Adelaide Central Market: Everything You Need To Know

The Adelaide Central Market is the perfect place for the culinarily curious; colourful, chaotic and with community at its core.

Adelaide Central Market draws in more than nine million visitors per year for its mounds of fresh fruit and vegetables and endless variety of artisan produce. Located in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD, Adelaide Central Market is one of the city’s most iconic treasures; it’s also rated as one of the best fresh produce markets in Australia, and indeed, the world.

gourmet cheese at The Smelly Cheese Co, Adelaide Central Market — Adelaide Central Market is home to The Smelly Cheese Co. which produces the best cheese from around the world. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

With over seventy produce stalls and freshly cooked delicacies from around the world, let your stomach be your guide during your visit.

a woman buying fresh flowers at the Adelaide Central Market — Check out the flower stalls selling vibrant blooms. (Image: Melissa Koh)

Founded in 1869, the Adelaide Central Market is the heart and soul of the Adelaide food scene. The magic of the market is the community who have come from all corners of the world to make Adelaide, or Kaurna country, home. Food connects us – to place and to each other – and there’s no better place to do that in Adelaide than this bustling food hall.

people dining near a vibrant wall art in Adelaide Central Market — Come for the vibrant art and food scene at Adelaide Central Market. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Getting to Adelaide Central Market

The central market is located between Gouger and Grote St in Chinatown on the western side of the CBD. Stop at Victoria Square on the tram and it’s an easy five-minute walk. The free City Connector bus has stops located on Grote St.

Central Market UPark is located just above the market and offers the first hour free to shoppers (T&C’s apply)

a couple walking out of the Adelaide Central Market — Walk into the bustling Adelaide Central Market. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Getting Around Adelaide Central Market

To navigate the market, grab a map from the information desk near the Grote Street entrance or look up at the signage that marks each row of stalls with avenues.

fresh produce sold at one of the many stalls in Adelaide Central Market — Adelaide Central Market is rated as one of the best fresh produce markets in Australia. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The market can be a sensory overload, so if you’d like someone else to lead the way consider booking one of Mark Gleeson’s tours . As an ex-chef and market stallholder he shares his passion and knowledge with visitors from all over the world. To whet your appetite before your visit, listen to the audio tour of the market on Spotify.

a food art at Adelaide Central Market — Whet your appetite with so many options to choose from. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

What to See at Adelaide Central Market

Shopping and food options

With a smorgasbord of culinary delights to choose from, here are some places (and people) not to miss.

a vibrant wall painting in Adelaide Central Market — Adelaide Central Market is the centre of Adelaide’s food scene. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Lucia’s Italian restaurant founded in 1957 is now run by Lucia’s children and grandchildren, who serve up homely Calabrian comfort food. You might not be able to replicate the oh-so-soft gnocchi, but you can always take home some of Nonna’s sauce from the deli next door.

Si Sea is a European-style seafood and wine bar that began serving lunches and will soon expand to Saturday night suppers. With signature dishes like Thai mussels cooked fresh while you wait and handpicked South Australian wines, this is an ideal option for seafood lovers.

people dining at Si Sea in Adelaide Central Market — Swing by Si Sea if you’re craving seafood.

Owned by former AFL player Daniel Motlop, Something Wild Indigenous foods focuses on ethical and sustainable native Australian ingredients. The store showcases the breadth of local proteins and botanicals with fresh game meats from camel to kangaroo, native herbs like karkalla and strawberry gum and bush fruits like muntries and quandong. If you’ve finished your shopping, you can even pull up a seat at the bar to enjoy a taste of green ant gin or native yam vodka.

If you meet the Mushroom Man selling chanterelles, ask for a taste of the black garlic and truffle salt – it has enough flavour to make any dish pop.

Shoppers with a sweet tooth should head for Turkish Delight where Mona and Mohammed Hassan showcase their handmade and colourful sweets, or stop at Saudade for a warm Pastéis de Nata Portuguese tart.

the Middle Eastern Real Falafel restaurant at Adelaide Central Market — Head to Real Falafel for an authentic taste of the Middle East.

Real Falafel owner Mitch Aldaswari came from Saudi Arabia as a refugee, and today offers market-goers an authentic taste of the Middle East with one of the best falafels you’ll ever try. If North African cuisine is more your style, Le Souk cooks up Berber tagine dreams inspired by owner Azou’s Algerian roots.

close up of a Middle Eastern dish at Real Falafel — Real Falafel serves up vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Don’t be fooled by the name – Sun Mi Sushi also serves very affordable Korean dishes like mung bean pancakes and bibimbap. Asian Gourmet makes Malaysian Sarawak laksa for those in the know; it’s not on the menu (shhh…) and is served on Fridays and Saturdays only.

Central Organic brings a cocoon of calm in the middle of the market with a range of certified organic products. Bring a container to refill your shampoo or soap from their flagons and help reduce single-use plastic.

If you don’t have time to visit Kangaroo Island during your stay in SA, the Kangaroo Island Shop is a great option for gifts showcasing over 450 products from island producers. Maybe stop for an award-winning KI gin while you’re here?

a couple walking around Adelaide Central Market near Kangaroo Island Shop — Stop by Kangaroo Island Shop for a KI gin. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Look out for the ‘Producer in Residence’ of the month, showcasing the very best local food businesses like Masa Bakery specialising in delectable Latin American pastries.

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Events and Activities

The market turns up a notch on Friday evenings with live musicians and late-night trading. Why not try cheese after dark with whisky and wine tastings or watch a cooking demonstration in the community kitchen while the kids get their faces painted?

Tips for Visiting Nearby Attractions

Tartanyangga, or Victoria Square comes alive with events year-round from the Tour Down Under to the Adelaide Fringe so keep an eye out for what’s on. The recently restored Her Majesty’s Theatre has been welcoming audiences since 1913, and you can still catch the latest musicals at Adelaide’s most haunted theatre. To recoup your energy or extend your stay after a day at the markets, stroll a couple of blocks over to the vibrant Hotel Indigo, where the lobbies are inspired by the red brick arches of the Market.

Opening Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 7:00am – 5:30pm
Wednesday: 9:00am – 5:30pm (Selected Stalls open)
Thursday: 9:00am – 5:30pm
Friday: 7:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday: 7:00am – 3:00pm
Sunday: Closed

Looking for more markets? These Adelaide markets should be on your radar.

Originally written by Carla Grossetti with updates by Louisa Norman

The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.

It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.

Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.

Split point lookout — The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.

This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.

Lorne to Birregurra

Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.

Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.

From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.

You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.

Brae restaurant — Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Apollo Bay to The Otways

Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.

A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.

Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles

The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.

It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.

The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.

Port Campbell to Timboon

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

Warrnambool building — A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.

Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.

The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.

The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.

Eating there

The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.

Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.

The ultimate guide to visiting Adelaide Central Market

The Adelaide Central Market is the perfect place for the culinarily curious; colourful, chaotic and with community at its core.

Getting to Adelaide Central Market

Getting Around Adelaide Central Market