The White Hat Guide to Food stores & ingredients in Melbourne

Shopping for food in Melbourne can be quite an adventure. Because of the large numbers of cultures and ethnic groups resident in Melbourne, a large range of food is readily available. And because of Australia's large climatic range, fresh fruit and vegetables for most cuisines and gourmet foods can be easily found.

Most larger supermarkets now carry a fairly wide range of food and places like David Jones Food Hall in the city have a similar range. At places like these you can expect to pick up the staples of many ethnic cuisines but probably not the specialist ingredients. You can also expect to pay considerably more for such ingredients that you would at a large produce market or many of the food stores listed below. Farmer's or grower's markets can also be a good place to buy certain ingredients.

A good starting point is a good fresh food market (such as the Victoria Market). This can be supplemented by a visit to your choice of specialist food stores (listed below). For instance there is a large Chinese grocery next to the Vic. Market in Therry Street, and a Japanese/Korean convenience store over the road in Elizabeth Street. You will then probably find you only need to visit the supermarket occasionally for top-ups.

For European food, just look for a deli whose proprietors' name seem to be of the appropriate nationality.

Some recommended food stores in Melbourne are listed below:

African
Greek
Italian
Middle Eastern
Spanish

The White Hat Food & Wine Map of Melbourne and Regional Victoria

Click on the desired link link to the right of the map. Use the controls to zoom in or out on the map or change to satellite view.