It’s 2024 and we’re in peak food hall era. Food halls (and courts) were once seen as being necessary evils - a place to refuel your kids with junk food or to take refuge from shopping mall crowds. These days, the better food halls bring together a spectrum of actually-good street food vendors in interesting, buzzy venues, and nowhere is this better displayed than Market Halls Victoria. Smack bang outside Victoria Station, you can watch the perpetual motion of red buses in front of the station as you sip on a cocktail and tuck into a burger. Or tacos. Or a curry. Or barbecue!
Unlike some similar food halls around London, Market Halls has been careful about curating a suitable street food lineup. Most bases are covered here, but they’re covered with genuine quality - Butchies Chicken, DF Tacos, Black Bear Burger, and Roti King offshoot Gopal’s Corner, for example, all turn out excellent food, from spicy chicken burgers to delicious tacos carnitas. Some food halls feel like easy cash-ins, with branded stalls that don’t deliver food that is on par with the real deal. Not so at Market Halls - the chicken kari with flaky roti from Gopal’s Corner, for example, is certainly on par with what you’d expect from Roti King itself.
Handsomely converted on a shabby post-industrial theme, Market Halls Victoria features two large floors which pack in the punters, as well as a big outdoor rooftop terrace and bar, which is, naturally, extremely popular when the sun is out. A seasonal cocktail menu sticks adventurous sips like a Honey Margarita (honey tequila, tequila blanco, lime juice and agave) alongside classic mixes, as well as a healthy selection of beers on draught, wines and spirits.
Perhaps it’s just the proximity to Victoria Station but Market Halls Victoria is unbelievably busy, even on a Tuesday evening when we visit. You can reserve tables for larger groups but finding available staff if you need anything can be a challenge because of the energy of the place. That might not suit everyone but if you’re looking for somewhere with a buzz, for a celebration or just for some drinks after work, Market Halls more than fits the bill.