The London food scene is ever-changing and the growing popularity of upscale food halls is part of that. If you fancy eating out, but want a much broader choice than a single restaurant will allow for - these may be just what you need. We round up some of London's best.
Boxhall City
Liverpool Street - 1-27, The Arcade, Liverpool St, City of London, London EC2M 7PN
This latest opening is something of a departure for the team behind BoxPark, as they've taken over a historic arcade in the heart of the City. The space features 13 restaurants, including bakery star Sourdough Sophia and fine dining Indian restaurant Farzi. There are also two bars and a stage for live entertainment.
What should we search out? Kitchen No 8 is their chef-led kitchen where you can find a rotating selection of guest chefs. For the launch, it's Congolese chef Ms Joyce K and James Cochran (ex-1251) will be cooking there too.
Corner Corner
Canada Water - Maritime St, London SE16 7LL
This new Docklands venue stands out from the crowd not least because it has its own indoor farm to make it a super sustainable place to go. Kerb are behind the food offering, while the team behind Drumsheds are curating the entertainment side of things. There are four traders in place for the launch, all of whom who have been chosen as they’ll be able to use vegetables and salads grown on site.
What should we search out? We’re longtime fans of Chick 'n' Sours, so the fact that this is their first outing south of the river makes them the ones to try, and they look to be doing a new Thai chicken salad here.
Seven Dials Market
Covent Garden - 35 Earlham St, London WC2H 9LD
This Covent Garden food hall comes from Kerb, who have years of experience with their street food markets around London which they've translated into this, their first food hall. They took over the Thomas Neal’s Warehouse in Seven Dials, bringing with them some of the top traders from their Markets. There are two distinct food areas, Banana Warehouse which is more of a sit-and-eat spot and Cucumber Alley for desserts and snacks.
What should we search out? There's a lot of really interesting traders here, including Jollof Mama, Bleecker and Yum Bun but Pick & Cheese, with its cheese conveyor belt is definitely at the top of the list.
Market Halls
Oxford Circus, Victoria, Canary Wharf, Paddington
Market Halls have four halls across London, by Victoria station, just off Oxford Street, in Canary Wharf and, their newest opening, at Paddington station. Each of them features between 7-11 traders, and all are in very handy positions. Victoria and Paddington are both right beside the station and the Oxford Street hall is just seconds away from the UK's busiest shopping street. Victoria also boasts a great rooftop terrace that, in the warmer months, will make you the envy of any commuters heading to catch a train at the station.
What should we search out? Gopal's Corner from Roti King can be found in all of the halls. We'd also recommend From The Ashes Parilla and Breddos Tacos at Paddington and Krapow at Oxford Street.
Hawley Wharf
Camden - 1 Dockray Place, London NW1 8QH
This huge canalside spot in Camden is home to all manner of restaurants and bars. Food and drink vendors are split across two buildings with more in the spaces under the arches. It's a very useful spot to know about if you're after somewhere to eat where you can escape some of the frenetic energy of the rest of Camden Market.
Who should I search out? Three Uncles with their Cantonese roasted meats have been here since day one. There's Dhakaar for Bangladeshi street food and we've also tried the amazing wagyu burgers at Flip & Sear, which we can heartily recommend.
Eataly
City of London - 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3YD
This giant Italian food hall takes up a great big section of Liverpool Street making it a perfect spot for city workers to dive into at lunchtimes and post-work. There are a mix of counter and deli-style spots for grabbing and going along with spaces to sit down and two restaurants upstairs.
Who should I search out? If you can’t get a good caprese salad here at Pasta E Pizza with its Fiordilatte mozzarella made in-house and Natoora seasonal tomatoes then where in London could you? Top chef Carlo Cracco has a restaurant with a wood-fired focus; if you're after a big cut of meat from the market here to share, this is the place to go.
Upmarket Food Hall, Brick Lane
Brick Lane - 83 Brick Ln, London E1 6QR
Both inside and outside this massive food hall on Brick Lane, you’ll find a hotchpotch of vintage stalls and food and drink traders. And it’s an eclectic mix as far as the street food is concerned with everything from Dutch pancakes and freshly made macarons to tteok-bokki with gochujang is on sale here.
What should we search out? A new/returning trader that’s worth checking out is Coba Mexicana, a halal taqueria who do amazing birria tacos and piping hot churros.
Canteen Food Hall & Bar
Greenwich Peninsula - Soames Walk, London SE10 0AX
This somewhat outlandish-looking construction on the Greenwich Peninsula houses six food vendors, a coffee spot and a bar in what looks to be a deconstructed giant greenhouse.
