Outdoor food markets spaces are one of my fave things to do in the summer. Sharing food. Or going in for a big juicy burger. Pimms and Aperol. It's all about that chilled al fresco dining with friends in the evening. It's even better when you're trying a new spot, as I did with Vinegar Yard last week.
Vinegar Yard is a an open air food market, with a difference...there's a flea market onsite too! It's right next to London Bridge station, with awesome views of The Shard. Whilst the market itself is pretty bright and cool, with fake grass, colourful seating, umbrellas and an installation at the opening featuring a train carriage and ant sculptures.
It does get busy, especially when the sun is out. So we definitely advise to get down early, or be prepared to hover and grab a table or space when you can. It didn't take us long to nab space for four on the end it a bench.
To Drink or not to drink:
Outside, there's one main bar, a prosecco bar and a Tanqueray bar. Unfortunately when we visited the Tanqueray bar was closed, but there was still plenty going on. The prosecco was sweet, lightly fizzing and absolutely delicious. We finished the bottle between four a little too easily.
An Aperol Spritz was a must in the warm summer evening. It was pretty good, but not the best I'd had.. a little weaker than most.
The Pimms, which we had in a pint, was fab though. Summer in a glass, it was made with a great ratio of ingredients! A proper signature Pimms!
The bit we went for really.. the FOOD:
There are six food stalls; Nanny Bill's, Up in my Grill, The Gentleman Baristas, Baba G's, Turnips and Sugo. Across them, they serve a range of different cuisine including a few veggie and vegan options too.
The Hotbox Burger from Nanny Bill's was a fantastic choice. The beef patties were soft, juicy and so flavoursome. The seeded brioche held in the american cheese, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, jalapenos and chipotle sauce well, and completed one superb burger. At £9.50 it's pretty standard for a burger in london.
The 24 hour beef brisket croquettes and the Mac and Cheese croquettes (also from Nanny Bill's), were awesome. The beef brisket was pulled, soft and tasty, inside a crispy shell. Absolutely delicious with the tangy mayo it came with.
The mac and cheese croquettes I'd had before, and they were just as amazing this time.
Super cheesy, creamy mac inside the same crisp, breaded shell, they oozed when broken into and were dreamy.
These came with a hot sauce which added a slight kick, contrasting against the creaminess of the cheese. At £6 for 6 of these we thought these were very reasonable!
The steak plate from Up in My Grill was a superb choice too. The bavette steak was cooked well, pretty tender and succulent (just a little chewy) and SO tasty. It had a salted touch, which was delicious. It came with Up in My Grill's signature chimichurri and pickled chillies, and some fab rosemary fries. This was actually Nicola's choice, and I just tasted a bit but I'm definitely heading back for a whole one of these! At £10 it's what you'd probably expect for a steak, and I'd definitely pay this on my next visit!
Finally, the loaded masala fries with raita and mango sauce weren't like any fries I'd had before. The sauces gave them a creamy yet fruity flavour, and they were lightly spiced too. Almost giving them the sweet and sour touch. We had one veggie portion and one with lamb and they both went down well. The lamb was crumbled, pretty soft and aromatic - this could have easily been a meal by itself.
Summary:
I had a fantastic evening with the girls at Vinegar Yard.
- Price: Prices vary by stand, but are pretty standard for the street food scene in London.
- Food: There's a good variety from the different food traders - there could be a few more veggie/vegan options though. We really enjoyed everything we tried and would definitely have it again!
- Drinks: There are three bars (prosecco, tanqueray and standard) so plenty of choice. The prosecco from the prosecco bar is fab!
- Atmosphere: Chilled, buzzy market. Pretty cool spot.
- Wait: It does get busy, so finding a table can be tricky at times and you do need to be patient. I did see some people sat on the fake grass at the back so that could be an option too. As for wait for food, it can take 10-15 minutes as they cook everything fresh.
Where's your favourite outdoor market?
Chloe xx
* I was invited along with East London Girl to review. All views my own.
