Deptford Market

An Authentic Taste of London

The authentic London Market seems to be a real thing of the past these days. Gone are the cries and heckles of vendors trying to sell you everything from AA batteries to incredible antiques as London gets more and more artisan by the day. But if you’re looking for a real throwback to the ‘real’ London when planning your visit to the capital, make sure you factor in a stop at Deptford Market on a Saturday morning.

Located in Zone 2 and nestled in between Greenwich and New Cross the market is easy to access from both central London and the trendy East End and is a real throwback to what London was like before the gentrification and modernisation of a lot of its old marketplaces. Within seconds of entering the market (which runs right down Deptford high street and round the corner) you are hit with the heckles and smells of a classic market. There’s buckets of fruit for a pound, £20 Levi’s and the never ending smell of fish mongers – which despite not being the nicest smell in the world, is almost refreshing to get a waft of in a London Market. Like a proper market, there’s plenty of bargains to be had. With plenty of vintage clothing, antiques and nick nacks being readily available to punters.

If all the shopping wears you out then there’s plenty of little bars and cafes to keep you fuelled on your escapades. The best of the bunch are the controversially named ‘Job Centre’ which Is a lovely bar serving great food and drinks, Little Nan’s Café where you can get cocktails in tea pots and The Waiting Room which offers healthy vegan and vegetarian food at a reasonable price – there really is something for everyone.

So, if you’re planning a trip to London and wanting to get an authentic taste of the culture that this city was built upon – head on down to Deptford on a Saturday morning.

Jake Taylor

TripTide User