When people think of London markets, often those such as Columbia Road Flower Market and the busy food scene of Borough Market come to mind first.
But if you’re looking for a smaller market with lots of nearby local attractions with easy links to central London, Greenwich Market in south east London is worth the visit.
The market has won a number of awards in recent months, including being named as the UK’s best Christmas market by Solopress, and it recently won the Tourism and Culture award at the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2024.
This 287-year-old market first opened in 1737, just a short walk from the Thames and the docks of Greenwich, although market traders had been on the site as far back as the 14th century.
Today the market brings together an eclectic mix of traders, vendors and businesses, which even made it onto an episode of BBC’s The Apprentice.
Here you’ll find everything from baked goods to scented candles, homeware and fashion all within this covered space, as well as the busy riverside food market next to the Cutty Sark.
For foodies, Greenwich Market also offers a pretty diverse mix of food vendors, from baked vegan treats at Arapina where you’ll find their popular croissants, to wraps at Market Wraps.
If you fancy something warming you can find artisan chocolate made with chocolate shavings at Dark Sugars Chocolates on Nelson Road.
If you visit the market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, the market hosts an antiques and collectables fair, where you can scout around a range of traders to find some hidden gems.
The local area is also full of a plethora of independent shops, like Humbugs where you’ll find a huge variety of novelty, nostalgic and popular sweets, and Aura Beauty which sell freshly made beauty products, skincare and bath bombs.
But aside from the shopping and food, the market is well situated within a short walk of a number of attractions including the Cutty Sark – a 19th century tea clipper – and The Old Royal Naval College, that has captured the imaginations of filmmakers like Chistopher Nolan and Ridley Scott.
If you fancy a stroll after sampling the local food you’ll also find Greenwich Park, famously known as London’s oldest enclosed park, which offers plenty of wide open spaces along with views of the London skyline from next to the Royal Observatory.
Finally, if you fancy a drink at the pub, Greenwich has plenty of them including the Plume of Feathers, which is one of London’s oldest pubs dating back to 1691,and The Greenwich Tavern, which is a Instagram-worthy riverside pub that pays homage to Greenwich’s naval history.
