The best markets in Sydney

Go here for: breakfast pho, fresh produce, and the trendiest foodie finds in town

There’s a bibimbap stall that will even replace the rice with shredded cauliflower if you don’t believe in cheat days, and a classic bacon and egg roll for creatures of habit. Chef Josh Niland of Fish Butchery and Saint Peter has a permanent stall selling inventive seafood. His prawn toast is a certified hangover buster, and cooked items change with the tide.

Go here for: fashion, baby – vintage, second hand and new desgner finds – and cool knick-knacks 

There are rows upon rows of eccentric and colourful vintage clothes, alongside hand-crafted jewellery, accessories and new clothing designed by locals. There are vintage stalls scattered all around the market, but the smaller section just off Derby Lane at the back of the school is a goldmine and a slightly quieter place to scour through racks and try things on.

Go here for: authentic arts, crafts and food from Indigenous stallholders

Spend a day out by the water wandering through market stalls on the picturesque point of La Perouse. It's a great place to teach the kids about Indigenous culture, with a smoking ceremony in the morning as well as weaving and art workshops. Musical performances round out the afternoon. 100 per cent of the profits from this market goes back into Aboriginal communities. 

Go here for: brunching delights, handmade finds, juicy produce and pop-up yoga

Bar Pho has been a staple of the weekly produce and snack fare for the past eight years, and the warming basil, beef and star anise-spiked stock makes a solid argument for passing on the usual bacon and egg breakfast. This stall along with Fritter House (try the lion’s share with chipolatas, sour cream, two big corn fritters, bacon and salsa) and the Raclette Shack (oozy cheese-topped potatoes are always a great idea at 10am) make the markets an excellent brunching destination. 

Go here for: beach-ready snacks, organic produce, retro hauls and backpacker-chic giftware 

You can pick up Hass avocados for $3, lush green veggies like broccoli, leeks, fennel and spinach, plus earthy Dutch cream potatoes and boxes of free range eggs. Alongside the two main produce stalls at the church end of the street, there are fresh-cut flowers such as flowering gum for $25 and eucalyptus for $12, but also more weathered bunches of roses and dahlias. 

Go here for: kitsch bric-à-brac, art, design, bohemain flair and vegan cookies

Many of the stallholders return week on week, like the elderly Japanese couple selling Bonsai trees and the Spanish shoemakers selling espadrilles. Alongside Australiana-print tea towels you’ll find straw hats for $35 from local milliners and soft Tunisian-made ‘Turkish’ towels from young Eastern Suburb entrepreneurs. 

Go here for: a utopia of pre-loved finds, record crates, Glo-Mesh purses, crafts and gozleme 

The schoolyard of the Rozelle Public School has been a hive of weekend crate digging for more than 20 years, and while some stalls have almost earned long service leave, there are always newcomers keen to swap their good and chattel for some cold hard cash. You can find bargains for less than you’d spend on a coffee – it’s all about the chase. 

Go here for: posh condiments for humans and pooches, buckets of blooms and leafy friends

The curated Sunday offerings are diverse enough to ensure you have a gloriously full basket and belly. They also pack up at a hangover friendly 2pm, meaning you can scarf a crackling spiked pork pancake and impulse buy a house plant without having to get up at sparrow’s fart. 

Go here for: the biggest selection of fresh produce and arts and crafts in Sydney – and pony rides 

Entertainment Quarter has been home to a fresh produce and arts and crafts market for 20 years, and in 2018 market experts Madelienne Anderson and Rebecca Fox took over the show, adding EQ to their list of market spaces around Sydney, from Watsons Bay to Cronulla. There are up to 70 stallholders peddling gourmet cheeses, ripe cherry tomatoes and piping hot gozleme. 

Go here for: street food from Chinatown stalwarts, yum cha favourites, desserts and gifts 

Every Friday from 4pm, the main strip of Chinatown along Dixon Street transforms into a vibrant night market attracting a wide mix of visitors, from tourists and homesick international students to the post-work crowd, who you’ll find wisely padding their stomachs with cumin lamb skewers before hitting the next bar. 

Go here for: gorgeous vintage, second-hand high-end and funky accessories galore 

Renounce your fast-fashion sins and stay retro with some fabulous finds from this haven for pre-loved fashion and other eclectic goodies. It leans towards traditionally feminine attire and accessories, as well as handmade jewellery and trinkets.  It’s $2 entry at the door, and you can hone your bargain-spotting sense with a coffee from one of the caffeinating carts on site.

Go here for: street food for lunch, succulents, hearty quiches and take-home foods

When we visited there were only two stores flogging fruit and veg, however there’s plenty of food to take home. Find everything from lengthy flat beans to exotic-looking chillies, trays of fresh berries and eggs to Shepherd’s Artisan Bakehouse’s traditional crusty Italian spelt and rye, and Patisserie Bruni’s family sized quiches and Burgundy beef pies.

Go here for: environmentally-focussed food, produce, colourful blooms and trinkets 

There’s a new sustainable, environmentally-focused market joining the mix of Sydney’s regular shopping events. The Flour Mill Markets, which come from the fresh minds behind the Erskineville Farmers’ Market, are dedicated to fresh produce, dairy-based goods, locally crafted pottery and more every second Sunday of the month.

Go here for: womenswear, kidswear, jewellery, candles, organic food and a farmers' market 

Rather than simply build a monstrous shopping mall, the GPT Group built Rouse Hill Town Centre: a series of connected covered shopping arcades and streets, with plenty of open public areas, a playground, Reading Cinemas, restaurants and a central square with a bunch of fountains perfect for little ones to splash around in.

Go here for: a carefully curated selection of artisnal goods, fashion, beauty and art 

Weekly stalls at the local primary school aren’t the only place to make a special purchase in this Inner West suburb. Only four times a year, Foley Park transforms into the Artisans Market Glebe to showcase homemade Australian creations.