Like Portobello, Brixton seems to stretch and branch out, never really feeling like it's ending. It seems worse off than most others, the buildings old and needing renovation, but the food being sold is always fresh and the restaurants carry that theme of variety. Almost every other building has the "halal" sticker to ensure safe diets, and Brixton's bright lighting beats out the out-of-the-way feel it has. It carries the feeling of a neighborhood market like Portobello but dials further into that, customers walking up to store owners and carrying on past conversations and striking up new ones like friends and neighbors do. It's clear this market is more for them than us, but that's absolutely no reason to not go, if you skip Brixton you skip good food. Pop-ups come into power here as well, many of them lying around in the market.
Right on the fringe of the market is a shell of a building formed from shipping containers, and the true ingenuity and the touristy side of Brixton comes through here. Each shipping container had been carved out and decorated to be a pop-up, a calendar on the entrance letting you know when places would be there. The idea of pop-ups becoming an easily-obtainable and predictable thing helps defeat the problems often associated with pop-up culture. Brixton is a good example of what happens when markets revolve around the neighborhood and not the other way around. People sell to friends and neighbors and tourists are the least of their worries and that, thankfully, allows you to get an experience that other markets often don't give.
- Marius Black
Not 200m from the Brixton Underground Station is a vibrant community market that reaches across multiple streets on weekends. The weekend's sport themed events including, flea, vintage, and maker’s markets. But even when most of the town is at work, people wander through Electric Avenue and the Market Row for all sorts of produce and fresh products. The butcher's carry cow hoof, a range of intestines, and many sized kidneys. The fishmonger has conger eel, shark, and the less exotic cod. Judging by the other customers’ confidence, my feelings of bewilderment on how to cook each piece is a personal problem. As a community market, Brixton attracts the locals who are among the most diverse in London. Heavily Caribbean, but with no lack of Middle Eastern and Northern Africans, the people who wander through the market speak in a number of languages with ease.
While language barriers can separate people, I greatly enjoyed the sounds that tumbled from stranger's mouths. As an American, I am essentially deaf to thick accents, be it South London or Jamaican. Listening to Arabic, French, and accented English, I meandered through stall after stall with a passive smile, picking up nothing but intonations and energy levels. Normally, I have only felt this while in a new country, culture, or something of the sort. Apparently, Brixton market falls into the latter category. Besides our group of American tourists, everyone else at the market is essentially in their home. It makes for a warm and welcoming vibe that allows for each cultural difference to thrive simultaneously. Our group only purchased potatoes and chicken breast, and perhaps that speaks to our foreignness. And while we would have fit in more on a weekend, we were nevertheless welcomed warmly on our cold Tuesday shopping trip.
- Sam Normington
What better way to spend the day than smelling fresh fish? If you like food and you especially like it newly caught, Brixton Market is the place to go. Set half indoors and half outdoors, the farmer’s market is filled with a number of meats and vegetables without being overly priced.
While walking through the interior, it is easy to get lost in the many roundabout roads that eventually will swing you around toward the front door. The hard part is in choosing a restaurant, such as the options between a British tea and coffee house or Venezuelan savory and sweet crepes, in addition to the numerous stores that line the walls. With that said, the market itself is not overwhelming in the least bit, and despite the winding paths, it is simple to navigate throughout.
Most of the shops selling meat are placed in the outside portion of the area, however, the majority include an indoor food market as well, complete with items such as vinegar, oil, honey, and butter. While wandering the street, you’ll quickly find that most vendors sell meat and vegetables at about the same price depending on what exactly it is you want. The more you buy, the more they take away from your tab (just a small hint). The vendors themselves are primarily talkative and friendly, making the purchasing process much more pleasurable.
All in all, this is the perfect market for preparing a nice dinner within a budget, as well as getting the most out of your money in terms of good, healthy food.
- Deanna Wodecki
Comprising of a street and a building that is easily missed, Brixton Market is incredibly sad in appearance. Vandalized and misshapen is Electric Avenue, the spine of Brixton Market, framed by shops open toward to the street to display hanging ducks and chickens, slabs of meat, and buckets of fish. Cheap-looking electronics stores and stands selling cheap handbags decorate the middle of the street between crates of fruits and vegetables. Brixton Village is an enclosed area that features more shops and stalls and is easy to miss. If you see the spray-painted “anus,” you’re close, approach with caution and you will find a door that leads to what seems like a nondescript alleyway but in actuality opens up to the contents of Brixton Village. Inside the building that makes up Brixton Village is an overwhelming stench of fish and cat piss and shops of a Jamaican/Caribbean persuasion. Many of what would have been quaint, nice areas to sit down for a coffee were closed, metal chairs up and sitting on their respective tables. However, a nice crepe place with Brazilian influences was open and served a nice hot chocolate. If you’re lucky you’ll meet the cats responsible for the ungodly smell, one grumpy ginger cat and another, much friendlier, tortoise-shelled cat that I named Pooky. Pet them if you’d like. Overall, Brixton Market didn’t do much for me.
