Broadway Market is the kind of Saturday ritual that Hackney locals guard fiercely — a short stretch of Victorian terrace between London Fields and the canal that transforms into a buzzing street market every weekend. You'll find everything from beef birria tacos and empanadas to artisanal bread, cheese, and candles, plus a lineup of permanent shops, cafés, and pubs that give the street its character all week long. It's lively without being overwhelming, and the canal-side location makes it a perfect slow-morning wander.
A canal-side Victorian street that turns into one of London's best Saturday food markets — birria tacos, artisan cheese, and buns by the water.
Get there before 11am on Saturdays to beat the crowds and grab the best street food before the queues build up.
Hackney's finest Saturday food crawl by the canal
Broadway Market is the beating heart of Hackney's weekend scene — a short but packed stretch of Victorian terrace running from London Fields down to Regent's Canal, lined with independent shops, cafés, and pubs that are worth visiting any day of the week. But come Saturday, the street transforms into one of London's best food markets, with stalls selling everything from beef birria tacos and empanadas to fresh pasta, artisan cheese, and Buns from Home. Reviewers consistently praise the "amazing variety of mouth-watering food" and the atmosphere that's "relaxed, lively without being overwhelming." It's the kind of place where you grab a coffee, wander, eat your way through three different stalls, and end up sitting by the canal with a pastry.
The market runs Saturdays 9am–5pm and Sundays 10am–5pm, but Saturday is the main event — that's when the full complement of food stalls, produce vendors, and street traders is out. Sunday is quieter and more food-focused. Arrive before 11am if you want to avoid the thickest crowds and actually get a look at what's on offer before the queues build. The permanent shops along the street — bookshops, wine merchants, boutiques — are worth browsing between bites, and the canal towpath is the perfect escape when you need a breather from the buzz.
It's not a place to come with a rigid plan. The joy is in the wandering, the sampling, the serendipity of discovering a stall you didn't know existed. Yes, it gets busy and yes, some of the street food is priced for the weekend crowd, but the quality is genuinely strong and the atmosphere is unbeatable. This is East London at its most alive.