RestaurantsLondonSE1

survey result

Summary

£47
   ££
3
Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Take your pick and follow your street-food taste buds” at these “vibrant and buzzy food halls, with a huge variety of pop-up vendors”. Launched 10 years ago at Milan’s World Expo, the concept reached London in 2016 with the opening of the first MM in an old paper factory near Elephant & Castle; a deconsecrated Mayfair church came next, followed by Wood Wharf in Canary Wharf and then Ilford in summer 2024 – in each case fostering a “great community spirit”.

Summary

£46
   ££
2
Average
2
Average
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Hosting a range of pop-up kitchens and bars, these “lively and fun” sustainable markets have sprung up across the capital since opening in an ex-paper factory near Elephant & Castle in 2016, a year after the concept was launched at Milan’s World Expo. They make a flexible and affordable option that particularly comes into its own in summer – the Canary Wharf branch on Wood Wharf is “brilliant for sitting outside overlooking the dock”; and SE1 boasts London’s biggest beer garden.

Summary

£43
    £
3
Good
2
Average
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Very reasonably priced, good food and great fun” is all yours for the taking at this former paper factory near Elephant & Castle, converted to host more than 40 different food and drink pop-ups. “You just wander from one to another, then find a place to sit and eat in the common area”, which includes London’s biggest beer garden – “a great outdoor space”. There are now three other MMs in London, following a concept launched in Italy (hence the name).

Summary

£27
    £
3
Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Fabulous atmosphere” and “so many choices”: this 45,000 sqare foot former paper factory near Elephant & Castle hosts 40-odd operators at any time, offering anything from Argentinian grilled meat to Uzbeck rice dishes along with London’s biggest beer garden. “We love it: everyone can please themselves and meet again in the middle”, while “it’s great for kids because they can make as much noise as they like”. “You just have to avoid the really crowded times as it’s pretty popular now”. Founder Andrea Rasca also runs markets in Milan and Turin – and across London in deconsecrated Grade-1-listed St Mark’s church, Mayfair.

For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at Mercato Metropolitano?

Restaurant details

No dress code

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Veggies Pudding
£6.00 £9.00 £5.00 £6.00
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £20.00
Filter Coffee £3.00
Extras  
Bread £0.00
Service 10.00%
Opening hours
Monday12 pm‑11 pm
Tuesday12 pm‑11 pm
Wednesday12 pm‑11 pm
Thursday12 pm‑12 am
Friday12 pm‑1 am
Saturday11 am‑1 am
Sunday11 am‑10 pm

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