The Best British Holiday Markets for Food and Festive Cheer

The twinkling of lights, jingling of bells, and smell of cinnamon and spice in the air can only mean one thing: the festive season is here. Shopfronts glow, carol singers warm up, and the unmistakable scent of mulled wine drifts through the streets.

Across Britain, historic squares, city centres, and cathedral courtyards come alive with light-flecked trees, cozy Alpine huts, and craft stalls, as though Santa’s elves themselves had decked the streets in fairy lights, sprinkling festive magic directly from the North Pole.

Among the chestnuts roasting, marshmallows toasting, bratwurst, and hot spiced wine that are the staples of European markets, the best UK spots add their own British flavor. From cider-sipping in the historic Roman city of Bath, to staying warm with Scotch-soaked hot chocolate among Edinburgh’s architecture, to the global flavors inside London’s Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park – here are some of the most deliciously atmospheric markets to visit this winter.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (London)

London’s biggest festive attraction is exactly what it promises: a full-scale Winter Wonderland until Jan. 1. Sprawling across Hyde Park, it mixes family-friendly entertainment: Santa’s Grotto, a huge outdoor ice rink, and fairground rides, with grown-up-approved attractions like the nightly Cirque Berserk circus show, Luminarie Lane’s glowing light installation, shopping stalls, winter bars, and a village of Scandinavian-style huts.

The Street Food Village brings together local and global favorites: curry naan, fried chicken with a festive variation, Alpine-style melted cheese, artisan baguettes, gourmet sausages, and chimney cakes (crisp and sugary on the outside, soft and cinnamon-doughy inside). For a properly British pudding, there’s buttery crumble and warm custard.

Southbank Centre Winter Market (London)

For those visiting London for the festive season, it’s well worth taking a riverside stroll along the Southbank. Follow the Thames and find the Queen’s Walk transformed into a row of chalet-style huts lit up under fairy lights, with buskers playing Christmas classics. From the Southbank Centre Winter Market, take in a perfect view of London’s skyline illuminated at night (which starts around 4 p.m. in these parts) — look out for the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Waterloo Bridge, and the cityscape beyond. 

The pop-up chalets bring plenty to feast on: street-food-meets-festive-fare like raclette melting over potatoes, duck wraps, truffle burgers, Yorkshire pudding wraps, and churros dusted in sugar. Keep warm with a steaming cup of mulled wine or toast marshmallows by the fire, through Jan. 4.

Manchester Christmas Markets (Greater Manchester)

Industrial-chic Manchester throws one of Europe’s biggest and best festive markets. Spread across 10 city-centre sites, Manchester Christmas Markets draw crowds from far and wide, from Nov. 7 to Dec. 22. This year it centers around Manchester’s Albert Square, where the urban setting meets traditional fairground-style attractions – including a huge festive wheel with views over the city – all alongside more than 200 chalet stalls.

Elsewhere, Freight Island (not actually an island but a converted industrial space) glitters with festive spirit with an “enchanted forest” of twinkling trees and interactive walk-through light installations.

Food-wise, toast marshmallows over an open fire or have them overflowing from an indulgent hot chocolate. Tuck into pie and mash — the famous Northern English classic — or go for loaded hash browns, bratwurst, or pies with gravy. All of this goes down perfectly with “just one more” round of mulled wine.

Edinburgh Christmas Market (Scotland)

Edinburgh city center feels magical year-round with its dramatic skyline, medieval architecture, and the castle perched above the streets – and at this time of year it really comes alive. The lights go up, everything starts to twinkle, and the whole place feels like it’s been waiting for this moment all year.

Stroll through East Princes Street Gardens, where wooden chalets brim with gifts that reflect Edinburgh’s independent spirit: Harris Tweed accessories, oak-carved keepsakes, hand-painted ceramics, and ornaments made from reclaimed Scotch-whisky barrels. Take a whirl on the big wheel for glittering views of the city below, until Jan. 4.

For food and drink, don’t miss the locally raved-about “festive fries” topped with turkey, stuffing, gravy, or the “Yorkshire pudding wraps” stuffed with an entire roast dinner (yes, really). Satisfy a sweet tooth with Edinburgh crumble: Choose a warm fruit base, add lashings of custard, and pick a topping. To warm up, go for a Hot Toddy made with whisky, honey, and lemon, or a luxury hot chocolate with a “wee dram” of Scotch.

Bath Christmas Market (Somerset)

Few settings feel more cinematic than the city of Bath in winter. Georgian terraces, cobbled streets, and the spires of Bath Abbey glow under strings of lights, transforming the historic center into a picture-perfect backdrop. More than 250 stallholders line the streets for the annual Bath Christmas Market, with around 70% coming from the local Bath and Somerset area, turning the market into a celebration of West Country produce: cheeses, chutneys, meats, craft beers, and, of course, cider.

Sip mulled cider, tuck into an award-winning sausage roll, or hunt down “loaded pigs in blankets” for a festive take on classics. Finish with a Bath bun or fudge made with Cornish cream. For gifts, stock up on local spirits, Christmas liqueurs, and West Country cider brandy, from Nov. 27 through Dec. 14.

Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market (Hampshire)

Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market sits on the grounds of the cathedral, with over 1,000 years of history, and the lights against the stone look incredible at night. Just beyond the grounds, the old-town area of Winchester is full of classic pubs with roaring fires, which is exactly where you’ll want to end up after a day of browsing and filling up with market food.

The market has integrated several climate-friendly touches, with LED lighting, solar-powered displays, and stalls run by artisans in the local area, from Nov. 21 to Dec. 22. Alongside the usual lineup, there are workshops in the undercroft beneath the cathedral for jewellery-making, glass fusing, and other festive crafts.

If shopping and crafting make for thirsty work, the food stalls have you covered: hog-roast baps (bread rolls) with homemade apple sauce and pots of crunchy crackling, grilled halloumi burgers with pickled salad, hot pigs in blankets, and really good artisan sausage rolls. Try the local whisky chalet for a signature single malt, and look out for the mulled honey mead – one of the oldest alcoholic drinks, often called “honey wine.”