Street Food In A Derelict Warehouse-That's What Londoners Call A Night Out

 London Union’s vibrant food markets turn unused spaces into nighttime destinations.

 “In London, anything that’s interesting gets priced out of the market right away”.

- Carol Matlack

Some of the tastiest, most inventive food in London is served from trucks and open-air market stalls. But chasing down mouthwatering tuna-sashimi tostadas or curry-infused burgers, then finding a place to sit down and enjoy them, can take some effort. Entrepreneurs Jonathan Downey and Henry Dimbleby have a solution.

Their 18-month-old company, London Union, turns derelict buildings into venues where street foodies can find top-quality fare every weekend, including late nights on Fridays and Saturdays, when most food trucks and open-air markets aren’t open for business. “We’ve created a whole new kind of night out,” says Dimbleby, tucking into a plate of crispy Thai noodles and a smoked brisket sandwich at Dinerama. Located in the hip Shoreditch neighborhood on a site that housed an armored-car depot, the space accommodates 11 food vendors, 4 bars, a DJ booth—and on a recent Friday evening, a burgeoning crowd of twenty- and thirtysomethings.

It’s one of four sites that London Union operates, and Downey and Dimbleby are plotting expansion, including an outpost in Miami they plan to open next year. The U.S. is experiencing its own street-food boom, including multivendor sites such as