Photo: Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff via Geograph
Whitecross Street Market
Whitecross Street Market is one of London's oldest markets, trading on this Islington street for well over 150 years. Today it is best known as a weekday lunchtime destination, when a busy run of street-food vendors and a handful of general stalls fills the pedestrianised stretch between Old Street and Fortune Street. Office workers from the City and the Barbican pour in for hot food cooked fresh in front of you, giving the market a lively, fast-moving character that peaks around midday.
Opening times
The market runs Monday to Friday, with the food stalls busiest over the lunchtime window from roughly late morning to early afternoon. Friday tends to be the fullest day, with trading often continuing later into the afternoon. The market does not run at weekends, so plan a weekday visit and arrive close to midday to catch the widest choice of stalls.
What's on the stalls
The big draw is the street food, with vendors serving cuisine from around the world: award-winning Kurdish takeaway, Korean bibimbap, Ethiopian plates, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Moroccan, Turkish and Italian dishes, plus burritos, fresh pizza, hog roasts, pies, crepes and cakes. Alongside the food you will find a smaller general market selling clothes, handcrafted jewellery and household items. Traders encourage shoppers to bring reusable containers as part of the market's sustainable ethos.
Around the market / getting there
Whitecross Street sits in south Islington between Old Street and Fortune Street, a short walk from the Barbican and the northern edge of the City of London. Old Street and Barbican stations are both close by, making it an easy stop on a weekday. The surrounding area has plenty of cafes, pubs and independent shops if you want to linger after grabbing lunch.
Common questions
- What are Whitecross Street Market opening times?
- Whitecross Street Market runs Monday to Friday, with the street-food stalls busiest over the lunchtime period around midday. Friday is typically the fullest day and often trades later into the afternoon. The market is closed at weekends.
- Is Whitecross Street Market free?
- Yes. Entry to Whitecross Street Market is free and you simply pay for whatever food or goods you choose to buy from the stalls.
- What is the best time to visit Whitecross Street Market?
- Lunchtime on a weekday is the best time to visit, with the widest choice of street-food stalls open. Arrive close to midday, and try Friday for the busiest and liveliest atmosphere.
- Where is Whitecross Street Market?
- The market is on Whitecross Street in south Islington, London, between Old Street and Fortune Street and close to the Barbican. The nearest stations are Old Street and Barbican.
Other markets nearby
- Smithfield Poultry Market Smithfield, City of London
- Exmouth Market Clerkenwell, Islington
- Leather Lane Market Holborn, Camden
- Old Spitalfields Market Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets
- Hoxton Street Market Hoxton, Hackney
- Leadenhall Market City of London