Davies Park Market – West End Markets

One of the best markets Brisbane area has to offer. If you go around noon the stalls start doing some amazing deals to clear their stock. This market is only on Saturdays.
Several great food stalls towards the middle of the market. In particular I would recommend NYC bagels they make a bagel sandwich called the brat it’s my favorite. You pick the bagel it comes in and the brat has bacon, rocket, avocado, and what makes it great is their aioli sauce.
Produce here is pretty cheap there is always a deal going on in one stall versus the other so take ur time to compare a bit before buying. The stalls towards the middle I find tend to be generally cheaper. But the stalls at the end usually would do the clearance sales towards ends of the market day.

So, apparently in Australia, farmer’s markets are not more expensive than grocery stores. There are a lot of diverse vegetables to find here. It’s a large, snaky space, with many things other than vegetables, including cooked food vendors, merchants of other ilks, and various forms of massage. List not exhaustive. I’ve had little trouble finding my go-​to vegetables at better prices than Coles.
The location isn’t perfect. It doesn’t drain well, and rain comes often in Brisbane. Parking is limited, and only one meaningful bus route goes by. Also, everyone else is right that you want to think about getting in early, which may or may not be easy to do on a Saturday morning depending on your disposition. But by all means, if you can get here, you’ll find something good.

Not really a farmers market.
Saw about 3 growers when i was there.
The rest bought their produce from rocklea.

A long term staple in the Brisbane market scene, the Davies Park Markets are a great spot to stock up on your weekly fruit and veg, grab a coffee and some breakfast.
The best place in Brisbane for cheap fruit and veg. However, it does feel like more and more stalls are selling some pretty ordinary produce, so you’ve got to hunt around for the good stuff — you may need to go to a couple of stalls to get the best of everything you need.
The most important thing to remember is to go early. If you’re there any later than about 7:30, the clueless wanderers roll in and the narrow corridor that is the market becomes clogged with purposeless zombies.

I really enjoy this farmers market.
Produce: Get here early if you are really picky about quality, but get here late if you are more concerned with price. About 30 minutes before closing the stands often lower their prices quite a bit. I have gotten avocados for as cheap as 50 cents! I personally think that most people are overconcerned with blemishes on their produce, so I like to take advantage of the lower prices on the fruit and vegetables ignored by consumers concerned about the vegetable cosmetics.
Food: There are some great food stands. My favorite is the greek stand because I really like their grilled baby Octopus. «Mr. Kalamari» has some nice raw oysters for the price. The only food stand I dislike is the bagel stand. I’m not sure what circular baked good they sold me, but it sure wasn’t a bagel. I’ve honestly never had a bagel quite so bad. Sorry, I’m Jewish and lived in New York and California, so I guess that makes me a bit of a bagel snob in Australia.
Music: They often have live music, down by the tree, facing the river. It is really hit or miss. Sometimes it’s worse than the drunk guy who sings the last song at a karaōke bar and sometimes it’s a fantastic artist.

Eh.
I remember these markets being bigger and the food being far fresher.
It can be fun to worm your way through the twisting pathways and taking in the exotic smells and sights, but really… if you’re after fruit and vege to take home, hit up your local green grocer. There’s some great prices at the West End Markets, but I’m yet to see anything that’s not rotten right through on display (I’ll admit I may need to get there super early).
There’s a whole bunch of overpriced hippy clothes because well… why not?
There IS some nice food to eat there, with quite a few options. Again, get in early, because although the markets close at 2, many stalls will be closing up long before then, and they may also run out of product.
I don’t know. I like the idea of markets, but I can’t help but think the West End Markets have jumped the shark.

This is a popular Saturday market held from about 6am till around noon. Right on the river. There’s a large number & variety of food stalls. So as well as getting a bite to eat, you can pick up all sorts of fresh produce, fruit & vegies, fish, smoked deli style meats & sausages, cheese, honey, artisan bread just to name a few. I even found some fresh mulberries, delicious! Most of the stalls are under shelter which is handy on a sunny day. I can see why the locals would be here every Saturday morning & as a visitor from Melbourne it was a nice way to spend a couple of hours this morning.

