Sydney Top Ten Gourmet Shopping Precincts

Gourmet shopping 10 of Sydney’s finest foodie destinations

1. Sydney Fish Market is the place not only for freshly caught fish and seafood, but also just-cooked fish and chips, sushi, chili crab, freshly shucked oysters and much more, including fresh fruit and vegetables and a gourmet deli. Take a 90-minute ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour every Thursday morning for an insider’s experience of the world’s second-biggest seafood market. You don’t need to book, just meet at 6.55am outside Doyle’s Seafood Café. Make sure you’re wearing enclosed shoes open toed shoes (thongs or sandals) are not permitted for occupational health and safety reasons. Tours: $20. Bank Street Pyrmont. Open every morning (except Christmas Day) from 7am. www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

2. Farmers Markets: stock up on farm fresh gourmet goodies at the Farmers’ Market every Wednesday and Saturday (10am-4pm) at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park. Or try the Good Living Growers Markets, where more than 30 different farmers and producers display their cheeses, homemade patés, vegetables, grain fed lamb, breads and eggs on the first Saturday of each month at Pyrmont.

3. North Sydney Noodle Market: summer-time night market on Friday evenings from 5pm-10pm. There is also live entertainment. Civic Centre Park, Miller Street, North Sydney.

4. Paddy's Markets: Sydney's biggest city market in the city has been selling fresh produce since 1834. Get there early for fresh fruit and vegetables. Thursday 10am-6pm; Friday, Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm. Underneath Market City on the corner of Hay & Thomas Streets.

5. Sydney Fresh Food Market: Sydney's largest weekly food market, with more than 800 stands selling fresh produce. Every Saturday 6am-2pm at Sydney Markets, Flemington. Fridays is organic produce only.

6. Chinatown: stock up on herbal medicines, barbecue duck or your favourite Thai green curry paste in Chinatown. An easy 10-minute walk from Central railway station, Chinatown stretches from George Street in the east and Darling Harbour in the west with Dixon, Hay and Sussex Streets the main retail strips.

7. Little Italy: head to Leichhardt in the inner west for all things Italian, where local supermarkets, delis and bakeries stock authentic Italian products. It’s also home to one of the city’s best provedores, Norton Street Grocer, a gourmet shoppers delight with 32 different types of salad including beetroot salad, Thai beef salad and biriyani salad, plus a large selection of antipasti, platters, cheeses, olives and dips.

8. David Jones Food Halls at Bondi Junction and Market Street in the city centre stock just about everything a serious foodie could want. Wines, spirits, meats, breads, seafood, fresh produce, boutique cheeses, juice bar, chocolates, ready to go gourmet meals… you name it’s here, all under the one roof.

9. Fratelli Fresh: a food market and provedore in a converted warehouse. Everything from canned tomatoes, olive oils, cheese, and pastas can be found here, even those hard to get ingredients. They are a prime supplier to many of Sydney’s best restaurants. 7 Danks Street, Waterloo.

10. Cabramatta: it’s a bit of trek (take the train) to get to Cabramatta, Australia’s largest Vietnamese community, but once there you may as well be in Indochina. It’s a bustling market place of all the exotic fruits, vegetables, meat and special ingredients needed for more than a dozen South East Asian cuisines, available from soup stands, food stalls, restaurants, and specialty stores.