Borough market: Foodie's Paradise

This is one market that I have been going to for years. Since our move to London I have gone there multiple times. Not only that, I take my friends there when they visit me in London. I am a foodie so naturally one market I love going to is this one. To be honest, half the time I go there, is for the best grill cheese sandwich in the world. You all can have your favorite places. But mine is right here.




I will be amiss if I don’t mention that Borough Market has been operational for almost 1000 years. In England, there is always history and they always take immense pride in their historical landmarks. So things continue year after year in one form or another. Just to touch upon the history briefly, the modern market that we visit today came about in 1990s. The artisan food craze was taking over the world and establishment of those kinds of stalls revived the market.

My husband and I generally go to Borough's Market during weekday lunch hour. My husband and I have had a lunch date at the market many times. It helps that we can go there on the tube directly from home or his work. Meeting for a quick lunch of our favorite sandwich takes us back to our younger days. In those days we used to share an oily and spicy plate of pulao rice at a street food market of our hometown.





After building the anticipation of my favorite sandwich I better tell you the name of the place that makes it. Drum roll please: Kappacasein Dairy. They just make two things: decadent Montgomery cheddar cheese tostie and Swiss raclette—with heaped melted Ogleshield on a pile of baby potatoes. The cheese is fresh and flavorful. We have stopped ourselves from indulging many a times for the Swiss raclette. We can’t be that self indulgent!






There are vendors selling amazing varieties of cheese, fudge, chocolates, olive oils, spices, meats and fresh fruits and vegetables. If you want to cook anything exotic at home, I am sure you will be able to find the ingredients here.



Amazing variety of spices!





Mouth watering backed goods!

And the street food market is also something to write home about! The flavors are totally international. You can find Indian, Spanish, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, and many more. As usual with London, the vegan and the vegetarian options are a plenty. Lunch time is always crowded. You pick up your bowl and find a nook to enjoy your delight!









There are not many places to sit to have your food. You are always chasing the few seats there are, waiting for a tired tourist to make space for you. But it is all worth it. With mouth stuffed with food, shooing the birds, I soak in the atmosphere watching people. And did I mention the sounds? Part of the market is under the railway bridge so every so often apart from the chirping birds, laughter, and chatter you hear the passing train overhead.The mix of smells wafting from all kinds of food cooking in the open, mixes with the smells of coffee and baked goods. The taste, the sounds and the smells and last but not the least the visual appeal of the whole atmosphere are a sensory delight.










There is a famous Italian eatery Padella, which always has line just before it opens. I have promised myself that one day I will resist the tostie and stand in the line for fresh pasta! The pasta is made just hours before they are served. There is also Elliot’s, a restaurant, famous for its burgers.




Flanked by the Shard, the tallest building in London with its modern architecture on one side and the thousand years old Southwark Cathedral on the other side, this market is truly a mix of old and new! I will leave it at that for you to discover your foodie delight from many many eateries.




Southwark Cathedral