.png)
Having worked in Liverpool Street, I would journey to the Market each lunchtime to find the best spots. In this list, I am taking account of pricing and taste to decide which stand is, in my opinion, ‘worth it’ and whether some of the stands that went viral on Tik Tok lived up to expectation!
1. Sud Italia
This was my go-to cheap and easy lunch. A folded ‘wallet’ pizza freshly made in their pizza oven. The £5 Napoli was perfection, but they also have more choices on their menu, featuring the delicious ‘diavola’ and ‘Nduja’ pizzas which were my favourites when I fancied toppings. I personally haven’t had to wait too long for these which is great due to there popularity. If you want a normal sized pizza, it's your usual London pricing of upwards of £12 (but you know you will definitely be full!).
You can’t go wrong with a classic easy pizza, and the folded style means you can walk around eating it with ease, as on busy days, there aren’t many places to sit in the market.
2. Merkamo ethiopian food
The best spot for vegans! A cultural journey in your mouth bursting with flavour, their boxes start at £7.99 and they give you the option to add so many different grains and vegetables, as well as Injera and dumplings. I highly recommend the Merkamo special (where you get a bit of everything for £8.99) so you try everything offered. You're guaranteed to be full after eating this!
3. Nigerian Brothers
Heavenly Nigerian staple foods served by the kindest team of people. Smokey Jollof rice with the perfect flavour and texture, perfectly cooked plantain and their Chicken, Beef, Lamb and spinach stews blew me away with the quality and taste. Taking no time to assemble, I received my combo very fast. Ranging from £5-£10, you receive a big portion and they even offer a free salad option.
4. IThai
They serve up Thai street food classics with a 'contemporary twist', their prices for the veg pad thai is £9.50, which was heavenly and the addition of their perfectly cooked and seasoned tofu made it out of this world. The prawn/chicken version is £10.50, With their flavoursome flat noodles and the perfect amount of nuts and vegetables, it's a great choice for your lunch. So so filling and worth the price!
5. Fen Hand Pulled Noodles
You can watch the chefs stretch these thick long noodles by hand whilst ordering! Super fresh and flavourful, my go-to would be the £9.50 spicy steak noodles (be careful as they don't skimp on spice level) or the cumin beef noodle if you want less spice, both are authentic, filling and I don't mind the price. Some people admit that it can be a little too dry, so take your personal taste into account when ordering and deciding topping. There vegan options are great (especially the spicy aubergine noodles) and If you can't handle spice, do not get the chilli oil!
The Vegan Aubergine topping
6. Humble crumble
Humble crumble is very 'hyped' on Tik Tok and it is a great dessert option in my opinion. I recommend getting the mix of either the berries, the apple, nectarine or peach mix so you can enjoy their yummy fruit mixes. You can choose the ratio of crumble to fruit as well as if you want vegan crumble or not. I waited about 8-10 minutes on a not too busy day, which isn't bad if you manage to get one of the few seats in the shop. I found that the warm custard was actually my favourite (plus it's unlimited refills) over the marshmallow as I felt the crumble needed a better binding agent that made the crumble less dry. I also highly recommend the frozen custard if you want more of a cooler refreshing dessert!
If your thinking of getting the superfood granola and yogurt topping, I recommend getting something sweet on top like meringue pieces as I felt it all wasn't sweet enough, especially the yogurt. It was still delicious and a great healthy alternative to the usual biscuit crumble and custard.
Overall, this spot is worth the hype, and is the perfect size that you don't fill ill after it. The price (starting from £5.50) is 100% worth it if you craft your crumble in the way that best suits your preferred textures/tastes.
Pictured above: Humble crumble with marshmallow topping and Dumpling Shack's prawn wontons in chilli oil
Pictured above: Humble crumble with custard cool whip and the superfood granola and yogurt topping
7. Dumpling shack
I got the Pan fried soup dumplings (4 for £6.85, 6 for £9.80) and prawn wontons in chilli oil £6.95. These are pricey, with portion sizes that are a bit too small in my opinion. This stand is normally always busy, but they are quick to get your order out so it's worth the line. The prawn wontons were enjoyable, and packed flavour with the just the right amount of chilli oil. Yet the pork soup dumplings had a lot of meat in them that wasn't too flavoursome (quite sour too).
8. Dirty
Located opposite Fen Noodles, Dirty's offers their pulled pork in either a brioche bun or bagel for £9. The sheer amount of meat in the 'regular' size is perfection, you can add cheese for an extra pound and you can add mustard, spicy sauce, jalapeños and crunchy onion toppings for free. I can't fault how delicious this is, but I recommend the crispy onions to bring more of a crunch into it.
Whether you're a food enthusiast or an adventurous gastronomist, Spitalfields Market is a haven for those seeking culinary bliss. So, the next time you find yourself wandering through the bustling lanes of London's East End, make sure to visit these stalls and embark on a flavour journey that will undoubtedly be worth every savoury and sweet moment. Happy feasting!
9. Donovan's Bakehouse
This stand is known for it's abundance of donuts with a texture that is 'not too dough-like and not too fluffy'. I had a sprinkle cream and jam pastry that ignited the childish excited within me and costed £3, which for London, I won't complain. I found the texture to work for me, but according to others there baked goods can be too bready/stale. Whether this is sue to them buying it too late in the day that it had dried out or that they had a batch - i'm not sure! But many people love their donuts and don't complain, so it's a gamble you may decide to take. Their jammy donut is priced at £2.50.
10. Birria Taco
Although this is technically a shop now, Birria Tacos must be mentioned if your a lover of Mexican food and don't mind paying a bit more for quality.
When I bit into these tacos I saw heaven. I got the two beef birria tacos for £12, a price point that was a bit painful for two tacos. There was a 7-10 minute wait in the kitchen but they have a few stalls that you can sit on. The meat was beautifully cooked and the taco had an abundance of flavour that paired with the consommé dipping sauce that made it perfectly moist.
Comments