London Markets 3 - Columbia Road Market

On Sundays, there is Columbia Road market (http://columbiaroad.info/), a beautiful flower market, which is sure to fill your heart with sunshine for the rest of the week. Or at least your house with freesias. Anyhow, it s still quite the same hipster crowd, maybe a bit more grown-up. It's on Columbia Road, also in East London, quite close to Old Street station. This is one of the few markets that runs on Sunday, because of the largely jewish population that used to inhabit the area.


Columbia Road Market

You can hang around the market, buy flowers of course, but also interior design, vintage fashion and specialist perfumes from Angela Flanders. For lunch, there is a lovely Sunday roast at “The Royal Oak”, which is one of the few pubs I know in London with good looking, non dorky, straight men. The roast isn’t half bad either. Book ahead, they’re always packed.


The Royal Oak

Or you can have a late brunch at Bistrotheque, near Mare Street, the bloody maries are ace and there’s a pianist playing pop tunes. The fare is “modern British”, with posh fish and chips and scrumptious eggs royale (eggs, bun, hollandaise, smoked salmon and a dollop of caviar). Wear Comme des Garcons and look artsy. You will most definitely need to book here too.


Bistrotheque

Addresses
Angela Flanders
96 Columbia Road
Shoreditch
London
E2 7QB
Tel: 0207 739 7555

The Royal Oak
73 Columbia Road
London E2 7RG
Tel: 020 7729 2220

Bistrotheque
23-27 Wadeson Street,
London, E2 9DR
Tel.020 8983 7900