Who should I search out? Juk Pou boast that they're London’s very first congee and youtiao street food concept, while the newest arrival is Greeko who are serving up a mix of gyros and (handy for groups) sharing hot and cold mezze platters.
Market Place
Peckham, Vauxhall, Harrow (St Paul's is opening in May and Baker Street is also in the offing)
With three locations in South and West London and another on the way, Market Place prides itself on offering spots to local small traders to make their big break. They're also keen to make sure their food halls are as diverse as the city they're in so there should be something here for everyone.
Who should I search out? In Vauxhall, you've got to try the burgers from Heard, which is a venture by Michelin-starred chef Jordan Bailey. In Harrow, the Korean fried chicken from Kokodoo is very good.
Arcade Food Hall
New Oxford Street and Battersea
Run by the team at JKS Restaurants, these food halls have a variety of food vendors reflecting the buzz of London's food scene right now. They're probably one of the glossiest food hall operators in London at the moment, particularly when you look at their new Battersea Power Station offering which also has a riverside alfresco offering, Arcade X, in the summer months.
Who should I search out? The top draw at Arcade is probably the standalone restaurant by Luke Farrell on the Mezzanine - Plaza Khao Gaeng focusing on Southern Thai comfort food. At Battersea the must-try dish is the smash burgers from Manna, created by Bake Street's Feroz Gaija.
Bang Bang Oriental
Colindale - 399 Edgware Rd, London NW9 0FH
This one is further out than any of the other food halls on the list, but if you venture out to Colindale, you'll find one of the UK's largest food halls, which also happens to be one of our favourites. As well as being one of the first of London's modern-day food halls, Bang Bang Oriental has remained one of the most popular. It's a Pan-Asian food court, with 33 kiosks in total (and seating for 450), allowing for a huge and diverse range in food.
Who should I search out? For dim sum, you should head to Royal China, while the roast duck at Four Seasons is always going to be a solid choice.
Metropolis Food Hall
Vauxhall - 72 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
If you prefer your food hall to transform into a club later in the evening, then the place you need to hit up is Metropolis. Tucked under Albert Embankment in one of the Railway Arches, there are 11 food traders inside but also a stage and loads of screens allowing it to put on karaoke and pub quiz events alongside showing the big sporting fixtures. There’s also a decent-sized terrace for the summer.
What should we search out? Options include loaded fries, Cal-Mex tacos and ramen, while the sushi from Sekushi is deservedly popular as is the jerk inasal from Kusina.
Boxpark
Shoreditch, Camden, Croydon and Wembley
If you've only ever been to the most central Boxpark in Shoreditch (which has had a reprieve from the developers, at least until September) - their behemoths at Croydon and Wembley are quite different beasts. There, the traders (there are 20+ at each location) surround a large communal dining area. Open all week, their events are well worth noting - from weekend parties, to screenings and Croydon is the number one place for key football fixtures. Camden is the smallest, newest addition to the group.
What should we search out? Popular vendors at Wembley include Sides by The Sidemen and Smashing Plates' Greek plates, while at Croydon, look for Raps Fried Chicken from Tinie Tempah. At Camden, it's the Yorkshire Burrito you need to try.
Harrods Dining Hall
Knightsbridge - 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL
Renovated a few years back as part of a major overhaul of the food halls at Harrods, the Dining Hall features a series of counter dining experiences from well-known chefs. As you might expect, the space is quite beautiful and there's also the major benefit of being able to book seats online.
What should we search out? There are seven separate restaurants in total. The most impressive offering is Sushi by MASA which sees New York chef Masayoshi (‘Masa’) Takayama, take his multi-Michelin-starred sushi to London for the first time. Kinoya Ramen by chef Neha Mishra is also very good.
Mercato Metropolitano
Elephant & Castle, Mayfair and Canary Wharf
Mercato Metropolitano originally set up their first food court at Elephant & Castle - a mix of street traders, shopping and bars, with a distinct Italian flavour. That's now on borrowed time (the space is being redeveloped), but they also have Mercato Mayfair, along with a newer market at Wood Wharf. Their Mayfair one, which is inside a Grade I-listed and deconsecrated church between Oxford Street and Grosvenor Square, is the best-looking food hall in London, without a doubt.
What should we search out? Molo's lobster rolls are always a good choice, and the BeBeMe wine bar in the crypt at Mercato Mayfair is particularly atmospheric.
London's Food Halls, mapped.
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