We had a late start to our first full day in London. (Blame jet lag and a very comfortable bed.)

But lucky for us, Borough Market, the most renowned food market in London near the London Bridge Station, was open until 5 p.m.

I had always wanted to tour this market, known for the breadth and quality of its goods and produce. But I was never in London long enough — or in the area at the right time — to visit it.

Until Saturday.

A little background: While today’s market is famous for its high-quality goods and unusual offerings — like mushroom pâté and exotic meats preserved in butter — it actually dates back to the 11th century, when traders would sell grain, fish, vegetables and livestock near the bridge. In the 13th century, the market moved to its current location on Borough High Street. In 1755, Parliament closed the market. It was reopened after Southwark residents raised 6,000 pounds to buy a patch of land known as The Triangle. (This is where you’ll find Northfield Farm — great steak sandwiches — and Furness Fish and Game now.)

Today, there are about 100 different vendors selling everything from fresh produce to dried meats to German sausages (top).

Here’s what the market looked like yesterday:

Love the colors of these greens.

Prosciutto (dry-cured ham) being sliced right in front of you!

There were a few bread vendors. We had the olive and cheese roll here.

We sampled the dried meats here — then bought a wild boar sausage. Not gamey at all — and perfect with the olive and cheese roll.

This vendor was selling gourmet (and delicious) cheeses. I love how knowledgable and helpful these vendors are about their products.

There were a few butchers here, selling a variety of meats from pork to wild rabbit.

The market also features vendors serving hot and cold foods, like this one selling paella and curry prepared in huge pans.

There were even stalls selling alcohol — like Pimm’s and champagne.How convenient!

And there were also several stalls boasting fresh fish like turbot, monkfish, mackerel, oysters, scallops and tuna.

My husband tried the lamb and mint burger from Northfield Farm, prepared with cheese and greens. If you like lamb, you’d love this.

There were even more vendors outside in the Green Market selling honeys, vegan cupcakes, sausages and lots of desserts.

This is definitely a must-see on any itinerary to London. Just to see the variety of foods available is worth the stop. Not that you should just look at the food. Eat. And eat a lot. You won’t regret it.

Market hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays; full markets run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Follow Cat on her #FoxHoneymoon to England, Scotland and Ireland on Twitter @thedailydish and Instagram @catherinetoth. Track her travels at #CatTravels.