I’ve never really considered myself a foodie; being gluten-free doesn’t exactly make that easy, but after being in London, I can confidently say I’ve tasted some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. London is clearly a city full of passion in every form: theatre, history, art, music, business, literature, government, and so much more. Food was not one of the things I expected to stand out so strongly, but it absolutely has, and I have loved every bit of it!
Seven Dials Market was a bustling, modern, and incredibly versatile place for food lovers to gather. I was lucky enough to find a great gluten-free option: a taco from one of the vendors on the bottom floor. My friends and I found a table upstairs, where we all sat together with our completely different dishes.
We don’t really have many food markets like that where I’m from, if any, so it was exciting to see everyone able to choose something unique to their own taste while still sharing the same space and experience. My taco would have been perfect if it had not been extremely spicy. I probably should have expected it, but for some reason, so many things on this trip have been unexpectedly spicy, and I am definitely not someone who can tolerate much heat! Still, it was delicious; I just needed a lot of water, or maybe milk, to survive it!
Borough Market felt like a whirlwind, especially because I experienced most of it on my own. I had a meeting with a UARK alum that morning while everyone else was getting food there, so I arrived about thirty minutes late. By that point, almost everyone had either finished eating or already left, but luckily, my roommates were still there.
Before I could find them, though, I had to face the challenge of finding the perfect gluten-free meal. I wandered around aimlessly for a while, because the market truly felt like a maze. I kept reaching little dead ends in the form of stopping to read menus, realizing there were no gluten-free options, and turning right back around to keep searching.
Thank God for the internet, because I quickly searched “best gluten-free booths in Borough Market” and immediately found more than enough options. I began my search for Tacos Padre (yes, tacos are the go-to when gluten-free lol), though I was quickly slowed down by the endless rows of gluten-free pastries lining the green market area by the church. If I had not been so money-conscious lately, I easily could have bought way too much.
What I loved most, though, was not just the food itself, but the people behind each booth. The making of it all was happening right in front of you! The smells, the movement, the careful hands preparing each dish. You could watch your meal being made by young men who had clearly started a cooking business out of passion, a middle-aged woman whose children may have once been her first taste-testers, or an older man whose hands seemed aged from years of kneading bread but who continued because it gave him life.
The people were just as much a spectacle as the food. Whether you exchanged only two words and barely held eye contact, or ended up in a full conversation about how their baking began, you could sense the pride behind each booth. It felt like serving there was a privilege, just as much as eating there was.
Overall, I think I’m going to be very disappointed having to go back to the usual processed American food that’s handed to you through a window. (Except Canes. Boy do I miss Canes HAHA)
Best,
Siena
Theatre in London U of A 