When is the market at its peak?

Sundays — the main market day with all 100+ stalls. Thursday Antiques Day is quieter and specialist.

Is it covered from weather?

Yes — the historic iron-and-glass hall covers nearly all stalls. The adjacent brick-paved courtyard is open-air but close to covered retail.

How does it differ from Borough Market?

Borough Market specialises in food; Spitalfields focuses on fashion, art and vintage with a smaller food component. Both are historic covered markets.

Can I buy directly from designers?

Yes — the Sunday UpMarket focuses on emerging independent designers selling their own work directly.

London

All Experiences

Old Spitalfields Market

London: Old Spitalfields Market

1-2 hours

Spitalfields

Wheelchair Accessibility:

Yes

Operating Hours:Monday - Friday: 10:00 - 20:00. Saturday: 11:00 - 17:00. Sunday: 10:00 - 17:00 (main market day)

The Vibe:Historic covered market, East End independent spirit.

Under a soaring Victorian iron-and-glass roof off Bishopsgate, Spitalfields Market has traded since 1638. Today's market blends 100+ independent traders — fashion, art, antiques, vintage — with permanent retail, restaurants, and a massive Sunday food scene.
Natural light falls through the iron-framed glass; crafters set out stalls along brick-paved aisles. The old meat market sections house restaurants; Sunday's food section hums with cooking and chatter.

• Trading continuously since 1638, making it one of London's oldest markets
• Current Victorian building dates to 1887, Grade II listed
• Hosts over 100 stalls plus permanent retailers in a 12,000 sq m space
• Sunday is the main market day, drawing 25,000+ visitors

Fit For

👨‍👩‍👧 Families: Covered shelter, family-friendly stalls and street food
💕 Couples: Thursday Antiques Day or Sunday food-and-fashion combo
👵 Seniors: Flat paved, covered, plentiful seating in restaurants
📸 Photographers: Victorian iron roofs and cobblestone brick paving

Highlights

Victorian market hall — the iron-and-glass building, architectural highlight
Sunday UpMarket — main stall day with fashion, art and vintage finds
Thursday Antiques Market — specialist dealers with vintage curios
Permanent food court — over 20 restaurants from dim sum to Turkish
Fashion and design stalls — emerging designers and established indie brands
Christ Church Spitalfields — Hawksmoor's 1729 Anglican Gothic just across the road — Hidden Gem

London Local Expert

Sarah Riches

Overview

Persona Fit

Highlights

Plan Your Visit (FAQ’s)

Things To Do Nearby

TJ's Guide

Know Your Facts

Once You Reach

Similar Options

Plan Your Visit

Things To Do Nearby

Brick Lane — famous street of curry houses and vintage shops, five minutes east

Liverpool Street Station — major transport hub, five minutes south

Shoreditch — nightlife and street art district, 10 minutes north

Dennis Severs' House — immersive 18th-century house-museum, three minutes north

Brick Lane — famous street of curry houses and vintage shops, five minutes east

Liverpool Street Station — major transport hub, five minutes south

Shoreditch — nightlife and street art district, 10 minutes north

Dennis Severs' House — immersive 18th-century house-museum, three minutes north

TJ's Guide - Old Spitalfields Market

Know Before You Go

Insider Tips

Best Time: Sunday for full market atmosphere; Thursday for specialist antiques

Hack: Combine with Brick Lane for a full East End morning — the areas flow naturally

Hidden Gem: Dennis Severs' House around the corner offers immersive 18th-century history

Early Sunday (10:00) beats the 14:00 peak crowd

Christ Church Spitalfields (Hawksmoor) is free to enter and architecturally stunning

Best Time: Sunday for full market atmosphere; Thursday for specialist antiques

Hack: Combine with Brick Lane for a full East End morning — the areas flow naturally

Hidden Gem: Dennis Severs' House around the corner offers immersive 18th-century history

Early Sunday (10:00) beats the 14:00 peak crowd

Christ Church Spitalfields (Hawksmoor) is free to enter and architecturally stunning

Know Your Facts

Getting There & Entrances

Amenities

Closest Tube: Liverpool Street (Central, Circle, Metropolitan, Elizabeth), 5-minute walk
Alternative: Aldgate East or Shoreditch High Street (Overground)
Main entrance: Commercial Street (east) and Brushfield Street (west)
First-time tip: The market connects to the surrounding streets on all four sides

Once You Reach

Internal Navigation

Three sections: Old Market (main hall), New Spitalfields, Commercial Street strip

Venue map: Printed guide at main entrances; app available

Signage: Clear within the hall

Accessibility: Step-free throughout the covered market

Efficient route: Enter from Liverpool Street side, browse fashion, cross to food court, exit via Commercial Street to Brick Lane

Food & Coffee Shops

Poppies Fish and Chips (Spitalfields): Traditional British, inside the market

Dim T (Spitalfields): Pan-Asian with vegetarian options

The Ten Bells (across Commercial Street): Historic pub with Jack the Ripper connection

Poppies Fish and Chips (Spitalfields): Traditional British, inside the market

Dim T (Spitalfields): Pan-Asian with vegetarian options

The Ten Bells (across Commercial Street): Historic pub with Jack the Ripper connection

Photography Tips

Iron-and-glass roof from below gives strong geometric compositions

Covered lighting is diffuse — good for handheld portraits

Street art murals along Brushfield Street benefit from overcast days

Tripods welcome in less crowded areas

Iron-and-glass roof from below gives strong geometric compositions

Covered lighting is diffuse — good for handheld portraits

Street art murals along Brushfield Street benefit from overcast days

Tripods welcome in less crowded areas

Explore Deeper

A market has traded here since 1638, when Charles I granted a Royal Charter. The current Victorian building opened in 1887 as a wholesale fruit and vegetable market, supplying much of East London. Wholesale operations moved to Leyton in 1991; the restored building reopened to retail in 2005.

The Huguenot refugees who settled in Spitalfields in the 17th century were silk weavers; their legacy is still visible in the area's Georgian townhouse workshops with their distinctive upper-floor windows

The Victorian market hall was designed by architect Robert Horner in 1887 in the iron-and-glass 'railway shed' style that defined Victorian industrial architecture

Christ Church Spitalfields, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1729, stands directly across Commercial Street — one of Britain's finest Baroque churches

The surrounding Brick Lane Bangladeshi community established their stronghold in the 1960s-70s; the area is now one of London's most diverse cultural districts

The Huguenot refugees who settled in Spitalfields in the 17th century were silk weavers; their legacy is still visible in the area's Georgian townhouse workshops with their distinctive upper-floor windows

The Victorian market hall was designed by architect Robert Horner in 1887 in the iron-and-glass 'railway shed' style that defined Victorian industrial architecture

Christ Church Spitalfields, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1729, stands directly across Commercial Street — one of Britain's finest Baroque churches

The surrounding Brick Lane Bangladeshi community established their stronghold in the 1960s-70s; the area is now one of London's most diverse cultural districts

Did You Know?

Royal Charter — Charles I granted the original market in 1638; it has operated continuously since

Jack the Ripper area — The Ten Bells pub across the street has strong associations with the 1888 Whitechapel murders

Huguenot heritage — 18th-century silk-weaver Huguenots' townhouses survive throughout Spitalfields

Hawksmoor — Christ Church Spitalfields is one of only six London churches by the great Hawksmoor

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London: Old Spitalfields Market

Fit For

Highlights

London Local Expert

Sarah Riches

Table of Contents

Once You Reach

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