- Saunder Mayer
Brixton Market mixes indoor and outdoor stalls together selling a wide range of produce, meat, seafood, and more to cater to the needs of the various ethnic groups calling London home. Even the Royals are known to shop in this market; Prince Harry himself happened to stop by Brixton Market just hours after the Teal Guide writers left. Many stalls fill the center of the lane while storefronts expand outward on to the sidewalk, showing off the freshest selections for purchase. There are numerous places to stop and consider your options when grocery shopping and Brixton cements itself on that list despite not being the typical grocery store. Nearly every vendor offers a seafood, poultry, beef, and produce selection. If they don't, it's likely because they're instead selling thrift clothing, heavy coats, jewelry, household cleaners, and supplies, or other inedible items. As you make your way into each store and past each stall, you'll see some fluctuation in pricing, but for the most part, everyone maintains fair market values for the options they're offering.
Alongside the outer market is a covered section called the Brixton Village. There are more shops in here as well as many sit-down cafes and eateries. About half of the Eckerd Teal Guide group took over a small café called Senzala Creperie that offered delicious crepes; they had a range of savory and sweet ones to pick from as well as salads, light meals, coffees, soft drinks, cocktails, and more. The furniture was adorably mismatched and gave off a quaint feeling while the wall décor featured metal artwork, changing things up from the typical paintings, prints, and photos usually hanging. Also taking up space in the covered section were shops that displayed artwork, home décor, artisanal and crafted pieces, wigs, cleaners, and more; an eclectic range of options for sure and interesting to see them all housed under one roof. An ideal place to find the freshest ingredients for your home-cooked meals, Brixton Market ends up offering more options than one could've imagined, and the specialized ingredients make shopping for diverse ethnic dishes even easier than the international aisle at a traditional grocery store. Freshness is practically guaranteed, and so is happiness in every language at Senzala.
- Caitlin Coutant
Brixton is a small market located in the south of London that doesn’t seem like much but has some interesting values. It has plenty and meat, fish and produce perfect for cooking a large meal. The fish and produce come from all over the world, which makes it a very global market. Although the produce isn’t the only thing that gives Brixton it’s global feeling. There also plenty of restaurants and shops that gives Brixton a global vibe. Being especially known for African and Caribbean Brixton and kind of like a less exciting mini Epcot. It may not be much to look at but it’s never crowded and can be a good break from the otherwise busy streets throughout London.
Another nice feature is that Brixton is independently run by the vendors without any government interference. That kind of market definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. Not too long ago Prince Harry and his fiancé Meghan Markle were spotted walking around together in Brixton. It’s the perfect place for adults or parents to go to buy food for cooking a big dinner. Although on the other hand, it’s not really the right place for kids or a bunch of college students who can barely work an oven to be hanging around, if you can work a kitchen then, by all means, be my guest. It is a market that you should try to visit at least once while in London but if you can’t manage to stop by, then no problem, it’s not a must-see.
- Glynnis Porter
Right on the fringe of the market is a shell of a building formed from shipping containers, and the true ingenuity and the touristy side of Brixton comes through here. Each shipping container had been carved out and decorated to be a pop-up, a calendar on the entrance letting you know when places would be there. The idea of pop-ups becoming an easily-obtainable and predictable thing helps defeat the problems often associated with pop-up culture. Brixton is a good example of what happens when markets revolve around the neighborhood and not the other way around. People sell to friends and neighbors and tourists are the least of their worries and that, thankfully, allows you to get an experience that other markets often don't give.
- Marius Black
Not 200m from the Brixton Underground Station is a vibrant community market that reaches across multiple streets on weekends. The weekend's sport themed events including, flea, vintage, and maker’s markets. But even when most of the town is at work, people wander through Electric Avenue and the Market Row for all sorts of produce and fresh products. The butcher's carry cow hoof, a range of intestines, and many sized kidneys. The fishmonger has conger eel, shark, and the less exotic cod. Judging by the other customers’ confidence, my feelings of bewilderment on how to cook each piece is a personal problem. As a community market, Brixton attracts the locals who are among the most diverse in London. Heavily Caribbean, but with no lack of Middle Eastern and Northern Africans, the people who wander through the market speak in a number of languages with ease.
While language barriers can separate people, I greatly enjoyed the sounds that tumbled from stranger's mouths. As an American, I am essentially deaf to thick accents, be it South London or Jamaican. Listening to Arabic, French, and accented English, I meandered through stall after stall with a passive smile, picking up nothing but intonations and energy levels. Normally, I have only felt this while in a new country, culture, or something of the sort. Apparently, Brixton market falls into the latter category. Besides our group of American tourists, everyone else at the market is essentially in their home. It makes for a warm and welcoming vibe that allows for each cultural difference to thrive simultaneously. Our group only purchased potatoes and chicken breast, and perhaps that speaks to our foreignness. And while we would have fit in more on a weekend, we were nevertheless welcomed warmly on our cold Tuesday shopping trip.
- Sam Normington
What better way to spend the day than smelling fresh fish? If you like food and you especially like it newly caught, Brixton Market is the place to go. Set half indoors and half outdoors, the farmer’s market is filled with a number of meats and vegetables without being overly priced.
