One of the best things about London is its’ many must-visit markets. Camden Market, though, is not one of them for me. But, funnily enough, it’s also one of the few London markets I have heard plenty about before coming to England. For the same reason, we took a bus to Camden and waited in the corner of Wendy’s until the market’s opening time.
Is This Famous Camden Market???
We walked past the river and orange juice sellers and entered the market compound.
My first reaction was:
Hu, this could not be it???
It reminded me of the tourist trap markets in Southeast Asia (and the Cairns Night Market), only worse because the price tags were in Pounds. It was filled with meaningless trinkets and knickknacks.
I told Fafa to do one quick round and leave. But then we realized that the earlier part was just a tiny market section. So, stepping out of there, we saw the food section.
Camden Market For Foodies
Though not as impressive as Borough Market or Portobello Market, Camden Market’s food section is worth a second look. We went stall by stall until we stumbled upon Pino’s Warung, an Indonesian street food stall, on a tiny lane.
I checked my watch, thought of Wendy’s brekkie we had a little over an hour before, and decided it shouldn’t matter. So we sat and ate what turned out to be the best Indonesian food I had in London.
Refuelled, we decided to explore a little longer, but seriously, there was not one exciting shop. Most of the items looked like they came from the markets in Bali or Thailand.
Indian Alley
Tired, we stopped for a drink in a cool-looking Indian restaurant, Indian Alley and ordered Mumbai Margarita and Delhi Daiquiri. Let me tell you something; I had long forgotten the last time I didn’t finish my alcohol until that day. It was that bad. Topped with shitty service from the waiter, we made our way out of the place and to Camden Market. Outside, we saw even the kitschier side of Camden Market neighbourhood. Souvenir shops, off-brand clothing stores and loudly designed restaurant fronts.
It was all just too much, so we left.
Would I come back to Camden Market?
I am curious about what we skipped this time, including Hans and Gretel, London’s most immersive and magical dessert emporium.
Update (2024): I received a comment informing me that Camden Market is much bigger than what I covered above (thank you, Londoner on holiday). I guess I’ll have to check it out properly the next time I visit London, which isn’t hard with Pino’s Warung, the Indo-food restaurant located at the same place.
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