A round up of what to eat at Mercato Metropolitano

Elephant and Castle’s Mercato Metropolitano has become a force of nature within the London food scene. A community conscious enterprise in its own right, Mercato Metropolitano’s food is created and served with sustainability in mind. But beyond that, the selection of food stalls based around an outdoor dining concept is just what we need after a hard year of lockdowns. We’d also argue there’s no better place in London to sample cuisines from across the globe. You want to know what the best food at Mercato Metropolitano is? Keep reading.

From the rich produce of the Mediterranean coastline to the fizzing beers of Berlin – European fare is well represented at Mercato Metropolitano. Given Mercato’s origins, it’s no surprise that Italian eateries appear in abundance, but each one serves up something quite different from the next. For authentic pizza try Fresco, with a side of arancini from Little Sicily. Pasta Lovers offer up the obvious while you can indulge in Italian burgers or seafood from Burghero or Molo. Tuscan delights are available from Santo Kitchen and you can wash your choice of dish down from craft beer at The Italian Job or get a delightfully rich caffeine fix from Badiani.

Moving away from Italy, Champagne & Fromage bring you wine and cheese platters (the ultimate activity for Fridays post-work) or if you prefer the grain to the grape, hit up German Kraft for a tankard or two.

East Asian food arguably offers up some of the most incredible flavours and textures from the variety of cuisines therein. It’s an added bonus that it’s often a good choice if you’re looking to pack in those veggies! Slurp away on a big bowl of Japanese ramen or donburi from Juzu, but don’t forget a side of Bao buns from Wrap Mi.

Rice on represents Korean fare with freshly made dishes. Our tip is, if you’re having chicken, don’t forget to try out one of their renowned sauces… the wasabi mayo packs a tasty, but powerful punch.

This section of the world brings us some of our favourite foods. Duman Doner is a Turkish Grill, located within the Mercato beer garden. Freshly grilled meat, roasted vegetables, toasted pita breads with an assortment of dips – delicious.

Moving north we reach Osh Paz - authentic Uzbek fare. Plov, an ancient dish that’s been cooked in that region for thousands of years, is rice-based with a variety of different meats and vegetables included. With vegan options available, you simply choose your toppings and away you go.

Karapincha is going to transport you to the shores of Sri Lanka. We’d recommend the sharing platter – a feast of flavours from that part of the world. If you’re greedy you can just about manage one all by yourself.

Sometimes, you simply crave Indian food. Especially on a social occasion. Tandoori Tadkaa have taken the quintessential flavours of Delhi and brought them to Elephant & Castle. It’s highly recommended.

Is there a cuisine in this world that’s better suited to social gatherings than Mexican? Hermanos Tacos is your place for bona fide Mexican fare. Travelling down to South America we have the Ceviche Bar and Guasa bringing you snacks like Ceviche and Arepas as if shipped in fresh from Peru and Buenos Aires.

Representing North America is a classic… the humble New York deli. Dusty’s Deli (better known by historic Mercato fans as Fazzy’s Stack) serves up indulgent New York style sandwiches and bagels. Expect Reubens, Salt Beef, Fresh Crab with mighty portions of loaded fries on the side.

The last in our tour of the Americas is the Caribbean and here, the food vendors don’t disappoint. Rudie’s Jerk Shack serve up saltfish, jerked chicken all washed down with a bottle of rum punch while their neighbour, The West Indian Bake Company, is bringing serious flavour to the table with curry, jerk and exceptional corn, plantain and sweet potato sides. On special days you can even sample their delicacy – battered shark served on freshly baked Caribbean light bread.

Mercato isn’t all about the food, it’s as much a social space as it is a food lover’s paradise. The French Corner offers an exhausting selection of drinks, with special spritz, wine, craft beer, all pulled together with live music throughout the week (when Covid restrictions allow). The inspiration behind it is the South of France – so you know it’s going to be chic. That’s Food are also on hand with creative cocktails, you know, the kind with beautiful garnishes that you want to put all over your Instagram feed.

MM Grocery is Mercato’s store where you’ll find fresh produce, much of which comes from local suppliers. Pasta, sauce, fruit and leafy vegetables, freshly ground coffee – it’s all there. It’s the type of place that’s good for a browse, somewhere you might just find the extra-special ingredient for your next home cooked meal. There’s also a handy chart helping you to eat fresh produce that’s in season – keeping that core value of sustainable living front and centre.

To find out more about the food vendors at Elephant and Castle’s Mercato Metropolitano, take yourself to Instagram. Here the community is very much alive posting updates which are bound to have you planning your next trip.

For opening times, visit the Mercato Metropolitano website.