From global street food to cult favourites, the capital’s food halls are the easiest and tastiest way to eat your way across the city.
For visitors to London, food halls offer a perfect snapshot of the city’s restless, ever-evolving food scene. Under one roof you’ll find multiple cuisines, buzzing atmospheres and flexible dining options. From heritage market spaces to slick new openings, these are the food halls and arcades worth building into your itinerary.
One of the city’s most polished destinations is Arcade Food Hall, moments from Tottenham Court Road. Housed inside the iconic Centre Point building, Arcade feels part global street market, part stylish restaurant. Its rotating kitchens span Indian small plates, Middle Eastern grills and pan-Asian comfort food, but many come for the cult smash burgers and indulgent fried chicken. Multiple bars and late opening hours make it equally suited to a post-theatre dinner or a quick lunch between museums.
In Covent Garden, Seven Dials Market delivers colour, energy and flavour across two lively levels. Championing independent traders, its line-up includes London’s street-food stars. There’s Bleecker Burger, often cited as the city’s best, award-winning Bad Boy Pizza Society, and the playful Pick & Cheese, home to the world’s first cheese conveyor belt.
Just off Oxford Street, Market Halls offers a welcome escape from the surrounding retail crowds. The nine kitchens take a globe-trotting approach: fragrant Malaysian curries at Gopal’s Corner, punchy Northern Thai flavours at Krapow, gourmet kebabs from Le Bab, plus pizzas, tacos, and burgers. It’s fast, varied and reliably satisfying.
For something more ambitious, Market Place Leicester Square is quickly establishing itself as a West End destination. Spread across several floors in the heart of theatreland, it blends food with cocktails and late-night energy. Highlights include Bread Ahead’s custard-filled doughnuts and Butchies’ addictive fried chicken, alongside DJs and pop-ups.
In the City, BOXHALL brings a more curated feel. Close to Liverpool Street station, its kitchens range from artisan coffee and breakfast spots to bao buns, Mexican plates, Singaporean curry puffs, gourmet burgers and fresh, build-your-own salad bowls. A rotating chef-led kitchen spotlights emerging culinary talent.
Finally, while not strictly a food hall, Borough Market remains essential. One of London’s oldest markets, it offers an extraordinary mix of global street food alongside British cheeses, baked goods, charcuterie and seasonal produce; a pilgrimage site for chefs, food lovers and curious visitors alike.
CHRIS JOHNSON
