Dog-friendly Borough Market: A Delicious Thing To Do With Your Dog

Did you know you can now add a visit to one of London’s favourite markets to the list of dog-friendly things to do with your dog? Yes, we’re talking about London Bridge’s renowned foodie and fresh produce top spot…Borough Market. Until a few months ago, dogs were not allowed inside the market (except for Guide Dogs), but great news…now dogs ARE allowed in Borough Market as long as they are on a lead which is fair enough. So we can finally call Londons oldest and much-loved food market….dog-friendly Borough Market!

I think it’s a great decision for Borough Market to finally allow dogs. When we’re feeling in the market mood, we always had to visit one of London’s other fabulous street markets and food halls, but not any more! So we popped down to the now dog-friendly Borough Market this weekend with Belinha to check it out.

From the moment we entered the market, Belinha received a warm welcome, and the stall-holders seemed pleased to have four-legged customers stop by. Belinha even got some tasty Italian cheese to sample at Bianca Mora (on the left as you enter through the main entrance), whilst we picked up some Oil and Vinegar that we can’t wait to try.

Belinha wasn’t the only canine customer at the market, and we met several other dogs, large and small, out for a Saturday afternoon market stroll with their owners. On the weekend, the market gets busy, but this didn’t seem to be a problem, even for the tiny dogs we saw, who seemed to be enjoying the plethora of smells to sniff from their vantage point of being closer to the floor.

For Belinha, a visit to dog-friendly Borough Market was definitely a nose to the ground kind of situation – when not eating cheese or sausage from the friendly stall-holders that is. In fact, she was very keen to offer her hoovering services for any scraps she could find and being a food market she found quite a few. Not a problem for us, but something to be aware of if your dog is on a special diet as you will have to keep a very watchful eye.

For humans, with so many culinary delights to discover at Borough Market, this really is a delicious sensory overload of the very best kind.

For in-market eating, I can personally recommend a visit to Turnips, where they make the most delicious mushroom risotto I have ever tasted, cooked right in front of you in giant pans.

Then for dessert just next door, try the doughnuts from Bread Ahead – there was a queue halfway down the street for these (but the queue went down very quickly), and after having one of these doughnuts, we can see why.

So would we recommend a visit to dog-friendly Borough Market with your dog? Absolutely, in fact, this London Bridge favourite might have just become our favourite dog-friendly market in the area. On that note, after Borough Market, we happened to drive past another favourite of ours – Mercato Metropolitano, where there were extremely long queues to get in, whereas as at Borough Market there were none, so that’s another plus point.

Dog-friendly Borough Market – What You Need To Know

Are Dogs Allowed in Borough Market?

Yes, earlier this year Borough Market changed its dog policy and dogs are now welcomed in Borough Market as long as they are on a lead or carried (see the Borough Market’s FAQs).

What are the Opening Times?

• Borough Market is open from 10:00-17:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00 to 18:00 on Fridays. However, on Mondays and Tuesdays, the market is limited with all hot food traders open but a limited selection of fresh produce traders trading. Wednesday to Saturday all traders are open.
• The market is closed on Sundays (but does open on Sundays around Christmas).

How To Get To Borough Market: 

• By Car: Borough Market is inside the Congestion Charging Zone, and there is no parking onsite at the market. We found parking just down the road on Southwark Street (opposite Casa de Frango) for £10 a day, flat rate.
• By Public Transport: The closest tube is London Bridge.

Social Distancing:

You need to wear a mask inside Borough Market, and if you don’t have one, you will be offered one at the main entrance by the Borough Market Security Team. Hand Sanitiser stations are available throughout the market also.

Enjoy Puppers!