Camden Passage

Like Notting Hill's world-famous Portobello Road [see entry], Islington's less-world-famous Camden Passage features shops selling antiques and bric-a-brac throughout the week but comes into its own on specfied days with the arrival of outdoor stallholders. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings you'll find around 200 specialist dealers, including silver, glass, vintage jewellery, ceramics, collectables, prints, photographs, vintage clothing, art nouveau, art deco, military, oriental, clocks and watches, dolls and toys, fine art and sculpture, accessories and more. And like Portobello, Camden Passage is situated in a nice part of town. The pedestrianised market is just off Upper St, which is Islington's answer to Chelsea's King's Rd in terms of quaint shops and cafés, though the latter is now more slick than trendy. Cross St is particularly picturesque in an olde-worlde way, and foodie outlet Ottolenghi [see entry] is a must for those willing to be bowled over by conspicuously delicious and beautiful lunches and cakes. And playwright Joe Orton and his lover (and murderer) Kenneth Halliwell lived nearby. Despite the name, Camden Passage has nothing to do with the London borough of Camden and Camden Town, which confusingly is also famous as a market mecca. Tube station: Angel.