Mercato Metropolitano

A very lovely space close to Elephant & Castle! I found out about Mercato Metropolitano thanks to Swing Patrol, my swing dance school, that organised a showcase there and it was a lovely surprise.

There is a grocery section where you can find plenty of delicacies from Italy - biscuits, cured meats, jams, chocolate, cheese, and of course wines. I was amazed by how many things they have, being Italian I sometimes struggle finding specific ingredients here, but Mercato Metropolitano has everything, all the best organic brands. Do expect really high prices, but after all it's all good quality imported stuff so if you buy it once in a while I think it's fine :)

The place has just opened so the food offer wasn't too wide, at the moment they mainly sell pizza (which looked amazing), handmade pasta, gnocco fritto and tigelle (try them if you haven't before as you won't be able to find these anywhere else in London) and for my great pleasure they sell one of my favourite florentine ice creams - Badiani - I almost had tears in my eyes when I saw it! SO good! I know a few more shops are going to be added later, and I'm looking forward to try them all.

It's also great for a chilled drink al fresco, there are plenty of tables indoors & outdoors to enjoy a beer or a coffee. I really hope this place takes off as London really needed something like this!

In my opinion, Mercato Metropolitano ranks as one of London's best street food market space.

Firstly, it's massive. There are 4 areas to wander in. You can chill outside in the massive linear garden or hang in the warmth on the inside space.

Secondly, you're spoilt for choice on what to eat from the eclectic offerings. You'll find kebabs, grills, pasta, dumplings and so much more here. A large selection of craft beers on tap means you'll never go thirsty.

Thirdly, it's atmospheric. There are fairy lights suspended all around you and large beer distillery tanks around. This is a warehouse/distillery which gives the place an industrial chic to it. It does get busy (typically a Saturday) but not overwhelmingly thanks to its large space. 

I can't recommend Mercato Metropolitano highly enough. It's out the way from Central London which means it's away from the tourists, offers an enormous choice of food and craft beers on tap. This is where all the cool Londoner's hang out.

It’s really hard to make me go to Elephant and Castle; Mercato Metropolitano can change it for good.

From the name you expect a market serving solely Italian food, but there’s really a bit of everything: Vietnamese, Mexican, Japanese, and many more, so you won’t be starving if you’re not a pasta fan.  

The vegetarian miso ramen form the nameless Donburi & Ramen stall (strangely, almost none of the places has a proper name, they are called by the food or cuisine they serve) was rich and very satisfying. At the time of my order the guys were making fresh gyoza dumpling (a lot of the stuff is made freshly on the site). The vegetarian parmegiana from Tratoria del Mercato, one of the few pasta places here, was tender and beautifully cooked and wrapped, while pasta with truffle and courgette was aromatic. The portions in most cases are not big for an average price of £10, though.

Now to deserts: Little Sicily is a tiny little car serving surprisingly a lot of food prepared in their micro kitchen: arancini, soups, cannoli - freshly piped into the crunchy biscuits and they are perfect! Rich but not too sweet and light for what they are.

Italians often say there are no good beer from their country. The Italian craft beer stall at Mercato can easily prove the wrong. The pine apple porter was one of the most interesting beers I’ve recently tried.

If that’s not enough, Gelato – made by one of the best ice-cream companies in Florence (as I was told by an Italian friend) didn’t disappoint either. The queue is long, but it’s worth waiting. Even the not so traditionally Italian flavours like like matcha or black sesame were delicious.

The market hosts a lot of events including Crafty Fox Market or cooking classes. There’s also Backyard Cinema, an Italian supermarket, a flower shop and a tiny social library kiosk where you can borrow and donate books.

The atmosphere is very vibrant and for a great sunny day like today, there’s an urban garden with lots of seats and a bar with beer freshly coming from the on-side tank, so expect some of the freshest brew in town. If that’s not enough to love this place, the food is often served in proper glasses and bowls, while all disposable stuff is biodegradable. Bravo!

Such an amazing array of places to eat, and the variety cannot be beat! Obviously given the name one would assume Italian, but oh no… they have German, Spanish, Italian, Mexican… you name it, they probably have it! We had arepas and definitely felt very full… so great value for dinner! 

