Kubba – Juma Market

 

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The chef, British-Iraqi Philip Juma, is an expert in Iraqi cuisine and self-taught. Kubba, a traditional Iraqi dish made of bulgur wheat, minced onions, and ground meat that is then formed into a ball or cylinder and filled with spiced meat, onions, and pine nuts, is the food stall’s specialty.

The market’s full of delicious food and you’ll need an iron will if you’re not looking to try out all the cuisines and dishes being cooked in front of you, especially if you’re running on an empty stomach! But the amazing thing about Kubba is that the chef is entirely self-taught and was able to showcase his huge range!

📍Borough Market Kitchen, Jubilee, Winchester Walk, London SE1 9AG, United Kingdom

George Inn

The George Inn is a very old inn, dating back to at least the 16th century, and it was mentioned by Stowe in 1598 as one of the “fair inns” of London. It is one of  London’s oldest surviving pubs and the only galleried London coaching inn left after World War II.

London’s got a ton of historical buildings but this one is one of the cool things that should be visited by every tourist! I mean, how often do you get to drink a pint and learn more about London?

📍75 Borough High St, London SE1 1NH, United Kingdom

Gelateria 3BIS

Gelateria 3BIS crafts delicious gelato with carefully selected British cow’s milk that has the ideal amount of fat to produce traditional Italian ice cream. To be honest I never was able to distinguish between Italian and normal British ice cream but after a full day of trying out the stalls selling meat around every corner, I decided I needed dessert and oh boy, was this a ride.

Something about Italian ice cream while walking around the best food market in London, is so refreshing. It’s no wonder that there’s a long queue of Londoners everyday but the it’s worth the wait!

📍75 Borough High St, London SE1 1NH, United Kingdom

Bread Ahead

 

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The Doughnuts from Bread Ahead have been a local classic. Seriously, people have been banging on and on about this spot so I just had to try it out. From my experience it was definitely worth a pitstop! The dough was especially springy and light and they did not cheap out on the filling at all!

With so many food stalls and shops in the market, it’s nice that we have a staple for light breakfast or cheap desserts.

📍75 Borough High St, London SE1 1NH, United Kingdom

Golden Hinde

We’ll take a break from the food scene for a while and move on to The Golden Hinde, a full-sized, seaworthy reconstruction of the galleon captained by Sir Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580.

This shop that’s docked riverside of the Thames doesn’t need a booking! You could quite literally show up on any day and the crew would be happy to help you. One of the crew can take visitors on a guided journey through the ship so they can discover the history behind the famous circumnavigation, it is an educational and frankly quite interesting piece of history, given how famous Sir Francis Drake is in pop culture.

📍St Mary Overie’s Dock, Cathedral St, London SE1 9DE, United Kingdom

Brindisa Shop

Well, after that short intermission, we get on right back to food. The Brindisa Chorizo Roll has been a standard at the Borough Market for two decades. It might seem like the usual Spanish chorizo but this is sandwich made with love. It is made with sweet red peppers, peppery rocket, hot, spicy chorizo, and crusty ciabatta bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

To be honest, it’s best paired with a pint or gin. Just imagine a spicy and savory sandwich all washed down with craft beer served in the nearby stalls. Sounds like a good plan to me.

📍Floral Hall, Borough Market, Stoney St, London SE1 9AF, United Kingdom

Padella

 

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Padella’s menu features eight pasta dishes, including pappardelle with 8-hour Dexter beef shin ragu, tagliarini with brown shrimp and chilli, and gnocchi with nutmeg butter and parmesan.

The portions are no joke though the fruit and veg themselves are probably enough to keep a person filled but if you order some of their shared plates then you’ll find that its great fun with your friends and definitely a must-visit.

📍6 Southwark St, London SE1 1TQ, United Kingdom

Neal’s Yard Dairy

Neal’s Yard Dairy offers more than 70 cheesemakers from the UK and Ireland with a variety of cheeses, such as goat cheese, stilton, and cheddar. The company sells roughly 550 tonnes of cheese annually through its stores, exports, and online while supporting small-scale cheesemakers. I couldn’t even fathom what 550 tonnes of cheese looks like but if they’re selling that much then it’s probably safe to assume this is the perfect spot for all your dairy needs!

