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Spitalfields is where the City of London meets the old East End, a district of Georgian streets, a famous covered market and layer upon layer of immigrant history. It rewards a wander for its markets, its silk-weavers’ houses and its restless mix of the ancient and the achingly current.
Where is Spitalfields and how to get there
Spitalfields lies just east of the City, on the fringe of Shoreditch and Brick Lane. The nearest stations are Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street, both a short walk away, putting it within easy reach of the rest of central London.
The market and the streets
At its heart is Old Spitalfields Market, a handsome covered hall trading in food, fashion, art and antiques, busiest and best at the weekend. Around it, the beautifully preserved Georgian streets of the old Huguenot silk-weavers, above all Fournier Street, are among the finest early eighteenth-century townscapes in London, watched over by Hawksmoor’s towering Christ Church Spitalfields. The atmospheric, candlelit Dennis Severs’ House recreates the life of a weaver family across the centuries.
Eating and drinking
The market and its edges are thick with places to eat, from street-food stalls to modern British cooking at the likes of St John Bread and Wine and inventive Indian small plates at Gunpowder. The curry houses of Brick Lane are a couple of minutes away.
Good to know
When is Spitalfields Market open?
Old Spitalfields Market is open daily, but it is at its liveliest at the weekend, when the full range of traders, from antiques to fashion and street food, is in place. Different days have slightly different themes, so it is worth checking ahead if you are after something specific.
Where to go next
Continue into Brick Lane and Shoreditch, or browse all our London neighbourhood guides.
