Old Spitalfields Market Reviews Summary

Market Atmosphere

Pros:

• "One of the best markets I’ve visited in London."
• "A nice quirky areas, cool spots to eat, a few nice places to shop in too! It's chilled with a great vibe!"
• "The vibrant atmosphere of the market adds to the overall charm of the dining experience."
• "Brilliant place. Great atmosphere."
• "Vibrant market with public arts, rich choices of merchandise and world cuisine."
• "The air and vibe of the market is super cool and everyone is here for one thing: To eat great food!"
• "Great vibe throughout the market."

Cons:

• "Not what it's made out to be... Very few off the stall holder's actually talk to you, unless you are actually putting money in their hands, so there is no atmosphere."
• "The event there this bank hols was a waste of time."
• "Overall disappointing experience here."
• "The old spirit of a true market, unfortunately disappeared."
• "Sadly, probably due to the pandemic, it isn't as festive as it used to be. Many shops have closed down."
• "This is internationalist inoffensive pap posing as an authentic market."
• "Prepare to be intimidated by most shops, vendors are not that unique (ie your classic t-shirt vendor)."

Food and Dining

Pros:

• "Great place for trendy clothes and great restaurant and takeaways."
• "The choice of food vendors is really good with both fixed restaurants and pop up style."
• "Big recommendation for Sud Italia authentic Italian pizza - the little pastel blue pizza wagon towards the North exit. They have AMAZING pizza! Truly best in town."
• "All the different kinds of food you can get here is wonderful! It's also a great place to watch people and it's a market with a roof so even when it's rainy out, you're good."
• "The market allows you to have a taste of several dishes from all over the world."
• "The food offerings at Spitalfields Market's food section are exceptional."
• "It's foodie heaven with loads of food stalls set up here offering mouth-watering treats from Chinese dumplings to American BBQ and burgers."

Cons:

• "Only complaint is there isn't much for kids to play or do. So avoid if coming with kids."
• "Fen hand pulled noodles wasn’t my choice. Their noodles was just too dried and didn’t mix well with sauce and it wasn’t worth for £9.5."
• "Restaurants need to look at cleaning themselves a little. They look a little run down."
• "Could not find anyone selling Jerk chicken. Did not do what it said on the box."
• "As for places to eat again all very modern and expensive, only 2 of the food trucks outside were open."
• "The market was nice but the women's toilets are appalling."
• "Some of the food options are great."

Shopping and Stalls

Pros:

• "Old Spitalfields Market is a fantastic destination for anyone looking for a unique shopping experience."
• "The market traders are high quality and there is some decent stuff if you're prepared to pay for it."
• "There are lots of interesting stalls ranging from antiques to handmade jewellery to printed t shirts."
• "Retail stalls are a mix of ones that are always there but there are themed days like vintage."
• "The stalls are wonderful and I never fail to marvel at the talent that some of the Traders have and the way they display their wares."
• "Undercover market with hundreds of independent stalls serving everything from clothing and shoes to art and accessories."
• "Beautiful indoor market with hand crafted high quality products."

Cons:

• "Make sure toy have plenty of money to spend because nothing comes at a bargain here."
• "The stalls tend to sell similar things though so looking for the best bargain can get a little overwhelming."
• "The antiques market on Thursday used to be one of my favorites but current (American) management ruined it a few years ago with silly new 'designer' stalls and more food."
• "Sadly the variety is lacking and lots of stalls sell the same tat."
• "The articles the stands are selling aren’t that nice… They’re not very crafty and seem cheap, products you can find anywhere."
• "Most of the stalls are the same as other markets."
• "In my opinion the new food court takes way too much space and has reduced the market space greatly giving no added value whatsoever."

Location and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Based in the heart of Liverpool Street and close to the fashion district of Shoreditch, this market delivers on many levels."
• "The market is conveniently located in the heart of East London, and is easily accessible by public transport."
• "Location is just great, it's very close to the Liverpool street station."
• "The location is also close to Bricklane Market, which is a big plus."
• "It's near Liverpool Street station so ideal if you've got time before catching a train."
• "The location of the market is also great because you're near Liverpool Street and Shoreditch, so loads to do around as well!"
• "Well located, being a stone's throw from Liverpool Street station."

Cons:

• "You can not park your car because it's on the main street because of you have to visit by walk if you close that place or you can come by underground."
• "Very busy on Saturday with long queues to buy food."
• "But beware! It's incredibly busy during the weekends."
• "When I visited it was very crowded."
• "Tends to get too crowded which makes it scary during the pandemic."
• "If you go when it's busy, it will be hard to find seating."
• "Can get a bit crowded during lunchtime."

Cleanliness and Maintenance

Pros:

• "They also keep it pretty clean inside - I have seen at least two cleaning gentlemen while I was having my meal."
• "Nice market... very pleased with the public toilets that are clean and well lit."
• "Toilets: Open to public & relatively clean."
• "Very clean."
• "All undercover and fresh and clean."
• "A great outdoor market. Very clean and tidy."
• "It's pretty, airy and a very nice place to spend some time. It is hustling and bustling as well, so it gets quite crowded sometimes."

Cons:

• "One aspect that could be improved upon, however, is the cleanliness of the dining areas."
• "The market is lovely but the facilities for toilets need improving - they are down a narrow steep stairs and the accessible toilet on ground floor was not working."
• "The market was nice but the women's toilets are appalling."
• "Not enough seating available most of the time."
• "The stalls are just a tad too close together and more seating would make the place more bearable at lunch time!"
• "Some parts a little empty but assume current circumstances affect market holders and trade."
• "The place is clean, a lot of cool & quirky shops."