I’m a tourist so I’m not interested in a grocery restock. What I want is Qld produce, fantastic coffee (because my local tour guides have made me get here at 6am!) & a unique experience.
This market has it all.
While guides potter off on their weekly shop we get to taste local honeycomb, ginger infused dips, nuts, juices, slices of local fruit (champagne Granny Smith Apple!) & browse jewelry (opal, Lego, bohemian) clothing (hemp/​bamboo) & craft stalls (cards, bowls, bags).
There’s masses of food stalls — international (Spanish, Chinese, Greek, Indonesian, Lebanese), salads, bagels, bakers, donuts, fudge — you get the idea, you’re not going to leave here hungry.
The guides usually grab some fare & head to the paddock/​under a fig tree to eat brekky, but today we go to the coffee shop in the middle of the market, the one with plastic tables and chairs.
With 14 of us drinking & eating we thought it would be ok to buy our coffee with them but bring in 2 bagels. No. Management advised us this would t be on next time. That’s ok, there won’t be a next time. Their coffee was average, their food was average & now their attitude has been Unilocaled. :)
Going at 6 was a good call as it was starting to get busy by the time we left, but it does mean a nap by 10 cause you’ve already put in a 5 hour day.

Meh, Not too bad if you get in really early for fresh produce, prices are extremely reasonable. You won’t find many locals here after around 10:00am though, that’s when it starts to get overcrowded and frustrating. The walkway is quite narrow and most people don’t have a clue where they’re walking — I’ve thought about carrying a cattle prod to teach some of the people here a lesson.
The amount of Asians who jump on a glider from the city to the markets should give you a good indication on the freshness of the products!
Protip: If you’re from the area, come early; around 6:30 — 7:30, or risk losing your marbles later on when outsiders come wandering.

So many stalls! A friend from Brisbane had recommended I check them out and wow I was not disappointed. The variety of food on offer took me by surprise. Heaps of choices and all looked delicious and plenty of people queuing at each place.
Lots of locals down to grab farm fresh fruit and veg. Some craft stalls too but I was there for the food. Where else do you find a market that you can get fresh cane juice? Well it was fantastic.
I do agree with the other reviews that the path is very narrow

Local Saturday market of Brisbane city in West End!
There are many shops selling many local produces and of course, there are a diversity of cultural food to be offered to you after a tiring day of grocery shopping.
Well, it’s not just cheaper than some supermarkets but it’s fresh and locally grown! And let just admit, that it is a good idea to walk in open area with fresh breeze and have chit-​chats with the store people!
I bought finger lady bananas for just $ 2.19/KG. Nothing beats it! It is so deliciously good!
There are many other grocery I got but I won’t type it out here because I want YOU to go there and explore them!
Actually, to be honest, there are even some fruits and vegetables I have never seen before and of course, I have no clue about its names too!
It is so fun and relaxing to find new ingredients for my cooking experiences and explore what Brisbane can offer!

Not a bad little market. You get your usual standard fare of fruit and veg, takeaways etc,
I do think the pathways are too narrow and it can be annoying standing behind someone that has — what I call — a «Mercedes Pram» that takes up the whole pathways and when it is wet, the ground is really soggy and slippy with lots of puddles everywhere.
Some great breakfast options there too!

Try to get there as early as you can!;)I love the atmosphere. strolling through the markets having breakfast or just a coffee, relaxing on the grass with nice food… that’s how a saturday should start! ;)

It is always a shame when something that was once great slides to being mediocre. While the West End Markets are still pretty decent and offer a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, knick knacks and gourmet foods (can’t wait to try the pork, thyme and beetroot sausages I got this morning) there is definitely something missing from the market of days gone by.
For one, the market size has decreased and the walking paths are definitely more narrow making it harder to get through (especially in peak times).
In any case, it is still a top spot to pick up farm fresh produce cheaper than Woolworths /​Coles and find jewellery, massage, eyebrow threading all in one spot.

Where else can you get your eyebrows threaded, a shiatsu massage, handmade soaps, a new throw blanket for your bed, some funky jewelry, a live music concert, and a freshly squeezed mint limeaid, curry puff, and hungarian donut while shopping for fresh fruits and veggies for less than $ 100 before 9am?
Speechless? Yeah, that’s how I felt my first time, too. Get there early on Saturdays and bring more cash than you think you’ll need– the cravability factor is high here and if you don’t buy it when you see it the first time, you may not get a second chance because the scarcity factor is high as well. I took a ton of photos to give you an idea of what you’ll find– check ‘em out!