Neal’s Yard is insanely popular now with multiple branches spanning across different parts of London, so you’d think they would have long wait times but fortunately, their staff is super efficient and quick!

📍6 Southwark St, London SE1 1TQ, United Kingdom

Imperial War Museum

The museum was established in 1917 under the name Imperial War Museum with the goal of documenting the British Empire’s and the United Kingdom’s military and civil war effort and sacrifice during the First World War. Part of the Imperial War Museum are also an extensive collection of guns, artworks depicting gruesome scenes from World War I and II, and surveillance drones and the most recent technologies used in warfare, basically means robots.

I had a lot of time visiting here and they’ve got some stuff that really opens your eyes to how brutal war is and if you’re looking to see how fast humanity could improve on their technology, this is one of the best places to visit.

📍Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ, United Kingdom

Southwark Cathedral

First of all, It’s worth noting that the market isn’t exactly near Soutwark Bankside, but any guide to the best spots in se1 should include the Southward Cathedral. Don’t worry if you’re not in the mood to walk towards Southbank, because the railways and the London Bridge Station are readily available.

The Cathedral has been a place of worship for more than a thousand years, the same thing with St. Thomas Hostpial, religious institutions that have been around for centuries. Inside there are stained glass windows. It is personally one of my favourite landmarks whenever I visit.

📍London Bridge, London SE1 9DA, United Kingdom

Kappacasein Cheese

 

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Renowned for its toasted cheese sandwiches and raclette, Kappacasein Cheese is a Borough Market institution. Seriously if you ask any Londoner, “Hey man, I was thinking I should visit Borough Market, what are the best places to go?” and they  would usually answer with this spot.

To think a simple shop on borough high street is what a lot of locals call as London’s best so this is definitely a must-try!

📍1 Stoney St, London SE1 9AA, United Kingdom

Operating Theatre

I made a list of places before heading out on the spots in London, I should visit and I never would’ve thought that an old operating theatre would be on that list! I consider myself as the squeamish type so I was delighted to find out that no, they don’t do surgery here anymore. Should have been obvious in hindsight really, but the place is filled with a bunch of things about the history of surgery and the building itself.

The rich history of the Old Operating Theatre Museum begins when it was utilized as a women’s operating theater in the 19th century. Situated on the original site of St. Thomas’ Hospital, in Southwark, London, the museum is housed in the garret of St. Thomas’s Church. It also has great architecture and design evidenced by the 52-step spiral staircase they have on the sides.

📍9a St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY, United Kingdom

Bermondsey Street

Many of the restaurants and bars in London actually have some sort of history tied to them. Some spanning hundreds of years ago, while some only have recent history to back them up. I even found one bar called the anchor that was used by pirates and smugglers during its hayday, which I thought was super interesting.

It would be amazing to learn about all of them and what better way to learn about as many bars as you can than on Bermondsey Street?

They literally have a mile-long stretch of road filled with places to eat and drink at. In fact, the Bermondsey Beer mile or as its called is a local challenge among pub-crawlers but I actually haven’t met someone who did a mile-long pub-crawl.

📍94 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UB, United Kingdom

The Shard

The shard is one of the tallest buildings in Western Europe  and at the top of the shard are different cafes and restaurants like the Aqua Shard. Since its so high up, You’re treated to amazing view of London and it’s skyline. It also overlooks the Thames so you can spot iconic places like the Tower Bridge, Tower of London, and even the HMS Belfast.

Best time to visit here is without a doubt nighttime. the lights from the different buildings across the city would look so beautiful and to heighten the experience, the bars and restaurants in the shard serve the most amazing food to go along with the view.

📍94 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UB, United Kingdom

The Roast

 

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Lastly, no “things to do in London guide” would be complete without mentioning afternoon tea. Situated uniquely just above the borough market, it’s a relaxing way for you to spend lazy Mondays and Tuesdays overlooking the busy market.

You could see the people in London pass by rushing to buy produce or just relax and let everything be background noise and just enjoy the tea and baked goods they offer!

📍The Floral Hall, Stoney St, London SE1 1TL, United Kingdom

Looking for More Guides?

South London has a lot more to offer than the market and we’ve got you covered! We have guides on the best cafes, restaurants, bars, clubs, and more on not just near the Borough Market, but in a lot of spots across London, so head on over!