Billingsgate Market, located in Poplar, London, generally closes at 8:30 AM, Tuesday through Saturday. The market is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and most bank holidays (except Good Friday). Trading hours are very early, typically starting around 4:00 AM, with the best selection available before 7:30 AM.
When is the best time to go to Billingsgate? As the market opens at 4am, most serious buyers are in and out before half five if not before. However, remember you'll have to queue if you arrive before 5am. We would suggest arriving any time after that and possibly the optimal time is around 5:30am.
For most of that time, the sellers have been family firms, passing the trade from one generation to the next. But now, along with its sister, Smithfield meat market in Farringdon, the site is set to close by 2028, with its traders relocated. These are the last days of Billingsgate as we know it.
London shops generally close between 5:30 PM and 6:00 PM on weekdays, but larger stores and shopping centers often stay open until 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM, especially in central areas like Oxford Street, while independent shops might close earlier, around 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM. Sundays have shorter hours, usually 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM for big stores, with smaller shops having more flexibility.
London isn't a fully 24/7 city, but you can find 24-hour food at spots like VQ (Chelsea, Aldgate) and Duck & Waffle (City), plus late-night bagels at Brick Lane Beigel Bake, coffee at Bar Italia, and casino entertainment at places like The Hippodrome, with transport running late (but not all night) and some attractions accessible 24/7 (parks, iconic landmarks).
Historic London Markets To Close: Smithfield & Billingsgate Could Shut After Centuries Of Trading
Why do shops close at 6pm?
Shops often close at 6 PM due to historical UK trading laws (like the Shops Act 1911), which mandated early closing for workers' welfare, and current Sunday trading laws limiting large stores to 6 hours between 10 AM and 6 PM. This practice persists in smaller towns due to tradition, cost-effectiveness (less demand after work hours), and culture, though larger stores in bigger cities often stay open later to catch evening shoppers, as seen in the UK.
At its core, the 3-5-7 rule sets three clear boundaries: 3%: The maximum amount of your trading capital you should risk on any single trade. 5%: The total amount of capital you should have exposed across all open trades at any given time. 7%: The minimum profit you should aim to make on your winning trades.
What are the best months to eat fish? For many species, spring marks the beginning of their peak season. You're looking at some of the year's best seafood choices from March through May.
The only tourist attractions that are closed on a Sunday in London are Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral which are both closed to visitors on a Sunday. All the other important tourist attractions in London are open as usual on Sundays (except if Christmas day falls on a Sunday).
The best days to buy fish are generally Thursday through Sunday, as these are the busiest days, meaning more turnover and wider variety, especially for specific types like Mahi-Mahi or whole fish, though Monday/Tuesday might be best for certain staples if deliveries are consistent, but always check with your fishmonger for local freshness. While the old rule was to avoid Mondays due to weekend delivery gaps, modern supply chains often make fresh fish available daily, so asking your fishmonger when it arrived is the best advice, regardless of the day.
This is also a good idea if you want to see the crown jewels, as you'll have to line up again for them once you're inside. Although it's impossible to say for sure, on average the quickest times are mid-week mornings, when you may only have to queue for a few minutes.
1. Almas Caviar – the Most Expensive Seafood. The most expensive seafood in the world is wild Caspian Sea Almas caviar, derived from the rare albino Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) found primarily in the Caspian Sea.
Last month we saw the first fully licenced bluefin tuna caught on a commercial vessel in Newlyn. The landed fish weighed in at 245 kg and made a sale price of over £14 per kilo a whopping total of over £3400! However, tuna catching is highly regulated, and rightly so.
The most common British slang word for a fish and chip shop is "chippy" (or "chippie"), a short, informal term that's so popular it's even in the Oxford English Dictionary. You might also hear "chip shop," but "chippy" is the iconic slang for these takeaway spots, with an evening meal from one sometimes called a "chippy tea".
Typically on a Wednesday, the half-day closing was not just a tradition, but was in fact required by law, and regulated by the local council. The Shop Hours Act 1904 had already given local councils the power to require a single half-day closing, but only when two-thirds of the local retailers agreed to the proposal.
In the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament, the people were taught to observe the Sabbath with the following instruction: “And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day.”
