Off the beaten path in London

[Anthony_LG]

I was in London for the past week for a conference. During the weekend, I visited some friends of mine and we had a chance to explore London---but we didn't visit many of the major tourist areas (we've done that before already). Instead, we went a bit outside the beaten path, and went on exploring the smaller neighbourhoods 🙂

Local gem in London: Camden Market

Located a quick 5-walk away from the Camden Town Underground station (north of Regent's Park), this outdoor market was absolutely bustling with activity when we arrived around noon on Sunday.
There was food of all types and all fusions/combinations, and the variety was completely astonishing. Fair-trade coffee, Indian burgers, Belgian fries, Smoked meat and Reuben sandwiches, Columbian "marching" lunch boxes, Taiwanese Bao... and the list just goes on.

Camden Market

I settled for some nice and delicious Taiwanese Gua Bao (刈包), because...well, just look at them!Taiwanese Gua Bao (刈包) -- Pork, chicken, and mushroom versions available!

Had a nice chat with these two gentlemen while waiting for my Taiwanese Gua Bao (刈包)

I haven't had them for a really long time, and this really hit the spot. I immediately went back for a second one :).

Camden Town / Hampstead

We also went to the Primrose Hill viewpoint. This is a popular hangout spot for locals, with a nice lookout over the London skyline. If you prefer less people, then check out the Parliament Hill viewpoint below.

We also walked over to the Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House.
There is the Parliament Hill viewpoint, which, in my opinion, offers an even nicer and unobstructed view of London as compared to Primrose Hill.
Also a further bit north is the Kenwood house, which is a beautiful 17th-century country house situated on a slight hill. We didn't get the chance to go inside though.

Since it was raining, I couldn't get any nice pictures of this part 😞

Notable mention - Goodge Street Market

A notable mention goes to the Goodge Street Market near UCL. This is one good street market that you don't want to miss! 😉

While it is in the Fitzrovia area, I get the feeling that not many people know about it, since it is tucked neatly away inside a cul-de-sac (or more like a one-way driveway, I should say...) But, that's better for us, more food for us to try out 🙂
This place doesn't have many reviews, but go check it out if you can--it's really worth it!
There are roughly ten or so food street-side food stands that offer cuisine ranging from quinoa salad to tacos, or American-style barbecue to Korean-style bulgogi burgers, etc. Lots to choose from, and even more to feast on. Beware of ordering more than you can eat!

Image from Google Street ViewI absolutely loved the bulgogi burgers, and I seriously had like 3 burgers during the 5-day conference :D. This is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area!!Mouth-watering Bulgogi burger

So that sums up my short conference trip to London... not the most typical trip report of London, but I really enjoyed it! Now... onwards to the next adventure 😄

[Shirley]

Hey @Anthony_LG,

Look at these food photos!! I actually used to live in that area and your photos and journey brought back so many memories for me! I really loved Camden market too. I used to walk up there and then eat all over the place then walk back and they've got all kinds of yummy finds. 

And you're right, Goodge Street Market is a bit hidden, probably more well known with the students around the area and at UCL. It looks like they got more fusion food now too, which is always fun for consumers.

Oh boy, now I'm really hungry!! Thank you for sharing your adventures in London from your recent trip.  🙂

[Anthony_LG]

@Shirley! What a coincidence that you used to live in that area too :D. It's a great area, full of energy but still retains some calmness. I really liked it!

Have you tried all of the food at the Camden market? We had food at 3 or 4 stalls (we shared!), but there were so many more that sounded so interesting which I haven't tried before.

You're welcome 😛 Let me know if you're ever around Germany or Europe, we will go on more food adventures! 😃

[JenneferB]

Thanks for sharing!! When I visited London in 2016 I walked and walked and walked. It was a great way to see take in all the sites and see the city at a much slower pace. I didn't want to do the touristy stuff and actually relied on social media to find the places and events that locals were interested in. Camden Market was one of my favorite places and they had this big food fest one weekend I was there. What a treat for foodies! I had this Idian Lamb burger from a place called Baba G's - your bulgogi burger reminded me of it. *sigh* I still think about it from time to time haha.

Looking forward to more of your adventures 🙂

[JavieraAu]

Hi @Anthony_LG, 

Great post! You definitely could manage to combine work with pleasure. 🙂 If you haven't been to Shoreditch, I definitely recommend to do it next time. Thank you for sharing your London experience with the community.

[James8Arthur]

This is a great post with awesome photos @Anthony_LG. I haven't spent much time in London unfortunately, not even at the major sights, but will get around to it one day.

Your photos have made me feel very hungry 🙂

[helga19]

Hi @Anthony_LG

Thanks for interesting post and photos!

The photos really nice and quality!

best wishes,

[Shirley]

Yea, it was a great area to be in @Anthony_LG. Super central and also full of things to do!

No!! I haven't tried everything in Camden. They bring in seasonal foods too. For example, around Christmas time, they bring in stalls in gluhwein!! And a lot of them! You can essentially keep getting them as you wander through the market to stay warm!! 

Ohh yes, you'll definitely know if I'm venturing over to Europe! 😃

[Anthony_LG]

Thanks @JenneferB! I agree, I find the core of London to be actually quite walkable. Of course there are also areas that are far away (especially some of the sightseeing spots), but we did all of this walking in one day at a leisurely pace (plus some pitstops for food of course😉). And my friends got the burger from the Indian burger stand!! It looked so good, but I was already so stuffed haha.

I actually haven't used social media to ask for recommendations yet! I know you have for some other cities as well, and it seemed successful! I should try it out sometime, or hmm, maybe I can use Connect for this too? 😀

@JavieraAu, thank you! Yeah, thanks to the location of the conference, I was able to do some of this exploring after the conference ended every day. I did a lot of walking during that week ;). I haven't been to Shoreditch, but it looks great as well! Will definitely check it out the next time I'm in London. Thanks!

@James8Arthur, for sure! London is a great city to explore, and it is so lively and diverse. Let us know when you get the chance to explore it!

Thanks, @helga19!

Oh what @Shirley I did not know they had Glühwein in the winter! That's awesome, I actually love that stuff 🙂 I had it for the first time in Germany a few years ago, now I have to get it every Christmas market season!

[JavieraAu]

Hi @Anthony_LG,

It must have been very exhausting but at the same time really interesting week. 🙂

Shoreditch is so colorful and full of life and if you are a graffiti fan you definitely will love it.