A food-focused day in North London, the best markets, delis, cheese shops, street food and restaurants from Camden to Islington. A timed itinerary for food lovers.
A Foodie Day in North London: Markets, Delis and Great Restaurants
North London eats extraordinarily well. It's a food culture built on a population that takes eating seriously and a deep bench of markets, independent shops, cheesemongers, bakeries and genuinely excellent restaurants, from Camden's global street food to Islington's landmark Moro, the Turkish grills of Stoke Newington and Finchley, and the delis and wine merchants of Hampstead. This itinerary is built around grazing: a day of small, brilliant things rather than three big meals, taking in the best of North London's food across a single, delicious day. Time it around a market day and it's one of the best food days out in the city.
At a glance: Coffee and bakeries to start, a food market mid-morning, a street-food or counter lunch, an afternoon of cheesemongers, delis and wine merchants, and a proper restaurant dinner. Graze widely, book the dinner, and time the day around a Saturday (Broadway Market) or Sunday (Columbia Road) if markets are the focus.
Before You Go: The Essentials
- Market days are everything: Broadway Market is Saturday only; Columbia Road is Sunday only; Camden Lock and the cheesemongers/delis run daily; the weekend farmers' markets (Hampstead, Parliament Hill, Alexandra Palace) are Saturday/Sunday. Plan the day around the market you want.
- Graze, don't gorge: The joy of a North London food day is breadth, small tastes across many stops, not one big sit-down meal until dinner.
- Book the dinner: The best restaurants (Moro, Trullo) need reserving, especially at weekends.
- Bring a bag: You'll be buying cheese, bread and wine to take home or picnic on.
Morning: Coffee and the Best Bakeries (9am-10:30am)
Start with North London's serious coffee culture:
- Hampstead or Belsize Park for the independent cafés, Ginger & White (Perrin's Court) is the local benchmark for coffee and a proper breakfast.
- Or head straight to Broadway Market (Hackney, Saturdays) or Exmouth Market (Islington) for coffee plus a bakery breakfast.
The bakeries here are real, proper sourdough, laminated pastry, croissants worth crossing town for. Climpson & Sons (Broadway Market) roasts its own coffee; the Hackney and Islington bakers are among London's best.
Late Morning: A Market (10:30am-12:30pm)
Time your day around a market:
- Saturday, Broadway Market (Hackney): The best all-round food market in London, bakeries, cheese, charcuterie, seasonal produce, international street food and natural wine, with London Fields park alongside for a picnic.
- Sunday, Columbia Road Flower Market: Come for the atmosphere and the flowers, then graze the excellent surrounding food shops and cafés (and a salt-beef bagel from nearby Brick Lane).
- Any day, Camden Lock for the broadest range of global street food, or a weekend farmers' market (Hampstead, Parliament Hill, Alexandra Palace) for farm-direct produce.
Graze as you go, the point is to taste widely.
Lunch: Street Food or a Counter (12:30pm-2pm)
Two ways to do lunch:
- Camden's canal-side street food, the broadest range of street food in North London, eaten by the canal.
- A proper counter: Morito (Islington, tapas from the Moro kitchen), Dishoom (King's Cross, a recreated Bombay café), or Mangal 1 (Stoke Newington, one of London's best Turkish charcoal grills).
Afternoon: Delis, Cheese and Wine (2pm-4pm)
The afternoon is for the specialists, the shops that make North London a genuine food neighbourhood:
- Cheesemongers, proper counters cutting from the wheel, with tasting and advice, in Highgate, Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Islington. See our cheese shops guide.
- Delis, Hampstead's food shops assemble the best picnic boxes and hampers in the area. See our delis guide.
- Wine merchants, an independent's £18 bottle with a story, far better than any supermarket equivalent, for the evening. See our wine shops guide.
- Butchers and fishmongers, for those cooking dinner themselves; North London retains proper independents.
Build a picnic or a cheeseboard as you go, or simply taste and buy for home.
Evening: A Proper Dinner (6pm onwards)
End with a real restaurant meal. North London's strongest options span every cuisine:
- Spanish/Mediterranean, Moro (Exmouth Market, Islington), one of London's most influential restaurants since 1997.
- Italian, Trullo (Highbury) for house-made pasta, Artigiano (Belsize Park) for a neighbourhood osteria.
- Modern British, the gastropubs of Highgate and Hampstead (The Bull, The Wells).
- Turkish, North Finchley's Ballards Lane and Stoke Newington for the best value and authenticity.
- Indian, Dishoom (King's Cross) and the Finchley curry houses.
*See our best restaurants in Islington guide for the standout choices.*
What a Foodie Day Costs
| Style | Cost |
|---|
| Coffee + bakery breakfast | £5-£10 |
| Market grazing | £10-£20 |
| Street-food / counter lunch | £8-£20 |
| Deli, cheese & wine to take home | £20-£50 |
| Restaurant dinner + wine | £35-£70 |
| Total | ~£40 (grazing only) to £150+ (full day with dinner) |
A market-and-deli grazing day can be done for £25-£40; add a proper restaurant dinner and good wine and it climbs, but every pound buys genuinely excellent food.
How to Adapt the Day
- Market-led: Build everything around Broadway Market (Saturday) with London Fields, or the Columbia Road-Brick Lane-Spitalfields Sunday route. See our markets day guide.
- Restaurant-led: Skip the markets and focus on Exmouth Market and Upper Street, Moro for lunch, the cheesemongers, and a Trullo dinner.
- Turkish food tour: Stoke Newington and North Finchley for the best-value, most authentic Turkish food in London.
- Cook-at-home: A farmers' market, a cheesemonger, a butcher and a wine merchant, assemble a feast to cook yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best food market in North London?
Broadway Market (Hackney, Saturdays) is the best all-round food market; Camden Lock for global street food any day; the weekend farmers' markets (Hampstead, Parliament Hill, Alexandra Palace) for farm-direct produce.
Where do food lovers eat in North London?
Moro (Islington), Trullo (Highbury), the Turkish restaurants of North Finchley and Stoke Newington, Dishoom (King's Cross), and the gastropubs of Highgate and Hampstead are the standouts.
Can you do a food tour of North London in a day?
Yes, built around grazing, a day can take in coffee and bakeries, a market, a street-food or counter lunch, the delis and cheesemongers, and a proper restaurant dinner. Time it around a Saturday or Sunday market for the best of it.
What's the best-value food in North London?
The Turkish food of Stoke Newington and North Finchley, and Camden's canal-side street food, are excellent value. The weekend farmers' markets are the best for cooking ingredients.
Where can I buy good cheese and wine in North London?
Dedicated cheesemongers in Highgate, Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Islington cut from the wheel; independent wine merchants across the area beat any supermarket on curation. See our cheese and wine shop guides.
Do I need to book restaurants for a North London food day?
For the best dinner spots (Moro, Trullo) and weekend evenings, yes, book ahead. Markets, street food and counters (Morito, Dishoom queues aside) are walk-in.
When is the best day for a North London foodie day?
Saturday for Broadway Market, or Sunday for Columbia Road and the east London food route, both put a great market at the heart of the day. Any day works for Camden street food and the cheesemongers.
