Christmas at Mercato Metropolitano: The ultimate Italian food festive experience

This winter, Mercato Metropolitano, the community food market in South London, is celebrating Christmas with festive fare from their street food stalls, a cult Christmas film takeover at the immersive cinema, carols and live festive music, a pop-up mulled wine bar, and a dedicated “Tiramisu Corner” serving Italy’s best loved dessert.

Adorned with garlands and festoon lights, Mercato will be decked with open-fire pits to keep the cold at bay, while a 16ft Christmas tree will take centre stage, complete with twinkling fairy lights and topped with a star to bring the joys of the season to Borough.

Dishes created especially for Christmas from the Mercato traders will include the White Christmas from Fresco Pizza, one of Naples’ most decorated pizza makers, topped with buffalo ricotta, mozzarella fior di latte and walnuts, whilst the Badiani Gelateria will be serving soft scoop gelato on sourdough Panettone with hot chocolate and whipped cream. The Venezulan Arepa stall, Guasacaca, have a festive “Pernil Navideño” with black pepper pork and cranberry sauce and Risotteria are serving a mascarpone, dried fig and red wine risotto – perfect comfort food for a chilly winter night. London favourite Champagne and Fromage have an indulgent board of baked Mont d’Or Vacherin and grower Champagne, Salsciammo are offering a multi-course Italian Christmas bap special, and Freeto bring their deep-fried cauliflower Roman Cone. Burger experts Brew Tap Burger will be on hand with their Sweet Basil Burger, made with basil pesto and the finest Angus beef with Winter Berry Bellinis to wash it all down.

At Prezzemolo & Vitale, the on-site Sicilian food hall, hampers stuffed with Christmas essentials from Palermo will be ready to take home to stock the cupboards, and an award-winning vintage pop up fair will be selling antiques and rare vintage finds on 17^th and 18^th December, well-timed for Christmas shopping away from the rush of the West End.

The usual hustle and bustle of the market will be set against a soundtrack of music from a line-up of acts including an a capella group, The Bellaphonics, vintage cover band Festival Sons and Jazz Trio. A special Christmas Songbook edition of the famed Ukelele Wednesdays will also take place on 14^th December, where guests will be able to sing-a-long to a repertoire of pop songs and festive favourites in aid of Southwark Foodbank.

Mercato’s resident theatrical cinema experience, Backyard Cinemas, will also be hosting screenings in their Winter Night Garden, showing Christmas classics from Elf to Love Actually, in the immersive setting of the night garden, complete with “enchanted” wardrobe doors to transport you to the wintery surroundings of their indoor forest.

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