Mercato Metropolitano isn't quite what I was expecting - there's a beautiful Italian supermarket like I thought there would be, but then there are not only fantastic Italian street food stalls but many other types of cuisines too like Mexican, Spanish, fish and chips, vegetarian, and gluten free.  There are also a number of stalls that offer plentiful options for wine, champagne and cocktails.

I would've never discovered this land of wonders if it hadn't been for my friend Greta. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of Elephant and Castle in general but thought that we'd just go for it and I really don't regret it!

It's a huge food market made of at least 20 stalls of (mostly italian) delicious food.

The night we were there, there was a charity event for sustainability and to denounce food waste. That event had free soup made by volunteers on the evening and I also sampled some beer made of old bread.

Apart from that, all the goodness was available: handmade pasta, sausages, burgers, Argentinian steak, vegeterian everything, pizza, gelato... I must stop somewhere.

Thankfully, this market being in London, it is part indoors and part outdoors so is pleasant whatever the weather.

Drink-wise, there are plenty of awesome options, including a cocktail van and a craft beer bar where I could get a hazelnut and chocolate stout: DELISH!

Could someone do me a favour and fill me in on why so many sullen-faced queues line the porches of the trendy new Borough Market restaurants in the hope that they might just be seated in a few hours time when a mere bus stop away Mercato Metropolitano feeds the foodie masses? Fresh pasta in every form and from at least 4 different vendors, traditional stone-baked pizza, Vietnamese salads, Spanish charcuterie, Argentinian steak, if you have a hankering for it then you will find it here and it will exceed expectations! 

I love Borough Market as much as every other Londoner but Mercato Metropolitano is surely it's cooler younger cousin? With swathes of alfresco dining space and pop-up bars, indoor world food supermarket and an experiential cinema to boot evenings spent here are hard to beat.  

We had a great time here before heading into the Backyard Cinema.

Whilst I'm not a frequent visitor to farmer's markets, the food on offer all looked really delicious. We managed to pop around and get samples of various bits and bobs from the vendors. The gelato was delicious! we went for some sourdough pizza bread 'thingys' which were delicious! Then some of these freshly made doughnut like 'thingys'. Everything tasted really good. To wash it all down we went for these Italian Sodas which were equally tasty and very quenching!

A great gem hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Elephant's centre.

WHAT. A. GREAT. FIND!!!!!  MM hasn't been open long but the news of it is travelling fast around town.  The food selection is second to none.  There is something for everyone.  All reasonably priced, delicious and fresh! Loads of outdoor and indoor seating and I think this is still relatively unknown so you are able to nab a big table in the sun even on the hottest days (not sure how long that will last though!).  We went for a late lunch and a cinema screening thanks to Backyard Cinema so only had time to try a few stalls. Will be back again soon! 

Mercato Metropolitano hasn't been open for too long, but even in this small timespan I've seen it evolve loads. Having performed in the open air area last summer, I managed to see the food hall and the outdoor bars hustling and bustling. I then had the chance to go back to attend a Backyard Cinema screening, and to my surprise our dressing room had become a cinema. 

The selection of Italian food is amazing, with a large array of foods from the different regions, but my favourite part is the store, where you can buy the A+ ingredients to make the food at home. 

This market's accessible diversity makes it a front runner for a cool place to go this upcoming summer. 

A friend and I happened on this place simply because we were going to a Backyard Cinema viewing (MM is where Backyard is located), and we were surprised to find this awesome watering&foodie hole. 

Mercato Metropolitano is a giant, colorful food hall with various stalls featuring different kinds of foods and drink. I took a turn around the entire place to see what was available: Italian, Spanish, British, American, Vietnamese, Vegetarian, Craft Beer, Prosecco, Cocktails, Desserts, Artisan Cheeses.. the list goes on and on. I had a hankering for a burger, which was quite good. It was the spiced chips though that made the meal. 

Will say, it is a little pricey for the “food stall” type. This is something we’re seeing across London, however, with food stalls going upwards of £10 or £15 a meal whereas originally you could get a meal and drink for under a tenner. Or just food for a fiver. 

