Queen Victoria Market

Vic Market is a Melbourne institution. Lots of people, knowing my love of food, recommended it to me as a Top Tip for visiting while I was here. Georgie offered to take me with her on Friday morning so she could introduce me to all her favourite stalls – yes please, said Eithne.

(Here’s a funny thing, though. Once I got to the market I realised I had actually been there before. I’ve struggled to recall anything I did in Melbourne the other two occasions I visited – and it was only when I was actually walking through the stalls I had a flashback and remembered that I bought a Crowded House cd there. The cd that got me through my Masters dissertation, incidentally.)

Vic Market is huge – but that’s a plus. There’s space to wander and the queues aren’t vicious the way they are at, say, Borough Market in London. There are lots of mini shops within the Market with wonderful old fittings and signs – but why am I writing all of this when you can see the evidence for yourselves?

First stop, the fish market:

I think my favourite part was the deli and what I’d call the pantry area, for want of a better term.

We bought salami, the best taramasalata I’ve ever tasted (normally I hate the stuff, but this converted me), feta and crackers here.

It's impossible not to get hungry in the market. But that's ok because there are lots of yummies to sample.

We struck up a conversation with this charming man (Georgie liked his hat) who very smilingly let me take his photo. Thank you Mr Man!

This shop sells everything you need for your store cupboard: spices, oil, sugar, dried fruits … and very pungent cheeses.

I loved this dairy stall. Yes, you could actually buy curds and whey and also butter, cheese, milk and cream. And it's called The Dainty! Charm you can't buy.

We bought borek filled with spicy lamb from fierce Eastern European ladies. The borek were delicious: bread that manages to be dense and light at the same time, wrapped around a kind of chili-lamb stew.

(I didn’t even realise there was a McDonald’s behind me until I downloaded the photos. You’d have to be pretty inconsiderate of your tummy to go there when you have the whole market to play in. That, or drunk.)

You can buy lots of lovely things to drink, from freshly-ground coffee to organic wine.

And how beautiful is the fruit and vegetable market?

Just in case I have another memory lapse, I would like to record this message to myself: Eithne, next time you’re in Melbourne, be sure to visit Queen Victoria Market. I think you’ll like it.