London-Sunday Markets

The choice for me would be Columbia Road flower market in the City - a riot of colour and gorgeous scents. It’s held on Sunday only and is best in the morning. It’s near Brick Lane so you could head here for a curry for lunch. Brick Lane also has a Sunday market.

Camden Market is good for food, but many of the craft/clothing stalls sell similar imported products. It’s heaving at weekends.

I avoid Borough Market at the weekend as it’s too busy. Portobello Market is best on Saturday.

Greenwich Market can be combined with the excellent Royal Observatory.

Hi Fred,
Just got back. We too are market enthusiasts. Borough ('burra') is best Thursdays around opening, i.e. say 10:15ish. Have breakfast @ Marias, with Kappuskein (sp?) raclette-specialist right across the road. Monmouth coffee is also directly nearby, as is Neals Yard cheeses & the curiously-unrelated Neals Yard remedies also close. Greedy Goat does rare flavors of goat-milk gelato, there is also a fresh risotto-maker and so much more. Bob's Lobster van is no longer there. Crowds that Thursday swelled quickly, by noon.
Brixton Sunday market (9-2) is quite colorful but has a distinctly different vibe. Those interested could add-on the Bowie mural memorial there too.
Camden struck us as very tacky, not for us. Jayzus that road leading up to it (shudders). But the bespoke sneaker decorator there might be of interest to some.

Herne Hill Su mkt was the one which we thought would be the 'dark horse' but it too was underwhelming in terms of sheer numbers. Many of its old vendors were simply absent, including the recycled crafts artists (fossils and coins made into custom jewelry etc). But the French booth selling Tartiflette-raclette under another name, Andre's 'Agua Na Boca' Brazilian pastries and ESPECIALLY the Portland Scallop Company's seafood, are all very worth the voyage south.

We had rented right on Brick Lane, so got to experience its Sunday market full-on three times. The fun of just strolling that whole area on a Sunday is a flat-out must. It is street-art central, with a couple well-hidden Bankseys. Both the young plus the young-at-heart dress in funky-boho fashion and will turn heads. Lil Bangla is its other identity, plenty of related restaurants there, complete with tacky hawkers beckoning. Top-quality Bengali sweet shops can be found--try ras malai.
Quality live music will be heard all day. Shops on Brick Lane itself include Dark Sugars Chocolate (actually their gelato was even better!!). The hyped pair of bagel stores will have mile-long lineups. TAJ store was an excellent stop for self-caterers like ourselves (Yo Jay!!). The Upmarket within Truman Breweries was actually open on both Saturdays plus Sundays. City Juice there does outstanding sugar cane juices with added natural flavors, as does Aunty Audrey's red sorrel juices. Nina's Cakes plus the Lithuanian couple's hot-food booth were other winners for us.
Brick Lane Sundays also mean an assortment of very nearby added-value markets of various sizes. The Vintage market claims to be Europe's largest and we wouldn't argue--VG records and clothes. The Backyard market with an attempt at more of the same was the sole one that we both felt could've been missed. Petticoat market is a very colorful fabrics-only affair, located not on its namesake street.
Good Luck Fred!
cheerz
I am done. the soonday

My favorite is to start at Spitalfields Market, and have brunch at one of the eateries. Then take a short walk to the Truman Brewery/ Brick Lane markets.

Agree with Michael. I meant to mention Spitalfields. Also agree with Rick Steves---the old market part of the building is the one to visit. Mind you, the new one was indeed where the blue 'Sud Italia' pizza truck was located--very interesting 'zucca' (pumpkin/gourd/squash) flavor among other more familiar standards. Dumpling Shack was the other New market eatery reccomended to us by locals.
Chai Guys and Pleasant Lady (Chinese 'pancakes'--very popular) were our fave outfits operating out of the Old Spitalfields market.

STOP PRESS
Forgot another very worthy Brick Lane booth--Spanish Caravan. That Spanish lady makes everything from paella to excellent, rare tapas typical of Basque San Sebastien. The quality was as good as what we've had in Spain itself. Her booth's location seemed to vary (are those vendors on some sort of rotation?) from Sunday to Sunday---we never found her on week two. We bought from her, when she was set during our first week, immediately across from Drays walk (i.e. the Ely yard entry path lined with eateries, Club 1001 and Rough Trade music shop).

PS for us, the 'Dishoom' Indian restaurant not far from the top end of Brick Lane ranked as a must-do. Superb in all respects. The so-called Box Park, with its variety of fast-foodish kinda' places underwhelmed us both, mind you the kind staff throughout were repeatedly friendly and welcoming. But the one must-do there is ACAI BERRY. Wonderful acai ice, especially after unthawing: eat breakfast like a Brazilian!
I am done. The end.