Wyndham Wisdom

To Market, To Market

In London, you can buy anything from a fat pig to cashmere socks and vintage collectibles

The British have a duck-like tolerance for wet weather, so London's vibrant market scene is always happening, rain or shine. But with so many great markets to choose from, how does a visitor decide where to start? Here's a short list of the best--where Londoners go to shop, eat, drink and just enjoy. (Check websites for opening and closing times.)

Old Spitalfields Market: best for artisans
Commercial St. between Folgate and Brushfield streets, E1
Nearest tube stop: Liverpool Street
Open Thursday-Sunday
www.spitalfields.co.uk

This Victorian-era market is looking better than ever, thanks to a new modern, glass-roofed shopping area. On Sunday, the main market day, artists and artisans display their wares. Look for designer Kate Sheridan, whose leather and fabric handbags have caught the eye of the fashion world (bags from $15 to $350). You'll also find books, housewares, accessories and some vintage stalls. Vishana sells discounted scarves, socks and blankets from the classic Scottish company Johnstons of Elgin (wool scarves $15; cashmere blankets $575). Have breakfast at St. John Bread & Wine (94-96 Commercial St.). Tip: Their delicious custard doughnuts are served only on Sundays. Two other fabulous markets--Columbia Road and Brick Lane--are nearby, so consider making an entire day of it.

Borough Market: best culinary treat
Southwark Street, SE1
Nearest tube stop: London Bridge
Open Thursday-Saturday
boroughmarket.org.uk

Borough is said to be Britain's oldest market--the early Romans provisioned themselves here in the first century A.D. It's only recently that the wholesale market opened up to the general public, becoming an international gourmet smorgasbord where you can buy (and sample) some of the best produce, artisanal foods, cheeses, wines, beers and more from across Britain and Europe. Follow your cravings, but don't miss the bread at Flour Power, chorizo sausage at Brindisa, chocolate truffles at Dark Sugars, anything from Neal's Yard Dairy and London's best coffee at the fair-trade Monmouth Coffee Co. Look for free-range Yorkshire beef, lamb and pork at the Ginger Pig, and soft, unpasteurized, full-fat French cheeses at Sarl Pays d'Auge Fromages. Consider yourself warned: It's dangerous to arrive at the market hungry.

Broadway Market: best for soaking up the scene
London Fields, E8
Nearest tube stop: Bethnal Green
British Rail stop: London Fields
Open Saturday
broadwaymarket.co.uk

Once derelict, this East London market is having a renaissance, packed with bourgeois-bohemian types doing their shopping or just enjoying a drink at a pub or café. Dads with creative chin stubble push babies in Bugaboos, while mums show up in tight jeans and stylish glasses. The Saturday farmer's market has delicious cheeses, organic meats (look for Wild Beef) and local produce. Don't even try to resist the smell of the Rainha Santa roast hog roll (slow-roasted pork with apple sauce on ciabatta; $7); it's worth the wait. You'll also find crafts, vintage clothes, art books and other treasures in the galleries and boutiques lining the market road. For lunch, check out the dark, woody Cat & Mutton gastropub, or try F. Cooke Pie & Mash Shop, in the same building for 100 years.

Columbia Road Flower Market: best for green thumbs
Columbia Rd. and Ezra St., E2
Nearest tube stop: Old Street
Open Sunday
columbiaroad.info

No London market has more color or character than this one. The action reaches a frenzy near closing time (2 p.m.), when hawkers cut prices on fresh-cut flowers: Everything's going "for a fiver!" With blooms from around the world, most varieties--such as lilies, roses and tulips--are available all year. To try your hand at planting an English garden back home, pick up some aster, delphinium and chrysanthemum bulbs. Saturday is a calmer time to browse the galleries, boutiques and furniture stores on Columbia Road. Check out L'Orangerie (No. 162) for replicas of Bakelite jewelry and French and Italian accessories, and Elphick's gallery (No. 160) for prints. At Cakehole, the delightful tea shop in the back of Vintage Heaven (No. 82), cream tea with scones and clotted cream arrives on mismatched china, also for sale.

Brick Lane: best bric-a-brac
Brick Lane, E1-E2
Nearest tube stops: Liverpool Street,
Aldgate East
Open Sunday
sundayupmarket.co.uk

Brick Lane's mix of art students and curry restaurants (none highly recommended) creates a funky backdrop for this famous East End flea market. The market itself occupies the street's north end, with sidewalk vendors displaying their wares on blankets: shoes, bags, leather jackets, books, records, power tools and who-knows-what-else, at varying degrees of price and quality. For independent designer wear, works by local artists, crafts, jewelry and more authentic vintage dealers, head for the Old Truman Brewery (91 Brick Lane), home to the Sunday UpMarket and the Backyard Market (also open for business on Saturdays). If you need a pick-me-up, Brick Lane has cafés and an array of international street food stalls. For crisp oven-baked pizza, join the crowds filling Story Deli's roughhewn tables (Old Truman Brewery).

Alfie's Antique Market: best for antiques
13-25 Church St., NW8
Nearest tube stops: Edgeware Road,
Marylebone
Open Tuesday-Saturday
www.alfiesantiques.com

The maze-like interior (20,000 square feet over four floors) offers the most antiques under one roof in all London, and the highest quality. Though you can find inexpensive books, costume jewelry and collectibles, Alfie's is a treasure trove for serious collectors. Check out Duncan Clarke's early- to mid-20th-century West African textiles ($70-$7,000) or Liz Farrow's 1920s to 1950s advertising posters, signs and show cards ($70-$1,700). Vincenzo Caffarella stocks mid-century-modern Italian Murano glassworks: A massive 1970s Toso chandelier was recently going for just under $36,000. Get a vintage hairdo at Nina's Hair Parlour, then head to the Casting Couch to have pin-up photos taken by glamour photographer Tony Nylons. The Rooftop Restaurant serves breakfast all day.

Greenwich Market: best for a day's outing
Greenwich town center, SE10
Docklands Light Railway stop: Cutty Sark
Open Wednesday-Sunday
greenwichmarket.net

Though less than half an hour from central London, the maritime borough of Greenwich feels like another world. A leisurely ride on the Docklands Light Railway or by riverboat on the Thames (see website for directions) is part of the experience. Sections of the market are open on different days: Saturday and Sunday are great for checking out food stalls and shopping for arts and crafts and antiques. Go Thursday if you're just interested in antiques without the weekend crowd. Food stalls are open daily: Try Spanish tapas, French raclette cheese or Brazilian churros (doughnuts). For a lazy pint at an old-style pub, check out the Coach & Horses (13 Greenwich Market) or Admiral Hardy (7 College Approach). Then go stand on Longitude 0˚ at the Royal Observatory, the exact point of Greenwich Mean Time.