Mercato Mayfair, London: Ex-church, Now Food Hall
Updated: Jul 30, 2022
If you don’t go to church much but eat & drink religiously, Mercato Mayfair could be your new heaven! Imagine an old stained-glass sanctuary with four floors of exceptional food stands, cocktail bars, eateries, and even a vaulted wine cellar and a rooftop bar for those late summer nights. Cheesus Christ! What more can you... pray for?
What is Mercato Mayfair?
Mercato Mayfair is Mercato Metropolitano’s second food-hall-meet-market site in London and it's all that wine connoisseurs and city dwellers could dream about: a sustainable community market, an authentic wine cellar with world cheeses and fresh cuts, a micro-brewery, a hip cultural hub hosting cookery classes, and events for everybody to gather, share and learn - all in the regenerated St Mark’s on North Audley Street, Mayfair and in full coordination with Mercato Metropolitano’s mission: fresh artisanal ingredients, sustainably sourced as far as possible.
A World Foods Heaven and Beyond
Take your taste buds on a mouth-watering trip around the world. Prepare for a deliriously rich selection of everything you could dream of, from Hawaiian poke bowls, ceviche, Taiwanese bao buns, and sushi rolls to traditional Turskish pide and authentic Italian gelato - all tasty delicacies sustainably sourced to satisfy the most exotic cravings with no trace of single-use plastics or highly processed products in sight. Phew.
And beyond the copious street food hall, residents are welcomed to free music classes and exciting live performances that tick a wide spectrum of contemporary sounds spanning from opera to jazz.
£5-million Restoration to Former Glory
The grade I-listed St Mark’s reopened to the public in 2016 after decades of private use. The deconsecrated church of divine proportions had spent 30 years on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register but found a new life as a hip food hall due to a two-year £5 million restoration that had the building’s heritage features beautifully repaired and revived, bringing it back to its former glory.
Visitors interested in healthy food choices can browse a great range of rice, pasta, grains, spices, baking supplies, and everything in between.
On the ground floor, you can find all the staples you need to stock up your pantry, from canned and jarred, beans and legumes, to oil, and vinegar.
Mercato Mayfair spans over four floors, interconnected through steep and narrow staircases that intensify the sense of discovery.
The mouth-watering display of colourful, organic, vitamin-packed fruit and veggies.
The vaulted crypt is home to an excellently stocked cellar and wine bar, featuring a rich array of wines, charcuterie boards, and world-class cheeses. The basement also serves as a community space for cookery classes.
Ready to order your G&T at the altar? And while you wait, remember that Eleanor Roosevelt and President Eisenhower both attended services there since this was also known as the American Church.
Cin-cin and Bon Appétit!
Mercato Mayfair is at 📍 St. Mark's Church, N Audley St, London W1K 6ZA
🚇 The closest London Underground Stations to Mercato Mayfair are Bond Street (on the Jubilee & Central lines), and Marble Arch (Central line).
_______________________
Did you enjoy this article? Great! If you'd like to contribute to the running costs of WithinLondon, click the button below: