South Melbourne Market: Hours, best delis, restaurants & murals

Visit South Melbourne Market for its delis, fashion and souvenir stalls, live music, murals and Cecil Street restaurants. The South Melbourne Market hours are Wednesday 8 am to 4 pm, Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 4 pm and Sunday 8 am to 4 pm.

South Melbourne Market suffers somewhat from not being the best known market in Melbourne. The Queen Victoria Market tends to hog the limelight, Dandenong Market has the international flavour, while the Rose Street Artists Market in Fitzroy and Prahran Market tend to draw the cool crowd.

Get the best deals by advance-booking your Melbourne tours and hotels.

But South Melbourne Market arguably has more heart than the other Melbourne markets put together. It first opened in 1867, and has been selling fruit, vegetables and meat ever since.

South Melbourne Market in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia — South Melbourne Market is known for is delis, murals, live music and Cecil Street restaurants. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

South Melbourne Market delis

These days, South Melbourne Market is arguably best known for its deli produce. There are several delis in the market, including Theo’s Deli, Pickadeli and Alka Polish Deli. Other food stalls of note include Hagen’s Organic Butcher, Ralph’s Meat Company and Aptus Seafood, which has its own oyster bar. Gewurzhaus, meanwhile, offers a colourful array of spices.

There’s plenty of fashion and souvenir shopping at South Melbourne Market, too. For presents to take home, check out Clare’s Bears and Wares, Everything Aussie or The SuperCool. For clothing specialists, Traffic Footwear, Koenji Vintage and GMA Sheepskin are worth hunting down.

14 fantastic experiences that make the most of your free time in Melbourne

Get the very best views – on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
See the changing colours of the river – on a sunset kayaking tour – with dinner. (Highly recommended ✅)
Feast and see the sights at the same time – on a four course dinner cruise along the Yarra River.
A genuinely excellent street art tour, led by prominent street artists. (Highly recommended ✅)
The also superb Aboriginal heritage, plants and bush food tour in the Botanic Gardens. (💲 Great value 💲)
Best of Melbourne bike tour – you can see more on two wheels than walking.
Hidden laneways bar crawl OR foodie discovery tour OR chocolate and dessert tour.
Combo ticket for Australian Sports Museum and MCG tour.
Hassle-dodging advance tickets for the Melbourne Skydeck, Melbourne Zoo, the Ice Bar (with cocktails) and Sea Life Aquarium.

Buskers and murals at South Melbourne Market

But a visit to South Melbourne Market isn’t just about transactions. The experience is arguably much more important. There are buskers in the market, and regular free music performances are staged there.

Go to the What’s On section of the market website, and you’ll find an eclectic list of events. One day it might be kids’ face-painting, another it might be pop-up bike repairs.

Murals also brighten up South Melbourne Market. There are several around the building, including four by Cam Scale, who did the stunning silo art in Kimba, South Australia.

👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇

Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.

Why not BROWSE THE BEST DEALS – with instant confirmation and hassle-free, mobile-friendly tickets?

Cecil Street restaurants

Grazing is the other key reason to visit. The lines between food stall, café and restaurant are very much blurred. The likes of Clement Coffee and Burhan’s Espresso sort out your coffee fix, while Joy Cupcakes, Agathé Patisserie and Fritz Gelato cater to sweet tooths.

At the Cecil Street end of the market, several restaurants line up. Köy offers Turkish breakfasts and mezes. Little Hof is all about the pork knuckles and German-style sausages. And Bambu Asian Eating House serves up hawker-style Asian food.

South Melbourne Market opening hours

Many of these Cecil Street restaurants are open outside the usual South Melbourne Market opening hours. These are Wednesday 8 am to 4 pm, Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 4 pm and Sunday 8 am to 4 pm.