Not another bloody market kitchen

[Peacemirl]

I love eating out, and trying new places. I like everything from fine dining to (really good) takeaway food. I’ve lived in the city where I currently work for fifteen years and one of the big reasons for moving was the vibrant, varied food scene.

In the last few years, I’ve been less and less enthusiastic about it. There are still some great places, but more and more new openings are generic and “same again” - everything seems to be yet another “market kitchen” concept or more noodles (I like noodles but they’re everywhere).

I get these places must be popular and I’ve had good food in some of them but it all feels a bit uninspiring these days, and less exciting. I also understand hospitality is having a hard time and so bankable, tried and tested models are safer than going out on a limb.

AIBU?? Or am I just getting old??

I like the idea, for a quick lunch with a group. But it’s not relaxing, or particularly sociable. Up and down separately, to different stands, then again for the bar, having to find a place to sit. The same reason I dislike a hotel buffet on holiday.

I think they are a great idea apart from the seating.

Usually long benches and you're expected to sit next to others you don't know.

Ohhh the 'pop up' food sellers. Would have been selling out of a van in the old days but now they're in little stalls next to each other.

There's one in the town nearest to me which is inside what used to be the ground floor of a massive British Home Stores. You used to walk through it from outside to get into one end the now all but deserted shopping centre.

When ever i see it i just remember good old BHS and getting my kids uniforms in there. And i mourn the loss all over again of Debenhams up the other end 😔 ! Sorry not the point of the thread.

So this one i'm on about is very dark and grungy feeling (walls and ceilings and floor all painted black) and vendors seem to change a lot. It's never very busy. They decorate their space brightly and have obvs spent a lot on trying to attract customers but are gone again after a month.

Yes! DH and i did eat there once but spent quite a bit of time dithering about where to sit down because it was all long bench table things dotted about with only one or two people on each - clearly really spread out to avoid invading each others space.

What are you hoping for? A particular type of cuisine? A new type?

I've never heard of a market kitchen. But from your description, I have been to one when visiting Bristol. I thought it was a good idea. I have 3 towns within less than an hour drive and none of them have one.

Maybe if I could sit down with kids and order on an app it would work better than standing at each outlet separately.
I also find them noisy and uncomfortable.
The Timeout Market in Lisbon is on another level though. Had to get there early for a table and guard it!

The first time I came across a food court was in Australia about 35 years ago and I remember being in awe of it at the time. The US has some good ones but I find the English ones really dire. Never heard them called Market Kitchens, a rebrand to make them sound healthy and upmarket I guess.

Food courts are fine for a casual meal/lunch, but I'd never eat in one for a proper dinner.

"Market kitchens" as a jazzed-up version of a food court, sometimes all from the same vendor, have been around for decades...I remember being quite seduced by one as a teenager, mainly because of the plants and decoration trying to make it resemble an old-fashioned outdoor market. But eventually, I did realise that it still involved wandering around with a tray trying not to spill things, the food wasn't any better than at a regular food court, and I still had to sit at an uncomfortable table with people rushing around it in an echoey loud place where conversation was difficult. I don't mind going to a food court on occasion, but would prefer to also have options in terms of smallish restaurants with table service.

As for @likelysuspect mentioning restaurants with websites that waffle on about personal journeys and don't give the opening hours or contact information in an obvious place: I hear you! One of my neighbours has restaurants. He's a brilliant cook. But while the websites always look really slick, the communication of basic information is somewhat wanting, and seems to be focused on Instagram. It wouldn't occur to most of his target clientele to look there for restaurant opening hours; they'd want to check the website. Nothing wrong with advertising on Instagram, but the website needs to be in order first.

I love the market kitchen idea as an affordable way for small independent businesses to set up and get footfall, but because of the small kitchen size each one can only offer a limited menu, and the moment anything big brand gets added it kills it for me. I think it's mainly for caterers who usually travel (i.e. festivals, wedding) and is a good way to get income in between. But I agree OP, sometimes you just want good, different food in a lovely restaurant where the ambiance and service is part of the experience.

that’s a food court

They are basically a (fancier) version of what started as an American shopping mall food court.

I don't find them relaxing it all. I have hearing loss and find them overwhelming. I'd far rather eat in a cozy corner of a restaurant which specialises in one type of cuisine.

Like Borough Market? I really hate them - everyone queues alone for the food they want, sometimes for ages. You then have to find each other, and at least one of you now had cold food or gave up waiting and ate it while it was hot so has to sit while you eat yours. Or you end up eating something you don’t really fancy because the majority of your group want tacos and you’d rather not be standing in an alt-queue like a nigella no-mates.

Hate it. I’d rather sit in a truckers cafe, macDonalds or some other equally awful fast food place … or just go and find a decent gastro pub/restaurant and have table service. But I AM getting old!

They serve a purpose for some people and there's clearly a market (ahem) for it.

Forgive me for being facetious but if your town has historically had such a vibrant food scene then surely that still co-exists with the new food markets? Or have places shut down in order to make space for food courts?

The food hall thing is all right if you're just grabbing a bite to eat before a gig or catching up with a work mate in your lunch break or something, but it's really nothing like sitting down to eat in a restaurant and if there's a big group of you i find it becomes weirdly stressful somehow. YANBU.

I've been to three of these (first in York 3 years ago, then one in Spain and one in Denmark) and absolutely loved them. Amazing range of choices and fantastic, authentic food. They were new to me and, as far as I know, there's nothing like that anywhere near where I live (rural NW England). I can see that it must start to lose its novelty if they are cropping up all over the place in a single area though!

I love the idea of these more than the reality. I like trying different cuisines and choosing what I fancy but dining together.
But I find the reality of slightly drafty, echoey buildings and benches/ find seating / self clear / having to balance trays etc less appealing. I've had some nice food at them though.

It can work really well - it it's not insanely busy and you aren't all super hungry or hangry. But yes, I'd rather sit somewhere and have a chat while a waiter who has taken my order brings my food over to me. Otherwise you just end up sitting on your own eating while your friends queue or vice versa.

I didn't know it was called that. I've been to seven dials a few times and really like it. DD can have dumplings and I can have a drink and then be on our way quickly.

Also a friend and I did it and ordered dirty burgers and a pint. It was fab and so fast.

It's a bit motorway service station but great is you got people that like widely different food types.

Thanks all for your responses - I hadn’t thought of them as being the newer, trendier,
more independent iteration of the food court, but there are definite similarities!

A few people have asked what I’m looking for - it’s a major city (not London) so has most cuisines covered, although I do like to try things that are new to me. Fundamentally though, just really good cooking with quality ingredients. There used to be new, interesting openings all the time - since Covid, less so.

I should add that I definitely don’t dislike market kitchens / food halls - I do use them, they have their place but it seems to be getting rolled out everywhere and it does all tend to be the same kind of food, same sellers, etc. and, for me personally, once you’ve eaten at one, you’ve eaten at them all.

They are a good idea. But when it’s the tenth one, all with very similar outlets, it’s hard to get excited

We have one opened a couple of years ago in our small town. Tbh it looks really uninviting and it's been literally empty each time I've passed. Maybe they're busier in the evening? Are they generally popular with people on here?

Not like Borough Market at all. BM doesn't have any large seating area and has shops selling food (fruit & veg, cheese, meat), not just food to eat there & then

I think that’s the issue for me. The walking and eating, but not at the same time as your separate queues went at different speeds, and street food such as tacos etc - whilst lovely - are bloody tricky to each standing/walking. I think I really am just getting old, as I’d rather just go hungry than walk and eat messy food!