We run guided tours a few minutes' walk from Maltby Street, and on a weekend morning our guides are usually clutching a coffee from there before they've even picked up the group. It's the kind of market Londoners quietly love and visitors often miss, because it doesn't shout about itself the way Borough Market does. This is our honest, local's guide to Maltby Street Market — where it is, what to eat, when to go, and how to fold it into a proper day out in Bermondsey.
What is Maltby Street Market?
Maltby Street Market is a cluster of small, independent food stalls and shopfront units set into the railway arches of the "Ropewalk" — the stretch of Maltby Street and Ropewalk itself, just off Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey. It grew up organically from wholesalers and small producers who'd traded from these arches for years, rather than being purpose-built as a tourist market, and that scrappy, unpolished feel is still most of its charm. There's no single gate or ticket — you just wander the arches and queue where the smell is best.
Where to find it
The market sits in the Ropewalk, roughly between Maltby Street and Spa Road, a short walk from London Bridge and Bermondsey Street. It's also only a few minutes from Southwark Brewing Co at 46 Druid St, where our Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour starts, which makes it a natural first stop before an afternoon of taprooms. If you're coming from London Bridge station, it's an easy 12–15 minute walk south-east, or a short bus or cab ride if you'd rather save your legs for the Mile.
When it's open
Most of the market's stalls trade at weekends, with Saturday and especially Sunday the busiest and most complete days — that's when you'll get the full spread of vendors rather than just the permanent shopfronts. A handful of the fixed units along the Ropewalk (bakeries, wine shops and the like) keep their own weekday hours too. Because market days and opening times can shift with the seasons, we'd always say: check the market's own website or social channels for the current schedule before you set off, rather than relying on any single source.
What to eat: the stalls worth queuing for
Vendors do come and go, so treat any specific stall list as a snapshot rather than gospel — but the categories that make Maltby Street worth the trip are pretty consistent:
- Baked goods and pastries — this stretch of Bermondsey has been a magnet for serious bakeries for years, and you'll usually find a queue for something laminated, filled or fresh from the oven.
- Seafood and smoked fish — small specialist producers doing oysters, smoked salmon and similar are a Ropewalk staple; look for the shortest queue with the freshest-looking counter.
- Cheese and charcuterie — several units sell British and continental cheese and cured meats by the piece, good for building a picnic to take onto the beer trail.
- Coffee — more than one good roaster trades from the arches, so you're rarely more than a stall or two from a decent flat white.
- Something sweet and something boozy — expect a rotating mix of doughnuts, cakes, natural wine and small-batch drinks vendors depending on who's trading that week.
Our honest tip: arrive hungry, share plates between your group, and don't fill up on the first stall you see — the best thing at Maltby Street is rarely the first one you smell.
A bit of history
The name "Ropewalk" isn't a marketing flourish — it's a nod to the area's old trade, when this stretch of arches and yards was used for laying out and twisting rope for the docks and warehouses that once lined the nearby Thames. Bermondsey's arches have hosted wholesalers, leather works and food storage for well over a century, and Maltby Street Market grew out of that working history rather than being dropped in as a purpose-built tourist attraction. A few of today's traders started out selling wholesale to restaurants from these same units before opening to walk-up customers at weekends, which is part of why the market still feels more like a working street than a stage set. It's the same story as much of Bermondsey's brewing scene — independent operators quietly building something good in old industrial space, which is exactly what you'll find again a few minutes away on the Beer Mile itself.
Maltby Street vs Borough Market
People often ask us how Maltby Street compares to Borough Market, and it's really a question of scale and mood. Borough Market is bigger, older, covered and considerably busier, with a huge range of traders under one roof near London Bridge — see our guide to things to do near London Bridge for more on that side of things. Maltby Street is smaller, outdoors, quieter and feels more like a locals' secret than a set-piece attraction. If you only have time for one, Borough Market gives you breadth; Maltby Street gives you a more relaxed, less touristy morning with arguably better coffee.
Combine it with the Bermondsey Beer Mile
This is where Maltby Street really earns its place in a London day out. It sits right at the edge of Bermondsey's brewing quarter, so a market breakfast or brunch is the perfect warm-up for an afternoon on the Bermondsey Beer Mile. Our own guided Beer Mile tour runs for 2–3.5 hours, visits four independent taprooms with beer included at every stop, and costs £49 per person — plenty of time to graze the market beforehand and still be ready for the first pour. We've been running these tours since 2014, and pairing them with a Maltby Street stop is one of the most common tips our own guides give returning visitors.
A perfect Bermondsey day
If you want to make a full day of it, here's the shape we'd suggest: start at Maltby Street Market from late morning for coffee and something to eat, wander the short distance over to Druid Street and Southwark Brewing Co, then join our guided tour at 12pm for four taprooms and beer through to 6pm. If you're planning a bigger celebration rather than a casual visit, we also run private tours for groups of 6 to 60+, and it makes a great structure for a birthday, hen do or work social — market first, taproom trail second. For more general inspiration on the area, see our roundup of craft beer near London Bridge.
Practical tips
- Bring cash and card: most stalls take contactless now, but it's still worth having a little cash for smaller vendors.
- There's limited seating: some pubs and units nearby have tables, but a lot of Maltby Street is eat-on-the-move — bring a bag for shopping if you're buying to take home.
- Go early on Sundays: the best-known stalls can sell out of popular items or build long queues by early afternoon.
- Dress for the weather: it's an outdoor, semi-covered market under railway arches, so a layer for rain or wind is sensible.
- Pace your day: if you're heading on to the Beer Mile afterwards, eat properly at the market rather than just grazing — you'll enjoy the tastings more.
More to explore nearby
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- Borough Market food tour with 6 authentic tastings — a good option if you want a guided introduction to London's bigger, more famous food market before or after your Maltby Street visit.
Fancy giving someone else the Bermondsey day out? Our gift vouchers are delivered instantly and never expire, so they can pick their own market-and-Mile day whenever suits.