THE LUXURY TRAVEL
MAGAZINE FOR INDEPENDENT
TRAVELLERS

I’m on the fence where the revamp of Spitalfields Market is concerned. I really liked Old Spitalfields. It had dark corners where the ghost of Jack the Ripper stalked the shadows. The old building had real character in its slightly grimy, train station-like interior. It also had some very odd stalls. But I think it was the people that made it – my favourites being the beatnik artist-types in purple tights and strange hats with bells sitting in The Magic Loungeabout on open-mike night, smoking roll-ups and drinking beer. It was all in the atmosphere.

I visited for the first time in ages last weekend and was astonished at the difference. It’s undergone a total makeover and one that’s due for completion any day now. For me what was ‘old’ London is lost and Spitalfields has been catapulted into 2008. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different – clean, sharp – the romance seemingly vacuumed away. The listed Victorian shell has been restored and glass, reflective pools, posed urban art, slate slabs and edgy metalwork all complete the modern finish.

I think it’s because of this large scale spit-and-polish that Spitalfields can now officially proclaim to have a Fine Food Market. In the past, even the most discerning of rats tip-toeing through the French Delicatessen on its way to the sewer was bound to kibosh a serious food fair. But now with the slick, stainless steel stalls, food hygiene is of the highest standard.

The Fine Food Market (encompassing around 20 traders) appears also to be ‘under construction’ as I felt there wasn’t quite enough there yet… but it certainly didn’t stop me slinking around the gorgeous cheeses and fresh pasta at Gastronomica (the Italian food stall) and purring over the aromatic baked breads and cakes at Flour Power City. There are also succulent selections of meats at Villanova; barrels of fat, juicy olives at O & Co and other stalls filled with dried fruits and spices. But then the catnip of it all and the one to send me (and the large crowd around it) into a tailspin of desire… a stall serving freshly shucked oysters. Someone’s a genius!

Wandering further, you’ll also find Specialist Food Shops that overlook the market, some of which have graduated from barrow to boutique. No longer a brown paper bag containing your purchase flung at you over the chaos of a crazy stall… it is now elegantly ensconced in tissue paper inside a dinky box and tied with a beautiful ribbon. Stopping for a pastry at Patisserie Valerie is mandatory for regulars at the market… O & Co have a shop where you can take home your own olive tree… Montezumas is a chocolate shop with a difference… and then there’s Bedales for fine wines… Tea Smith for… yes, you guessed it… and apparently more to come.

The restaurants have also stepped up their game. My old favourite Meson Los Barilles – a Spanish tapas bar so delicioso that every weekend it has a queue around the block – seems to have doubled in size. But I went this time for brunch at Canteen. Despite being two-and-a-bit years old, it is still winning foodie awards and is a firm favourite for those in-the-know. The food is simple and honest and typically British: roasts, bangers ‘n mash, fish ‘n chips and some of the best pies in London. The produce comes in fresh from all over the country and the menu changes seasonally so you know you’re getting the best of Britain. I loved that, even though it was unbelievably busy, the manager was relaxed enough to let my friend's three-year-old sleep under the table.

You can see its popularity in the long queue outside as you can’t book on the weekends (how wonderfully unpretentious!), so you just have to wait patiently as everyone else does… and that’s one old British trait Spitalfields will never lose!