12 Amazing Things To Do In Tooting Market

There's Lots to do and see in Tooting Market, so to make your journey through a little easier, here's my amazing top tips!

Tooting Market, now not such a hidden gem, but perfectly, constantly buzzing day and night.

As 6am dawns, Tooting Market starts to come alive.The traders arrive and set up their stalls:well, the day traders at least. Tables are wheeled out, along with trolleys full of wonderful, seasonal fruit and veg fresh from The New Covent Garden Market. Displays are set to entice the early morning shoppers.

The mix of old school and trendy new market stalls is the best thing about Tooting Market. It brings back a lovely sense of nostalgia for me as I remember the first job I had selling jewellery and women’s accessories on Allenton Market, in Derby.

All markets have a certain smell and sound.With food from different cultures, and shouts from market traders selling their wares, market culture may have transformed, but some things will never change!

Tooting Market is undergoing more changes: a brand new three storey development is set to open soon (hopefully in January 2018) and bring even more, intriguing hip businesses to our much loved market line-up - Tootingites cannot wait!

To make your next trip to Tooting Market an easy one, I’ve listed my top 12 amazing things to discover, eat, drink and buy!

Hungry...?

Start your morning with a tasty brunch at Brickwood Cafe. Tucked away in the corner, you’ll find cosy tables and benches to share where you can brunch away to your heart’s content and sip on Antipodean style coffee – a long black for me, please!

With lunchtime upon us, it’s time to get your chops around a Shawarma from Meze In The Market. Chicken or Falafel, a large for only £4.50 and big enough to keep you full, way past 5pm.

As the day traders pack away, tables and chairs topped with flowers and candles start to appear. Why not hang out at the coolest burger joint in town – Boom Bap Burger. Famous for flippin’ meats and dropping cool, hip-hop beats, with craft beers to wash down ‘The Notorious P.I.G’ it’s no wonder it’s a favourite of mine.

Are you Feeling Thirsty?

Looking for more of a chilled night, catching up with mates? Then maybe a glass of wine might help. Unwined has been serving up delicious and interesting wines, from all over the world to the thirsty wine lovers of Tooting. 

    They even stock the wonderful Chateau Tooting, a wine produced using locally grown grapes. After a recent feature on ITV News, Chateau Tooting has now sold out and wont be available until mid 2018. Find out more about the wine and The Urban Wine Company here.

With regular wine tastings and a pop-up kitchen changing monthly, Unwined is a very pleasant way to spend an evening.

       If you know Tooting well, then you’ve probably already been to The Secret Bar. The tiny Portuguese style pub serves up a great pint of Sagres and the local favourite, Super Bock, in the proper handled Super Bock pint glasses. The Secret Bar  is open ‘til late on weekends, with a secret exit onto the street, which means you can keep on drinking long after the market is closed. 

  If you’re taking it easy on the booze, attempting Sober November or quite simply not a drinker, then you have to give Get Juiced a go. Fresh juices, smoothies and healthy snacks to keep you happy, now located in the centre of the market and easy to find with a brightly painted juice bar and perfectly placed tropical fruit, to brighten up your day.

You Must... 

If you’re a true music lover, maybe from a slightly older generation, then you’ll totally be into Dr Vinyl. Flick through the neatly categorised records, organised into easily to find genres and all at reasonable prices. If you’re building on your collection then pay the Dr a visit.

As a self-confessed geek, I often find myself delving into the shelves at the Wandle Tree and Nana Neko. Bring out your inner child with comics galore, toys, action figures and computer games and consoles from the 1980s. 

If you love a good rummage, or you’re a fan of knick-knacks and vintage goodies, then delve into the world of pre-loved treasures at The Cabin and My Old Girl and Me. I also can't help but have a nose around Love Art and recently opened Melina's gift shop, perfect for cute Christmas presents.

On Your Shopping List...

Living in London has made me rather tight, well perhaps just skint:I love to budget and when it comes to food for the week, I absolutely love to find a bargain. The fruit and veg stalls at Tooting Market have an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, a bowl of potatoes for £1, seasonal fruit straight from New Covent Garden Market…you’re really not stuck for choice. 

The old boys at Stannards Butchers also have it covered –well, when it comes to meat. Get your Sunday Roast menu on the cheap, with great bargains on chickens, chops and joints.

Tooting Market hosts a mixed variety of market traders; it’s open 7 days a week and always supports local independent businesses. So, if you only do one thing this week...eat, drink and shop local, keep Tooting thriving and keep your Tooting Market alive.

Find out more about Tooting Market and whats's coming next on their website, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.