I mainly swung by the Davies Park Markets to stock up on my week’s worth of groceries, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables. But since discovering the Farmer’s Markets in the city, I somewhat abandoned Davies Park because the produce is of lesser quality and often not that much cheaper than the city markets or even Coles/​Woolworths.
That said, there are always exciting things to see/​eat/​do/​buy at the Davies Park Markets. There are stalls that offer traditional eyebrow shapings using pieces of string to pluck with — don’t ask me how it works, but it’s done so quickly and the results are amazing. My friend had it done and it looked neater and more natural than any waxings she’s had done in stores.
You can pick up a fantastic wooden chopping board; the kind that’s made from wood that naturally secretes antiseptic, keeping your culinary creations up to health and safety code. Not to mention a slew of other stalls where you can pick up some original prints, jewelry, hats, sarongs, fudge, lemonade… the list goes on!
My advice would be to bring a picnic blanket if you’re planning on having breakfast or lunch here, or a frisbee/​soccer ball if you’ve come with kids. There’s an oval by the markets where you can play a few games and run around.
My other piece of advice would be to delve into the guts of the market (believe you me, this thing extends for miles) so you can get an idea of the fresh fruit and veg deals. It’s easy to arrive at the markets and become overwhelmed with how cheap things are at the stalls by the entrance. And because you’ll be carrying your groceries with you throughout the day, things can get heavy fast. Which means more back pain for you, and less comfort when browsing other stalls.

The West End Markets are at the top of my «Things to do with friends visiting from outside Brisbane» list. For me, it’s the nicest way to spend a Saturday morning and an aspect of Brisbane I’m really proud of. Whether you go to do your week’s grocery shopping, to sample some of the delicious food on offer or to check out various stalls, there’s just such a good vibe there with everyone enjoying being out and about.
I’m personally not a fan of doing my groceries there as there are too many people for my liking (lugging big bags of fruit and veg through crowds isn’t fun). Having said that, I often go at around 9am, so perhaps the trick is to beat the crowds and get there early for fruit and veg. I have been there at 1pm, though, and this is when vendors start marking down their produce for quick sale.
My main reason for going to the West End markets is to meet up with friends, have a coffee from the caravan and grab a bite to eat. Sometimes we share a Hungarian langos (deep-​fried flatbread drizzled with garlic oil, sour cream and sprinkled with grated cheese); other times we go for vegetarian samosas from a man who cooks them fresh. Take his advice and have the special yoghurt sauce AND the tamarind sauce. So good. There are also German sausages, crepes, doughnuts, pastries…
When the weather’s good, we find a patch of grass on the oval behind the food stalls and sit and enjoy the morning.

Welcome to my seven year long Saturday morning ritual.
I wake up around 6:30am. I grab my green bags, a box, or a trolley, call my dog, and get going to the West End Markets. I’m one of the early birds who like to get in before the weekend vacationers and the local hungover crowd wander in.
There are two stalls in particular that are my favourite. There’s a giant veggie market that has long aisles of produce, and is best known for the rad selection of vintage tunes (we’re talking Dion and the Belmonts, Billy Holiday, Otis Redding) that fill the air while you squeeze and carefully select your fresh eats. I have never failed to get everything I need from them for less than $ 20.
Then there’s the sweet couple up at the very start of the market (before you get to the soccer field) that sell all sorts of cool fruit. Go nowhere else for your tropical adventure treats. Blood oranges, dragon fruit, mangosteens, pink grapefruits, sapote. They’ve got it. And if you don’t know what something is, they’ll let you try before you buy. In truth, I just really want to hug these guys. They make my Saturday every Saturday.
By this time, I’ll want some coffee. I like to go down to the Gypsy Caravan and order myself a coffee, nab a milk crate and watch whichever band or muso that happens to be playing on the makeshift stage that has the river as it’s background. I’ll start spotting some friends at this point, and we’ll then all generally go hunt down some brekky goods to enjoy together. Some people will bring back an omelette to the picnic, the drunks will usually go for the kransky at the German Sausage stall, others, simply raid through a punnet of berries and some yoghurt.
Even though there are clothes and trinket stalls, for me, it’s really about the food stuffs. They’ve got sourdough, a stall that sells only apples (great stall, go there), olives, a honey stall, yoghurt stalls, cheese stalls, seafood stalls– I’d be suprised if you couldn’t find what you wanted while you were there.
At first you might not get why there are families with deck chairs sunning themselves in the middle of the soccer field, or why you have to fight your way through a natural corridor of a million dogs and prams, but it won’t take long. Everyone loves this market for their own reasons, and so will you.