Adelaide Central Market, without the queue
One roof, dozens of stalls and a lot of people on a Saturday morning. How the market is laid out, when to go, and how to shop it like a regular.
Updated 2 min read
In this article
Adelaide Central Market has traded on its site in the middle of the city since 1870. It sits between Gouger Street and Grote Street, a short walk west of King William Street, and everything is under one roof — which makes it easier to cover than most big markets, but no less crowded at the wrong time.
How it is laid out
The main aisles run between the two streets, so you can walk in on Gouger Street and out on Grote Street without doubling back. Fruit and vegetable stalls take up a large share of the floor, with butchers, fishmongers, bakers, delis, cheese counters and coffee stalls mixed in among them. The arcade and the streets around the market, including Chinatown on Moonta Street, extend the precinct well beyond the hall itself.
Timing
The market does not trade every day: it is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and has a late trading night towards the end of the week. Opening times change from time to time, so check the current hours before you make a special trip. Saturday morning is the busiest session of the week. For the widest choice with the least jostling, a weekday morning is hard to beat; late on a trading day, some stalls reduce prices on produce that will not keep.
Practical things
Bring your own bags, and a trolley or basket if you are doing a full week's shop. Most stalls take cards, but not every one, so a little cash is still useful. There is paid parking above the market, and the King William Street tram stops are a few minutes' walk to the east.
Shopping like a regular
Walk one full lap before you buy anything: the same fruit can be priced quite differently a few stalls apart, and seasonal produce is easy to spot once you have seen it all. The stallholders are the best guide to what is good this week, and most are happy to tell you if you ask.
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Comments (4)
Greg H.
Great guide. The fish stall near the Gouger Street entrance is the one I always use — ask for the whole fish and they will fillet it while you wait.
This comment was edited by our moderators.
Rosa T.
I have shopped here for twenty years and still learned something about the Saturday timings. And yes, lunch in Chinatown afterwards is the only sensible way to finish.
Ivan P.
One thing to add — most of the deli stalls will vacuum-pack cheese and smallgoods if you ask, which makes the bus home in February a lot less of a gamble.
Leila F.
The advice about going mid-morning on a Wednesday is correct and I am now slightly annoyed that everyone knows it.
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