Oct 11

Queen Victoria Market

Updated: Oct 13

Queen Victoria Market ~ Victoria

The Queen Victoria Market, or "Vic Market" as the locals call it, is a historic landmark spread over two city blocks on the northern side of Melbourne’s Central Business District.

At this vibrant and bustling inner-city Market with more than 600 stalls, you can shop for everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood, and gourmet produce to clothing, artisan crafts, flowers and souvenirs.

The Queen Victoria market opened on March 20, 1878, and is now open five days a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere.

Out in the big shed, you will find a huge range of Fresh seasonal produce, including fruit and vegetables, flowers, eggs, honey, freshly squeezed juice, and so much more.

Queen Victoria Market businesses are primarily family-owned, with many passed down to second or third generations. A quarter of traders have operated at the Market for over 21 years, with some stalls reaching more than 50 years of trade.

The Deli section is located in the Dairy Produce Hall. Here, you will find a fantastic selection of local and international cheese, smoked and cured deli meats, olives, dips, antipasto, bread, and so much more.

The Meat & Fish Hall has an excellent selection of butchers, poultry specialists and fishmongers. You can purchase fresh meat, gourmet chicken, organic products and a diverse range of seafood.

The Queen Victoria Market is fabulous for foodies. As you wander around the market, you will see lots of food trucks serving great Melbourne coffee and delicious street food.

The iconic American Doughnut Kitchen is a Melbourne institution hat has been serving hot, jam-filled doughnuts from its vintage van since the 1950s.

You can spot the van by the long line of customers waiting for a bite of these sweet, sugary treats. Perfectly crisp on the outside and warm with raspberry jam inside, these doughnuts are worth every minute of the wait.

There is also a fantastic selection of restaurants and cafes in the food hall and several al fresco areas where you can enjoy all of this delicious food.

While the food is a major highlight, the Queen Victoria Market offers so much more. You can browse the diverse range of stalls, which sell handcrafted jewellery and leather goods, new and vintage clothes, colourful homewares and gifts, pet products, and fun souvenirs.

A visit to Melbourne isn’t complete without visiting the Queen Victoria Markets. It’s more than just a shopping experience; it’s a cultural adventure with colours, flavours and sounds that capture the heart and soul of this dynamic city.