stalls.
The Shell Seekers and Richard Haward's Oysters both offer seafood, with Haward's being particularly notable for serving Colchester native oysters that his family has been cultivating since the 1790s. Standing at his stall eating oysters with a squeeze of lemon is one of Borough Market's simplest and best experiences.
Coffee, Cheese and Speciality Ingredients
Monmouth Coffee has operated at Borough Market since 2001 and is regarded as one of the pioneers of speciality coffee in London. They roast their own beans, sourced directly from farms, and serve filter coffee and espresso from a small shop that nearly always has a queue outside. Many Londoners consider it the best cup of coffee in the city.
Neal's Yard Dairy is a cheese shop that has done more than almost any other business to revive British farmhouse cheesemaking. The shop at Borough Market stocks a rotating selection of cheeses aged in their own cellars, including Montgomery's Cheddar, Stichelton, Colston Bassett Stilton and Tunworth. The staff are knowledgeable and happy to offer samples and recommendations.
Just Outside the Market
Padella is technically not inside Borough Market but sits just beside it on Southwark Street. This fresh pasta restaurant serves handmade pasta dishes and has been consistently rated as one of London's best affordable restaurants since it opened. There is no booking system, so a queue is almost guaranteed, but the wait rarely exceeds 30 to 40 minutes and the food is worth the patience.
Roast, the restaurant on the first floor of the Floral Hall overlooking the market, offers a more formal dining experience using Borough Market ingredients. It is an excellent spot for a weekend brunch with views over the market below.
