Chapel Market
Chapel Market, Islington, London N1 9PZ
Ah yes, your Borough Markets and your Portobello Roads are all very well, but when it comes to good old-fashioned London street markets – those that serve the local community and don’t give a fig about getting rave reviews in the broadsheets – you can’t do better than Islington’s Chapel Market. Local traders sell fresh fruit and veg, along with all sorts of dirt-cheap clothes, fakes, buy-in-bulk household staples, jewellery, make-up, shoes and electrical gizmos and gadgets to a crowd of regulars who know exactly what to buy and from whom. Things gets a little posher on Sunday mornings, when the Islington Farmers’ Market moves in, selling organic veg, pricey fresh pasta and artisan breads; the variety is welcome, and it hasn’t detracted from this authentic slice of old-school Islington.