I’ve spent my first eight Sundays of the year visiting all the year-round Sunday street food markets that I can find in south east London. Each of these hosts a variety of delicious food stalls and most of them are in or near a park (or other open space), making them perfect lunchtime destinations for a family-friendly Sunday out of the house, at any time of year.
They are listed below in the order that I visited them and, although I travelled to all by bike or on foot, I’ve included nearby transport options for each, as well as suggestions (usually outdoors) to help you enjoy their surrounding areas. They all operate on Sundays throughout the year, apart from the last one.
Crystal Palace Park Market
My first excursion, on the first Sunday of the year, was to Crystal Palace Park. The weekly market is located beside Penge Gate, off of Thicket Road (and therefore closer to Penge than Crystal Palace itself). It was busy despite the cold and hosts a large number of street food vendors, as well as a stall selling fresh fruit and veg.
The nearest stations are Penge West (5 mins walk), Penge East (10 mins) and Crystal Palace (15 mins through the park). I opted for chicken biryani with spicy curry on top, from Degchi, which cost £11.50.
The park is famous for its delightful dinosaur sculptures and also includes a farm (which is free to enter), a boating lake, the National Sports Centre and two cafés (one of which is beside the market). The park was laid out in the 1850s to accompany the re-located Crystal Palace, the footprint of which can still be seen despite the building being destroyed by fire in 1936.
Crystal Palace Park market is located in SE20 8DS and open every Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00.
Herne Hill Market
My next trip was to Herne Hill. This market snakes along Railton Road, right in front of Herne Hill station. It is flanked by independent shops and eateries, which offered some refuge from the the near-freezing temperatures on the day I visited.
I had Kara-agé chicken, a Japanese dish of deep-fried marinated chicken with homemade sweet chilli sauce, from Fusé, for £9.80, followed by a warm drink from a nearby bakery.
Just across Dulwich Road, Brockwell Park offers a large network of ponds, woodland and meadows, as well as a walled flower garden, a 1930s lido and even a ride-on miniature railway (the latter is open on Sundays between March and October, weather-permitting).
Herne Hill market is located in SE24 OJN and open every Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00.
Horniman Market
The third weekend of the year took me to the Horniman Market, located in Horniman Gardens, which surround the Horniman Museum. It’s a ten minute (fairly steep) walk from Forest Hill station. The temperature had reached double digits for this one, but the cold was replaced by strong gales that threatened the many gazebos on this exposed hill to the east of Dulwich.
This was the smallest of the markets on my list, although I understand there may be more stalls in spring and summer. I had a breakfast roll, from Pick’s Organic Farm, for £8.50, and was the penultimate customer to be served before they had to shut the stand due to the high winds impacting their gas cookers.
As well as the museum (which is free to enter), the Gardens host an “animal walk” (also free), which features alpacas, goats, sheep, guinea pigs, giant rabbits and chickens. There are also sunken gardens, a “sound garden” (giant musical instruments that can be played by all), a nature trail, a butterfly house and an aquarium (entry to the latter two incurs a fee).
Horniman market is located in SE23 3PQ and open every Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00.
Beckenham Place Park Market
Rounding off January, I headed to Beckenham Place Park. The market, launched in March 2022, takes place in front of the park’s mansion, ten minutes from Beckenham Hill station or twenty minutes from Ravensbourne station, both leisurely walks through the park. It’s also fifteen minutes on foot from Beckenham Junction.
As well as street food, there are stands selling local produce, including hot sauces, honey, peanut butter and even plants. I opted for the tandoori chicken naan wrap, from Bhajis LDN, for £9.
The park, which was remodelled in 2019 following the closure of a golf course that had previously occupied one third of its land, features ancient woodland, large meadows, sensory gardens, a wild swimming lake, public barbeque pits and a BMX track. It’s also part of the Green Chain and Capital Ring walks, which offer an alternative means of access.
Beckenham Place Park market is located in BR3 1SY and open every Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00.
Blackheath Market
February started with a visit to Blackheath Market, which takes over a part of Blackheath Station car park. This farmers’ market is geared more towards produce, like eggs, milk and cheese, although there are some street food stalls in between. I had a meat gozleme, which is a stuffed Turkish flatbread, from Yummy Bites London, for £11.
The area around the market is teaming with cafés and independent shops and is just a couple of minutes walk from Blackheath itself, the large heath that gives its name to the area. This exposed area is frequented by kite flyers and wind skateboarders but also offers a pleasant (ten minute) walk to Greenwich Park.
Blackheath market is located in SE3 9LA and open every Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00.
Canada Water Market
Now to the youngest market on my list, which launched in April 2022 in Deal Porter Square, across the street from Canada Water station. The location is striking, nestled between tall modern buildings and the eponymous freshwater lake that was once a much larger body of water called Canada Dock.
The market offers a large number of street food sellers, several of whom operate out of their vans, and also has a focus on local businesses, who offer handmade crafts and other local produce. I went for parotta, a layered Sri Lankan flatbread, with chicken, from Ceylon Kothu, at £10.50.
The Albion Canal feeds the Canada Water lake from the Thames. Footpaths on either side offer a relaxed ten minute walk to Surrey Water, and it’s a further five minutes to the River Thames, or five minutes the other way to reach Russia Dock Woodland, an area repurposed in to a linear park and nature reserve.
Canada Water market is located in SE16 7AR and open every Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00.
Maltby Street Market
My penultimate market, and the closest to Central London, is Maltby Street. This one is actually open on Saturdays too and is about fifteen minutes on foot from Bermondsey and London Bridge stations.
The market takes place along the Ropewalk, a long alley on the southern side of the railway viaduct that feeds in to London Bridge station. Restaurants and other businesses operate out of the arches of this viaduct while street food stalls occupy the alley itself. It’s quite narrow so, if cycling, you may want to lock up your bike for this one.
I enjoyed a chorizo Cuban sandwich, from The Latin Bros, which cost £10. There are some small parks in the area around this one, but exploring the quiet back streets on either side of the viaduct and off of Tower Bridge Road (the bridge itself is about a ten minute walk) can be a delight in itself.
Maltby Street market is located in SE1 3PA and open every Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 16:00.
Cutty Sark Market
This one is a bit of a wild card. Over the years, food stalls periodically appear on one side or the other of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, or in the adjacent Cutty Sark Gardens, two minutes on foot from Cutty Sark DLR station or ten minutes from Greenwich station.
It’s a pleasant location, on the River Thames and directly beside the southern entrance to the Thames Tunnel (making it a short stroll under the river from the Isle of Dogs too). But there is scant information about who organises this market and the stall holders I spoke to said that they were only expecting to keep their pitches here until the spring.
However, it’s not too much of a gamble as Greenwich Market itself, the bustling indoor market that’s open every day, is only one minute away. I was lucky, however, and found the market open here on the last Sunday of February, despite a few rain drops in the afternoon. I completed my gastronomic tour of south east London with a hotdog from Mr Sausage, for £8.
The area is at the heart of Maritime Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The adjacent Cutty Sark Gardens lead to the Old Royal Naval College, and a few minutes further you’ll find the National Maritime Museum and, beyond that, Greenwich Park and its Royal Observatory.
Cutty Sark market is located in SE10 9HT on Sundays but I don’t have the exact times. The nearby Greenwich Market is located in SE10 9HZ and open daily from 10:00 to 17:30.
