Spend a Fabulous Sunday Afternoon at Brick Lane Market London

On 25October2023
By Heather

Food and Drink Booths at Brick Lane Market

Nestled in the heart of the city’s East End, Brick Lane Market is the place to be on Sunday afternoons in London. I had heard that the Brick Lane Market London was one of the best to visit as I had previously explored Borough Market. I wasn’t disappointed. The couple of times that I came here, the market was bustling, packed with people discovering hidden treasures and savoring diverse cuisines.

Brick Lane’s chic boutiques, vintage shops, and trendy eateries have replaced the brick and tile warehouses this area was known for. Today, the historic buildings and cobblestone streets add to the vibrant atmosphere while you hunt for street art that adorns its walls, look for vintage gems in the stalls, and are led by your nose to the aromatic flavors of global cuisine coming out of the food halls. Here is everything you need to know about the Brick Lane Market London.

Colorful monsters with big teeth street art

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Table of Contents

How to Get to Brick Lane

Brick Lane in the East End is pretty easy to get to from most areas of London. I hopped on the tube and got off at the Aldgate East stop. Other tube spots with easy access to Brick Lane are Whitechapel Station, Liverpool Street Station, and Shoreditch High Street Station. You can also hop on the train, a short walk from Liverpool St. To reach the Brick Lane Market by bus, take the #8 or #388 bus and get off at the Brick Lane stop.

Street Art on a Restaurant Wall in Brick Lane

Brick Lane Market London

Goods being sold in booths at Sunday Brick Lane Market

Five different markets make up Brick Lane Market: The Sunday UpMarket, Vintage Market, Backyard Market, Tea Rooms, and the Boiler House. Brick Lane Market used to be only open on Sundays. Now, it is open every weekend on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Brick Lane is closed for motor traffic during the market times.

Giant mural on Pedley Street by Jim Vision

Green girl with ball of light street art

The energetic crowds on the weekend make exploring Brick Lane exciting. From sampling all the different varieties of food, browsing through vintage treasures, and chasing down all the fabulous street art, Brick Lane Market London is a must-see for any visitor.

Sunday UpMarket

The first building you should head to is the Sunday UpMarket in the former Old Truman Brewery. This giant open space has over 200 stalls selling fashion, art, and food. The minute you walk in, your senses are bombarded by the amazing aromas from the booths. You’ll find an eclectic mix of worldwide cuisines, like Polish, Indian, Korean, Chinese, Moroccan, German, Ethiopian, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, Caribbean, and so many more. This is one of my favorite places in London to try street food. I could spend hours trying all the tasty food from booth to booth. Make sure to bring cash. Dishes range from £1 to £6.

Japanese food stall with Gyozas in Sunday Brick Lane Market

Ethnic Food dishes at Sunday Brick Lane Market

There is limited seating in the back, with a few picnic tables and benches. Besides standing and eating, you’ll see people finding a seat wherever they can: on the stairs and the floor.

Vintage Market

Toward the back are the stairs heading down to the Vintage Market, where you can browse the booths and find those hidden gems meant for you. The Vintage Market’s opening hours are Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you enjoy hunting for vintage bargains, there are even more shops to explore in Bricklane Market. One is ATIKA, a Victorian two-story warehouse with five rooms filled with unique pieces from back to the 70s. ATIKA can be found at 55-59 Hanbury Street.

Brick Lane Tea Rooms

The Brick Lane Tea Rooms is a collection of treasures from antique jewelry, clothing, records, art, books, and even a coffee shop hidden in the maze of shops. The Tea Rooms are fun to wander through since you don’t know what to find. They are at the Old Truman Brewery on 91 Brick Lane, open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Backyard Market

The Backyard Market looks like a giant flea market with booths in a giant warehouse. You can find many craft vendors and sellers of jewelry, clothing, bags, art, and vintage records, which I loved flipping through. My parents had a record player and tons of classic vinyl records. I’m bummed that they were given away when my dad passed. I would have liked to have kept them. I saw many of the same vinyl records we once had in the bins. The entrance to the Backyard Market is tucked back down a side street at 146 Brick Lane. They are open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ely’s Yard

One of the best places to sit and eat tasty food at Brick Lane Market London is Ely’s Yard in the back of the Old Truman Brewery. Ely’s Yard has plenty of picnic tables and seating available to bring your food out from the UpMarket or pick up some new dishes from the numerous food trucks around the yard. Ely’s Yard is open from Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can find various options from soups, curries, burgers, Orange Buffalo winds to Mother Clucker’s fried chicken. Plus, while you are munching on all that food, don’t forget to look up and check out all the art sculptures and murals above the yard.

Boiler House

The Boiler House Food Hall is the last of the Brick Lane Market London collection of markets offering vegan street food options. The Boiler House Food Hall is in the Old Truman Brewery at 152 Brick Lane. The Boiler House also holds events. Currently, there is an Immersive Dali exhibit happening.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake

One thing you have to try is the Brick Lane Beigel. The Beigel is a fresh bagel with hot English mustard, slabs of salty beef, and sweet and sour gherkins. There are two Beigel places right next to each other: the white one, Beigel Bake, and the yellow one, Beigel Shop. Both places are open 24/7. These shops are so popular that you’ll constantly see lines around the block. The yellow sign, Beigel Shop, is the first and oldest bagel shop in Brick Lane, opening in 1855, specializing in crispy bacon-filled beigels and rainbow-colored beigels. The white sign, Beigel Bake, opened in 1974 and reportedly has the better beef. But, you can try both, and decide for yourself.

Street Art

Art is constantly evolving in Brick Lane. This is one of the largest concentrated areas of street art in London. You can see art practically everywhere; it’s on the walls, doors, and doorways, and you can even see it when the shops close on their shutters. The artwork adorning the walls is by artists from all over; some more popular artists are ROA, who did The Crane on Hanbury Street, and STIK. Besides Brick Lane and Hanbury Streets, murals can be found on Pedley, Fashion, Heneage, Grimsby, Star Yard, and many more. You can find street art and graffiti on almost every surface in Brick Lane.

Teal, Red, and Brown Street Art with a woman's face

Colorful street art on entire building in Brick Lane

Women's face with white doves street art

Blue, Teal, and Yellow bird-like creatures street art in Brick Lane

Swans in colorful flowers street art in Brick Lane Market

Another area with a concentration of graffiti and murals is in the Allen Gardens under the Railway Bridge. On one of the days that I was visiting Brick Lane Market London, I could watch several artists in action.

Giant mural on Pedley Street by Ed Hicks

Spitalfields City Farm

As my friend and I walked further into Allen Park to see more street art, we came across a small petting zoo. It was so surprising to find this small farm in the middle of a densely populated area of London. Spitalfields City Farm is an educational farm that teaches the community and kids about animal welfare, growing food & herbs, and learning what it takes to be a young farmer. We walked around and enjoyed petting some of the animals. They are the cutest, and some of them have big personalities. Spitalfields City Farm is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The farm entrance is on Buxton Street. In addition to petting the animals, stop into their Tea Hut and Farm Shop.

Ram rubbing on tree trunk at Spitalfields City Farm

Rianne petting the miniature donkey at Spitalfields City Farm

Summary

Heather posing as street art in Brick Lane

Brick Lane Market in London is by far one of my favorite food markets to visit. Every dish I tasted was delicious. Bring lots of cash; you will want to get more than you think. I’ve visited Brick Lane Market twice, and each time was so much fun. There is a lot of street art to find, and you could spend hours just looking at the colorful murals. Brick Lane Market is a delightful blend of food, vintage fashion, and street art, making it a must-visit destination for locals and tourists alike.

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