In almost cities of the world there are certain areas which are considered to be hip and happening and thus more desirable than other areas. When I lived in my home city of Mumbai, there was a constant debate that raged between residents of South Mumbai and the residents of North Mumbai about which part of Mumbai was more desirable to live in.  The popular perception was that South Mumbai which is inhabited by 'Old Money' is stuffy and boring while North Mumbai which is largely populated by the film and advertising industry folk, though nouveau riche is infinitely more 'happening'.

Now I live in New York City and I notice the same phenomenon prevails here as well. In New York, I am an east side dweller and I am constantly been told that I live way out on the eastside and that I should move to the Westside which is more laid back thus a nicer part of Manhattan to reside in. I also spend a lot of time in London, where once again I notice this snobbery but here the areas north of the River Thames are the ones which are considered to be infinitely more desirable than anything that is south of the river.

Needless to say, many of my friends who live and work in London reside in areas located north of the river and they always moan and groan about coming out to meet me in the south. However there is one star attraction located in the southern part of London that my friends can't resist coming out for and that is the fantastic food market called Borough Market which is located on Borough High Street in the borough of Southwark located in  South East London.

Borough market is a wholesale fruit and vegetable market which is housed in a historic building conveniently located near one of London's busiest stations, the London Bridge Station. This vibrant and colorful market is open for trade for three days during the week and is a hit with both locals and tourist alike. Borough Market is open on Thursdays from 11 am to 5pm but for the full market experience and in order to see all the traders in action you have to visit this market and sample its many fine foods on either a Friday or a Saturday when it is open from 12pm to 6pm and 9am to 4pm respectively.

The traders at Borough market sell a wide range of fresh and prepared produce like free range eggs, meats, poultry, game, teas and coffees, fruits and vegetables, cakes and chocolates, breads, honey, dried fruits, cider, wines, fish and sea food, specialty foods, jams and preserves, olive oils, flowers etc which are of a much superior quality than those which are found at London's traditional super markets like Sainsbury's and Tesco. 

When you visit Borough, you get a chance to sample many of these fantastic wares which you can then take home or back to your hotel in an eco friendly specially produced for Borough market bag which can then serve as a souvenir for your visit to this emporium of good food. You can easily choose to have breakfast or even lunch at the highly acclaimed 'Roast' restaurant which is located within the environs of the market. Though when I visit Borough, I love to wander amongst the stalls and talk to the chatty congenial traders while I chomp on a freshly made sandwich which I tend to pick up from one of the many food stalls located in the market.

Around the market are a number of pubs and cafes as well as an outlet of one of London's best bakeries, called Konditoor and Cook which is renowned for its many mouth watering confections so a visit to Borough market for a foodie like me is always high on my list of priorities on any trip to London.

London Bridge station is actually well served by two of the London Underground lines as well as many London Buses and overland trains and it is quite easily accessible from any part of London. So next time you are on a visit to London why don’t you venture out of the  traditional tourist stronghold of Central London and head south of the river to sample some marvelous ,typically British  goodies  at one of London's oldest markets?

Photos of  London's Borough Market posted on flickr.com by Manray3