500 Things to do in the 500 Days until the Big 3-0: 148. Cultural Foodie Hub

8th June 2014, Southbank Food Festival, Southbank, London

I love the fact that London completely comes to life as soon as the sun comes out and after months and months of rain and people being everything but upbeat, you suddenly can take the party to the street and find your dinner and drinks for next to nothing whilst enjoying the greatness of outdoors London. I am of course, talking about the various markets of London

Currently spending too much of my time on the same markets and their respective pubs, I decided to venture to more exotic stomping grounds. In other words, crossing the river and going to Southbank.

Now I really do love Southbank, especially in summer. However, I only tend to recall this love for the area when I'm actually at Southbank, which tends to be once a year. Kind of like that ex boyfriend you only hook up with when your new relationship goes down the drain or it's simply been a while since someone praised your existence. And like with Southbank, you can never in the moment remember why you didn't just marry him and have his babies already.

Southbank is one of favourite strolling areas in London, in spite of having to climb over a multitude of tourist to move forward. But unlike other tourist filled areas of London (Oxford Street, I'm talking about you), Southbank well makes up for it's crowdedness by having the best summer atmosphere in London, by having the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern and the greatest book market in London, by being the place where I had my first glass of Pimm's and, now, by hosting the Real Food Market on Southbank Centre Square.

I've been to quite a few food markets across London, both the Farmer's variety and the ones focusing more on cooked food. And quite frankly, they're usually pretty much the same no matter which one you go to, with a burrito stand, a falafel stand and a pair of girls selling average looking cupcakes thinking they will be Hummingbird's successor. They never are and having bought a book on cupcake making and dressing in vintage clothing whilst having a massive ego is not necessarily going to be the magic recipe of building a baking emporium.

Due to my prior experience of food markets I wasn't overly excited entering this one, but found myself pleasantly surprised upon my arrival. This wasn't solely because they had an ambulant cocktail bar, but it did help. Nothing like a bit of rum to put things into a positive perspective!

The market had all the classics, without being the same dull market food available across London. These were classics with a twist and enthusiastic stall holders which at the end of the day is what makes the difference.

Two cocktails finished, balancing the third cocktail in one hand and a slow roast duck roll in the other I climbed up the stairs to the Royal Festival Hall, sat down at the top and spent the rest of my afternoon people watching, enjoying the views of the river and once again coming to the realisation that this city really is the greatest in the world.

London, I really do love you.