While walking through the interior, it is easy to get lost in the many roundabout roads that eventually will swing you around toward the front door. The hard part is in choosing a restaurant, such as the options between a British tea and coffee house or Venezuelan savory and sweet crepes, in addition to the numerous stores that line the walls. With that said, the market itself is not overwhelming in the least bit, and despite the winding paths, it is simple to navigate throughout.
Most of the shops selling meat are placed in the outside portion of the area, however, the majority include an indoor food market as well, complete with items such as vinegar, oil, honey, and butter. While wandering the street, you’ll quickly find that most vendors sell meat and vegetables at about the same price depending on what exactly it is you want. The more you buy, the more they take away from your tab (just a small hint). The vendors themselves are primarily talkative and friendly, making the purchasing process much more pleasurable.
All in all, this is the perfect market for preparing a nice dinner within a budget, as well as getting the most out of your money in terms of good, healthy food.
- Deanna Wodecki
Comprising of a street and a building that is easily missed, Brixton Market is incredibly sad in appearance. Vandalized and misshapen is Electric Avenue, the spine of Brixton Market, framed by shops open toward to the street to display hanging ducks and chickens, slabs of meat, and buckets of fish. Cheap-looking electronics stores and stands selling cheap handbags decorate the middle of the street between crates of fruits and vegetables. Brixton Village is an enclosed area that features more shops and stalls and is easy to miss. If you see the spray-painted “anus,” you’re close, approach with caution and you will find a door that leads to what seems like a nondescript alleyway but in actuality opens up to the contents of Brixton Village. Inside the building that makes up Brixton Village is an overwhelming stench of fish and cat piss and shops of a Jamaican/Caribbean persuasion. Many of what would have been quaint, nice areas to sit down for a coffee were closed, metal chairs up and sitting on their respective tables. However, a nice crepe place with Brazilian influences was open and served a nice hot chocolate. If you’re lucky you’ll meet the cats responsible for the ungodly smell, one grumpy ginger cat and another, much friendlier, tortoise-shelled cat that I named Pooky. Pet them if you’d like. Overall, Brixton Market didn’t do much for me.
- Saunder Mayer
Brixton Market mixes indoor and outdoor stalls together selling a wide range of produce, meat, seafood, and more to cater to the needs of the various ethnic groups calling London home. Even the Royals are known to shop in this market; Prince Harry himself happened to stop by Brixton Market just hours after the Teal Guide writers left. Many stalls fill the center of the lane while storefronts expand outward on to the sidewalk, showing off the freshest selections for purchase. There are numerous places to stop and consider your options when grocery shopping and Brixton cements itself on that list despite not being the typical grocery store. Nearly every vendor offers a seafood, poultry, beef, and produce selection. If they don't, it's likely because they're instead selling thrift clothing, heavy coats, jewelry, household cleaners, and supplies, or other inedible items. As you make your way into each store and past each stall, you'll see some fluctuation in pricing, but for the most part, everyone maintains fair market values for the options they're offering.
Alongside the outer market is a covered section called the Brixton Village. There are more shops in here as well as many sit-down cafes and eateries. About half of the Eckerd Teal Guide group took over a small café called Senzala Creperie that offered delicious crepes; they had a range of savory and sweet ones to pick from as well as salads, light meals, coffees, soft drinks, cocktails, and more. The furniture was adorably mismatched and gave off a quaint feeling while the wall décor featured metal artwork, changing things up from the typical paintings, prints, and photos usually hanging. Also taking up space in the covered section were shops that displayed artwork, home décor, artisanal and crafted pieces, wigs, cleaners, and more; an eclectic range of options for sure and interesting to see them all housed under one roof. An ideal place to find the freshest ingredients for your home-cooked meals, Brixton Market ends up offering more options than one could've imagined, and the specialized ingredients make shopping for diverse ethnic dishes even easier than the international aisle at a traditional grocery store. Freshness is practically guaranteed, and so is happiness in every language at Senzala.
- Caitlin Coutant
Brixton is a small market located in the south of London that doesn’t seem like much but has some interesting values. It has plenty and meat, fish and produce perfect for cooking a large meal. The fish and produce come from all over the world, which makes it a very global market. Although the produce isn’t the only thing that gives Brixton it’s global feeling. There also plenty of restaurants and shops that gives Brixton a global vibe. Being especially known for African and Caribbean Brixton and kind of like a less exciting mini Epcot. It may not be much to look at but it’s never crowded and can be a good break from the otherwise busy streets throughout London.
Another nice feature is that Brixton is independently run by the vendors without any government interference. That kind of market definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. Not too long ago Prince Harry and his fiancé Meghan Markle were spotted walking around together in Brixton. It’s the perfect place for adults or parents to go to buy food for cooking a big dinner. Although on the other hand, it’s not really the right place for kids or a bunch of college students who can barely work an oven to be hanging around, if you can work a kitchen then, by all means, be my guest. It is a market that you should try to visit at least once while in London but if you can’t manage to stop by, then no problem, it’s not a must-see.
- Glynnis Porter