Disclosure: I may earn a small commission from the companies or products mentioned in this post.
As some of you may have seen from my social pages, around 6 weeks ago I moved from my beloved Soho office up to Farringdon, an area that was completely alien to me. At first, I was apprehensive about the move and particularly upset that I would have to leave behind my favourite Soho food markets and other regular lunch spots.
However, after discovering that Farringdon wasn’t just the corporate jungle I thought it was and that I was actually just a few minutes walk from the food lovers heaven and global culinary melting pot that is Leather Lane Market, my new location began to grow on me with every new dish I tried.
Now that I have given myself enough time to sample almost every stall on Leather Lane I have put together a list of my 5 favourite dishes which are all well worth a try!
Yum Bowl
As well as their permanent address on Old Street, Yum Bowl is one of the first food stalls you will come across when entering Leather Lane from Clerkenwell Road. Serving classic Vietnamese dishes, you can tell that they are one of the most popular stalls on Leather Lane from the enormous queue every day of the week.
All of the dishes are £6.50, with everything from Tom Yum Noodle Soup to a Roast Pork Belly Rice Bowl. The BBQ Pork Rice Bowl is now my go-to dish. One thing to note is that they do go hard on the chilli, so if you’re not a fan of spice make sure to let them know when you order.
Sub Cult
Sub Cult can be found on Leather Lane on Friday lunchtimes. Their mouthwatering subs have won the best sandwich and best vegetarian categories at the national British Streetfood Awards and have been featured in TimeOut’s Top 10 Street Food Traders in both 2015 and 2016.
My favourite is definitely the Rodeo Sub; Aged Sirloin Steak, Truffle Mayo, Provolone Cheese, Shallot Marmalade, Pickled Chillies and Rocket. The sub rolls are lightly toasted on the grill with the meat, absorbing all of the delicious flavours. The meat is succulent and perfectly cooked to your preference, whilst the combination of the truffle mayo, shallot marmalade and picked chillies to provide a unique and exciting symphony of flavours.
Other options include the Sub Marine, which contains Seared Scallop, Roast Pork Shoulder and Calamari, or the vegetarian Subterranean, with Griddled Woodland Mushroom, Stilton, Roasted Garlic and Shallot Marmalade.
At around £7.50-£8.00 each, Sub Cult makes a great end of the week treat.
London steak lover? Check out these 5 amazing London Steakhouses you probably didn’t know about!
Greek Expectations
Greek Expectations is a family-run food truck that serves traditional Greek Cypriot and Mediterranean Food. Their Lamb Kofte Souvlaki wrap with halloumi cheese (£5.50) is my favourite, but they also serve a Chicken Souvlaki wrap, falafel and Loukanika (traditional Greek sausages cooked in red wine). The truck can be found on Leather Lane from Wednesday to Friday.
The food is so delicious I’ll even let them off for the cheesy name!
UPDATE AUGUST 2017:
Greek Expectations can’t always be found at their usual spot on Leather Lane these days (#sadface). However, I have discovered another delicious lamb and halloumi wrap (£6) from Victus & Bibo on the Southern Holborn end of the Lane which is equally delicious!
Jerkkies
Jerkkies serves high-quality Caribbean cuisine in their Hatton Garden restaurant, as well as from their street food stall which can be found in Leather Lane on weekday lunchtimes.
You can either get a lunch box for £6.50 or a wrap for £4.50 (large £5.50), with fillings such as the classic Caribbean jerk chicken, southern fried chicken, vegetable curry and callaloo and saltfish.
They also offer a variety of sides such as sweet potato fries and homemade mac & cheese. My personal favourite is the jerk chicken wrap with rice, peas, steamed veg, plantain, coleslaw and salad. Not only is it extremely tasty, but it is also absolutely massive and guaranteed to fill you up! Jerkkies does not go small when it comes to portion sizes which makes it one of the best value for money lunches on Leather Lane for those with a big appetite.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIrnJ61he2t/?taken-by=jerkkies_restaurant
Brazilian BBQ
Brazilian BBQ can be found on the end of Leather Lane closer to Chancery Lane station all week. You can grab their Samba Chicken Box, which comes with chilli and garlic chicken skewers, rice, black beans, coleslaw and salad, plus a side of sweet potato fries and a drink for only £6.50. My advice would be to get the sweet potato fries with some extra garlic sauce. They’re delicious, but remember to bring mints or gum if you’re heading to a meeting straight after!
Interested in visiting more of London’s markets? Check out my ultimate guide to London’s best markets here!
Leather Lane is just a 5 minute walk from either Farringdon or Chancery Lane stations:
Emily is a born and raised London girl, starting life in the north of the capital then moving down to Fulham in the southwest. She has a master’s degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology from University College London and now works full-time running this blog and as a freelance travel writer, splitting her life between London and travelling the world as a digital nomad.
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Oh my! I literally work around the corner from here and let’s just say this is where all my money goes! Jerkkies is my absolute fave, totally worth the queue! But definitely gonna try a few other stalls now I’ve read this!
Literally just found this place today after working in the area for the past two months. What a revelation!