Bermondsey Dumpling Lunch Spot Picker: Eat Now, Freeze Later

This Bermondsey dumpling lunch spot picker is for people who like to eat well today and also feed themselves later in the week. On a Saturday the railway arches around Maltby Street and Druid Street fill with food stalls, bakers and small kitchens, and several of them make dumplings by hand. You can sit down to a hot plate under the brick vaults and, if you plan ahead, walk away with a bag of frozen ones for a lazy Tuesday dinner. Here is how to pick the right lunch, carry the extras home safely and turn a market trip into a week of easy meals.

The old brick railway viaduct that carries trains out of London Bridge runs right through Bermondsey. Its brick arches were once used for storage, workshops and warehouses. Today many of them hold bakeries, breweries, cheese makers and food producers, and on Saturdays some of the narrow lanes beside them turn into a busy market.

The atmosphere is relaxed and a little rough around the edges. Trains rumble overhead, people sit on benches with plates on their knees and the smell of frying fills the cool air. It is one of the best places in London to see food being made right in front of you, and dumplings fit in perfectly.

Start with lunch. Walk the full length of the lanes before you order, because stalls change from week to week. Look for a place where you can see dumplings being folded or fried. Pan-fried dumplings with a crisp, lacy bottom are a market favourite, but you may also find boiled dumplings in chilli oil or steamed parcels with vegetable fillings.

Order one plate each and something to share, then find a seat under an arch. If you plan to buy frozen dumplings later, taste the same filling at lunch. It is the simplest way to know whether you will enjoy a whole bag at home.

Some dumpling makers sell frozen bags alongside their hot food. Before you buy, ask a few questions. Were these made by hand here? Are they best boiled, steamed or pan-fried? How long should they cook from frozen? Most makers love to talk about their dumplings and will give you useful tips.

Also ask about dipping sauce. Some sell their own chilli oil or vinegar mix in small jars, and it can make all the difference at home. If they do not, ask how they like to dress their dumplings so you can copy it in your own kitchen.

Frozen dumplings must stay frozen until you cook them. If they thaw and refreeze, the wrappers become soggy and stick together. So buy your bag at the very end of your visit, not at the start. Bring an insulated bag or a cool bag with an ice pack if you can.

If you have a long journey home, wrap the bag in a jumper or a scarf. It sounds strange, but it helps. And once you are home, put them straight into the freezer, flat if possible, so the dumplings do not freeze into one big lump.

Between lunch and the frozen bag, take a walk. From Bermondsey it is only a few minutes north to the Thames path. Turn west and you will pass old wharves and warehouses with iron balconies, then reach Tower Bridge with the Tower of London on the far bank.

Shad Thames, the narrow street of former spice and tea warehouses, is worth a slow look. The iron walkways above your head once carried goods between buildings. It is a good reminder that this part of London has always been about food and trade, from ships unloading cargo to the small kitchens of today.

The easiest way to cook frozen dumplings is the fry-and-steam method. Heat a little oil in a heavy pan, add the dumplings flat side down and fry for a minute or two until the bottoms turn golden. Pour in a little water, cover the pan and let them steam until the water has gone and the filling is hot through.

Do not thaw them first. Cook them straight from the freezer. If you prefer boiled dumplings, drop them into a big pot of boiling water, stir gently so they do not stick and wait until they float, then give them a little longer. Serve with the sauce you bought or a quick mix of soy, vinegar and chilli.

One bag of good dumplings can feed you in several ways. Pan-fry a plate for a quick dinner. Drop a handful into hot broth with greens for a simple soup. Toss boiled dumplings with chilli oil and spring onions for a fast lunch. Each meal takes about ten minutes and tastes far better than most ready meals.

If you share a home, buy two different fillings so everyone can choose. A pork and cabbage bag and a vegetable bag cover most tastes, and you can mix them on the same plate for a shared supper.

Skip buying frozen dumplings if you are going on to a pub or a long afternoon in the city. They will not survive. Come back another Saturday or plan a direct trip home. It is better to buy nothing than to cook a sad, soggy bag.

Do not skip the hot lunch, even if you only came for the frozen bag. Tasting the dumplings fresh from the pan teaches you how they should taste when you cook them, and it is the best part of the visit.

This plan suits busy people who want good food at home with little effort, couples who enjoy a Saturday market and a river walk and home cooks who want to learn from small makers. It also suits anyone new to dumplings who wants to try them at a stall before cooking them.

It may not suit visitors staying in a hotel without a freezer. In that case, enjoy the hot lunch, walk to Tower Bridge and leave the frozen bag for a future visit.

London Bridge and Bermondsey stations are both close to the arches, and buses run along Tower Bridge Road. Wear comfortable shoes, because the lanes are cobbled in places, and bring a tote bag as well as your cool bag.

If you arrive and are not sure which arch has dumplings that day, check Karpo APP for nearby dumpling makers and kitchens so you can head straight to the right lane, then save the rest of your time for the river.