Market Hall West End: UK’s biggest indoor food market

Food courts have become all the rage again. In a year that’s seen several glossy examples of them sprout up across London – most notably KERB’s Seven Dials Market and Arcade Food Theatre, both in the West End – the biggest has been saved until last: Market Hall West End has opened up in the former BHS building off Oxford Street, offering 11 food vendors and space for 1,000 diners.

At 35,000 square feet, Market Hall West End is not only the largest indoor food market in London; it takes that title for the whole of the UK. It’s the third Market Hall venue to arrive in London in the past two years, following the original branch in Fulham and follow-on site in Victoria.

Yatai, a new Japanese restaurant by chef Angelo Sato, is among the offering at Market Hall West End

Among the 11 vendors here are several familiar traders: Fanny’s Kebabs can be found serving up their trendy take on Turkish classics, while BaoziInn’s colourful dumplings can be slurped here too. There’s also a branch of Chinese street food specialists Pleasant Lady, Stevie Parle’s fresh pasta restaurant Pastaio, and popular vegan eatery CookDaily. But there are several entirely new concepts too: the team behind Roti King have opened a new restaurant, Gopal’s Corner, and Japanese chef Angelo Sato (behind Omoide in Bermondsey) has opened a casual dining restaurant Yatai – which serves Insta-friendly katsu sandos among other dishes.

Drinks wise, visitors can look to one of four bars including a rooftop offering, simply called Top Floor, which features an indoor cocktail den and outdoor tap room – with a retractable roof for summer. Those in search of a caffeine fix should hunt down the coffee cart, while those with a sweet tooth should find its dessert equivalent.

The Top Floor bar at Market Hall West End boasts a retractable roof

Market Hall West End is more than just a food court, though. The space can cater for private drinks parties, cooking demonstrations and supper clubs. And more unusually, it also houses a TV studio, where Twisted media group record video podcasts and interviews with chefs.

So, it’s official: with the fall of the department story (sorry BHS) comes the rebirth of the food court. And with that, the act of eating in a communal space between a cluster of restaurants has become cool.

Market Hall West End opened on Friday 15 November