Canal-Side Street Food Market Open 7 Days: Camden Market

Camden Market spreads across three quarters beside the Regent's Canal in north London: Lock on Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF, the Stables off Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH, and Hawley Wharf, NW1 8AA. It is open seven days a week from 10am to 7pm, including bank holidays, and the only day of the year it closes is Christmas Day. For a street food market that also works for dinner, the Hawley Wharf food halls run from 11.30am to 11pm every day.

Camden Market has been open since 1974. According to its own story page, it started with 16 stalls as a small arts and crafts fair in the backyard of Dingwalls, the music venue by the lock. At first it was temporary and only ran on Sundays, but it grew fast, and today the market describes itself as the largest in London, with over 1,000 places to shop, eat, drink and dance.

Before the market, Camden's biggest industry was gin, shipped around the world along the Regent's Canal. The 1970s marked the end of that industrial era and the start of the market. Music came next: the market's story page recalls the 1960s gigs at Dingwalls and the Roundhouse that changed London's music scene, with bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols and Blondie among the venues' favourites, and the alternative fashion that followed into the stalls, worn by mods, rockers, punks and bohemians.

The food is spread across all three quarters, so it helps to know where to aim. Camden Lock is the original canal-side site, where the market began as a Sunday crafts fair, and its yards sit right beside the lock gates. The Stables, with its historic horse-era buildings and the Horse Hospital entrance off Chalk Farm Road, mixes food stalls with vintage shops. Hawley Wharf is the newest quarter, with its food courts in Waterside Halls, step-free access and lifts to every floor.

North Yard is the market's home for independent sit-down restaurants, bars and rooftops, and its restaurants stay open every evening after most market traders close. The FAQ notes that most stall traders work 10am to 6pm, so if you arrive late in the afternoon expect some shutters down in the Stables while the food halls and North Yard keep going. Plan dinner around Hawley Wharf or North Yard rather than the outdoor stalls.

The food and drink directory lists dozens of traders, and the range is the point. Three Uncles serves Cantonese roast meats, Holy Sheep cooks Yunnan dishes, Avila London brings a taste of Venezuela, and Quinoa Arepa handles Peruvian food. Athens Original Gyros does Greek street food, Mamas Msemen makes Moroccan dishes, Smoketeers smokes meat, and Bunhaus Korean turns out fun and fiery buns. Pasta Evangelists makes fresh pasta in North Yard.

For something sweet, Humble Crumble bakes artisan crumbles, Chimney Cake Lady sells chimney cakes, and there is no shortage of churros along the lanes. Our honest tip is to skip the generic noodle and fried-rice counters near the main entrances, which you can find in any food court, and walk deeper into the market for the regional cooking. Order two small plates from different kitchens instead of one big box, and share.

3 Locks Brewing Company runs a canal-side taproom inside the market, and Lockside Lounge pairs music with drinks by the water. Half Hitch Gin School lets you try the distilling life in the market's historic West Yard, which ties neatly back to the gin trade that once dominated the area. Camden Cocktail Club mixes creative cocktails with a swing-era theme, and Dingwalls is still running as a music venue with pub food.

If you want something to do between meals, the market also lists 180 Darts Club and Babylon Park, a funfair-style space, among its experiences. Secret Food Tours runs a guided tasting route through the market for people who would rather have someone else choose the stops. In autumn the Camden Vintage Market with Bootyfull Car Boot adds secondhand stalls to the mix through October and November.

Camden Town on the Northern line is about five minutes' walk, Chalk Farm on the Northern line about ten, and Camden Road on the Overground about eight, according to the market's visit page. Buses are easy too: route 214 comes from King's Cross, route 24 from Victoria, route 274 from the West End and route 393 from East London. There is no dedicated car park and parking around Camden Town is extremely limited, so public transport is the way in.

Enter Lock either from the canal towpath or through the main entrance on Camden Lock Place off the high street. The Stables can be reached off Chalk Farm Road or through the Horse Hospital entrance. For Hawley Wharf, the food courts in Waterside Halls open off the high street, with further entrances on Water Lane and from the towpath. Hawley Wharf has a Changing Places toilet, while much of Lock and the Stables is cobbled and uneven.

Weekends draw the biggest crowds to the narrow lanes around the lock, so a weekday morning just after the 10am opening is the easiest time to browse. If the yards are shoulder to shoulder, head to Hawley Wharf, where the food halls are indoors and spread over several floors. If you only have one free slot, a weekday lunch at Hawley Wharf is the calmest way to eat well here.

After eating, follow the Regent's Canal towpath west from the lock towards Primrose Hill and Regent's Park, a calm contrast to the market crowds. Alternatively, walk up to the Roundhouse on Chalk Farm Road to see the venue that helped make Camden's music name. If you are coming back in the evening, North Yard's restaurants are the reliable plan B once the outdoor stalls have closed.

Addresses: Lock, Camden Lock Place, London NW1 8AF. Stables, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AH. Hawley Wharf, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AA. Market hours: Monday to Sunday 10am to 7pm, including bank holidays. Hawley Wharf food halls: Monday to Sunday 11.30am to 11pm. Closed only on Christmas Day.

Open since 1974, with over 1,000 places to shop, eat and drink. Use Camden Town, Chalk Farm or Camden Road stations and leave the car at home. Arrive early on weekends, eat deeper in the market rather than at the entrances, and save Hawley Wharf for dinner. To plan the rest of your day around Camden and the canal, open the Karpo APP and build your route from the market.