Camden Markets is a collection of markets and a popular London tourist attraction situated within the lively neighborhood of Camden Town. Shop for alternative, vintage and tailored clothing plus antiques, jewelry and furniture. Experience the flavors of cuisine from all corners of the globe at bars, cafés and food stands. Camden Markets spread around the lanes that lead off Camden High Street and Chalk Farm Road.
A good place to start is at Camden Lock Market, which serves as one of London’s main centers of creativity and originality. Poke around the studios and shops of young and coveted designers. Search for one-of-a-kind accessories, artwork, clothing and home décor, among other things. Sit in the food court and watch as a mix of enthusiastic shoppers pass by while you dine on food that ranges from Argentine steaks to Turkish kebabs.
Visit Camden Lock Market for after-dark entertainment, too. Enjoy performances by stand-up comedians at the well-known Jongleurs club. Celebrated bands, such as The Stranglers, have graced the stage of Dingwalls.
Go to nearby Stables Market to discover around 700 shops set amid both indoor and open-air spaces. The market welcomes independent traders only and doesn’t allow chain stores. Spot huge bronze sculptures of horses, which commemorate the market’s original use as stable. Look for the Catacombs, shops located in 19th-century Victorian brick arches.
Walk south along Camden High Street to the maze of tightly-packed stalls that make up Camden (Buck Street) Market. Here, several of the stallholders offer their own designs and there’s a strong influence of novelty, slogan T-shirts. Cross the street to Inverness Street Market, a century-old market home to cheap clothing and fresh produce sellers.
Reach Camden Markets via public buses or take the London Underground to Camden Town and Chalk Farm stations.
Visit the markets on weekends to benefit from the widest availability of traders or on weekdays to escape the larger crowds.