Still, it's got quite a good atmosphere. Was surprisingly quiet for a Thursday evening, which I have to admit, I enjoyed. Some of the stalls did platters with a sampling of dishes, so we’re planning another trip back to feast on as many dishes as possible! 

The newest hipster food market to open its doors in London, it's just a skip and a walk away from Elephant and Castle. The Mercato has a lot of things going for it, from the fact that its covered, to its great selection of food vendors and cute seating inside. (We grabbed a burger by Brew Bar, and it wasn't too bad) More than anything, the atmosphere is fantastic, and I can imagine spending whole afternoons nestled inside this very cool area. There's even a kids' area out back, which was empty but oddly picturesque. 

Although a tad on the expensive side, the quality of the various Italian goods are quite reliable, so if you've got a bit of spare cash, splurge a little and treat yourself and spend some time here at this endearing new pop-up while it lasts. 

What a dolce vita in the middle of London! This huge space boosts tens of traders selling everything Italian from wines to cheese, meats to regional sandwiches. They have a great outdoor space for those not terrible London weather days and there is delicious gelato to make you forget about all your worries. On a sunny day, you can grab some vino and some meat and cheese cuts from Miccone and transport yourself to Italy. 

I love this place. It's only just officially launched and I've been twice with another visit planned for Saturday. I bet you'll love it too.

Although it's been open all summer the official launch was on the 15th of September. The official launch dated heralded the arrival of more restaurants than were in place over the summer and an abundance of tasters and some swing dancing for light entertainment.

As well as the upmarket and generously priced supermarket there is a huge food market with indoor and outdoor seating. 3/4 of the market is Italian (as the name would suggest) and the last 1/4 is shared with the rest of the world so you can wash your delicious wood fired pizza down with a Vietnamese bubble tea if your heart so desires.

The market also houses a kids zone and The Backyard Cinema.

A lot of the market is under cover so assuming that there will be some form of heating available (either open fires or electric) this will still be a great place once the winter takes hold.

With so much to do and the ability to reach Elephant and Castle from pretty much anywhere in London, there's no excuse not to come by, you won't be disappointed.

Places like Dinerama Shoreditch and Pop Brixton have firmly established al fresco, global street food on the map of London and now it’s the turn of Italian cuisine to be celebrated in Elephant & Castle. Mercato Metropolitano can be found 10 minutes’ walk from the tube and I’m pretty sure it’s going to become the number one spot for Italian lovers across the capital.

Enter through the courtyard and you’ll find yourself in an area full of outdoor seating which leads into a vast space full of food and drink options. From pizza and prosecco to gnocchi fritti and gelato via homemade burrata and ciabatta, there’s something for every person’s inner Italiano gordo…on a Tuesday afternoon there were only a few people there but when Saturday afternoon rolls round, I envisage it being absolutely overflowing with those in search of la dolce vita. A distinct point in its favour for me is the lack of Wi-Fi…conversation is suggested instead, something I emphatically agree with – you wouldn’t find Sophia Loren swiping left now would you?

Enter through the market style store and you’ll find yourself in the midst of unlimited delicious possibilities, all artisanal and all crafted with love; charcuterie to make the most hardened carnivorous heart happy, crates with wines & beers perched delicately on top, squeeze your own juice, a stretch of groceries heavy with pasta, rice, biscuits, chocolate, fruit…my favourite was the help yourself organic Sicilian nuts bar which was quirky, elegant & simple.

There’s more planned over the coming weeks for this space – live music, a cinema & a pop-up hotel are just three of the planned additions – and when it’s complete, this is going to be nearly 5k square feet of pure passion and indulgence.

If you’ve fallen in love on an Italian holiday with something of the edible kind, chances are you’ll find it here and be able to attempt a little recreation of the magic you felt abroad. It’ll cost you naturally – be warned that nothing here is cheap – but if you’re an Italian yearning for a piece of home or an Italian lover longing for a reminder of holidays past, it may seem a small price to pay and given the success of its counterparts on the continent, something tells me we’ll be enjoying this corner of little Italy for a long time to come.