This is a weird and wonderful little market on Hoxton Street in Hackney. If you go in with very low expectations, you'll come away with a few finds...after several visits, I'm actually kind of a fan. At first glance it looks crap, but give it a go if you are nearby (having said that, I wouldn't make a trip over here JUST for this -- I like it because its near home and I can take my dog).
Though this market runs Monday-Saturday, it is most busy on Saturdays and has the most stalls then. This is when I typically choose to go, as I have more time and there are more stands there to make it worthwhile. I usually grab a coffee at Barrel Boulangerie and make my way through...
There seems to be very little cohesion -- but for the most part it includes: food stands, fruit/veg stands, some flowers, antiques (mostly junk, however), random furniture, many stalls selling cheap women's clothing, underwear, household goods, cheap shit, shoes, etc.
However, the standouts:
*An organic meat/egg stall right near the small park. Wonderful farm fresh eggs, bacon, cuts of meat, sausages of all varieties, whole roasting chickens, and more. We always make a stop here and pick up meat and eggs we can feel very good about! The people that run it are very nice, too.
*Fruit/veg stall -- we like the guy that works here, too. Always making deals to offload his stuff, and to our benefit most of the time.
*Women's clothing - there are a few stands that have overstock lots from Topshop (someone just commented on a top I got here and were so fascinated that I bought it at Hoxton Market!) -- the tags are usually cut out but you can tell that its from Topshop or M&S, etc. Not always great stuff, but sometimes a diamond in the rough. Worth looking about.
*Household goods - if you need toilet paper, hand towels, small odds and ends, you will likely be able to find it on the cheap here.
That's all -- again, it's not a destination type market like others around London but if you live in the area or are nearby its not a bad stop. Its not huge, so you can get through it quickly, its not crowded and the traders are quite mellow. Overall enjoyable. read more