Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market has traded on the northern edge of Melbourne's CBD since 1878, spreading across several city blocks of heritage sheds, iron-roofed arcades, and open-air stalls on Elizabeth Street. The Deli Hall and meat and fish halls occupy the market's original Victorian-era buildings, with butchers, cheesemongers, fishmongers, and delicatessens operating from marble-topped counters, while outdoor sheds hold fruit and vegetable stalls, and a separate section sells clothing, souvenirs, and general merchandise. A typical visit runs one to two hours for a wander and a coffee or breakfast, longer for a guided food tour or a full grocery shop. The market is busiest on Saturday mornings, when the widest range of stalls trade and locals do their weekly shop, and quietest on the Tuesday and Thursday trading days, which have fewer stalls open. From November through late March or April, the market runs its Queen Victoria Night Market on Wednesday evenings, with street food stalls, bars, and live music replacing the daytime produce trade -- a very different atmosphere from the daytime market and worth timing a visit around. The best photo opportunities are inside the heritage meat and fish halls, with their preserved cast-iron fittings and hanging signage, and along the open produce aisles in the early morning light before the crowds build.