Whether they are held in your backyard, at a park or indoors on a rainy day, picnics are literally one of the loveliest ways to spend an afternoon.
As an homage to the picnic, I’ve put together a mini guide to picnicking in Melbourne. I’ve matched it by markets and local parks, so you can set up shop close to your ‘suppliers’. I’ve also included a handy picnic checklist, a sample picnic menu and some recipes for the homemade outdoor feast.
Is there a park we should know about or a food market stallholder you want to give a shout out to? Let us know in the comments below.
JC x
P.s – I have just recently come across Melbourne Picnics. They help set up and prepare your picnic for you. Great if you don’t want to worry about all the details: http://www.melbournepicnics.net.au.
P.p.s – If you’re a fan of sustainability-friendly cafe’s in Melbourne, we would love you to support our food guide: Melbourne for Conscious Foodies. It’s all about eateries and cafes committed to supporting local, the environment and social good. And we’ll be donating 25% of the profits from each guide to a local Melbourne cause.
PRAHRAN MARKET – 163 Commercial Road, South Yarra
One of my favourite markets in Melbourne, this is a great one for collecting bread and dips from Cleo’s, some lovely pastries from Sweet Greek, as well as some smoked salmon from Claringbold’s. For the cheese lovers, consider picking up something from market newbie, Maker & Monger.
Parks: Fawkner Park (Pasley Street between Commercial and Toorak Roads, as well as one of my favourite hideouts, The Royal Botanical Gardens (Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne).
Treats closeby: The orange brioche loaf from Brioche by Phillip.
Queen Vic Market
QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET – Corner of Victoria and Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne
The Queen of Melbourne markets, come here for fresh fruit and veg, cheese, a lovely selection of hams and smallgoods, some take away burek and fresh oysters.
Park: World UNESCO site, the Carlton Gardens (1 -111 Carlton Street, Carlton).
Treats closeby: A delicious range of cakes by Beatrix Bakes in North Melbourne or Dolcetti in West Melbourne.
PRESTON MARKET – Corner Murray Street and Cramer Street, Preston
A great spot for super cheap cheese and eastern European small goods.
Parks: Coburg Lake Reserve (Corner Murray and Gaffney Street, Coburg) or Fairfield Park Boathouse (Fairfield Park Drive, Coburg) – you can even hire a boat!
Treats closeby: Madeleines, waffles and raspberry pistachio pastries from Le Jolie Café in Pascoe Vale.
Fresh produce at Dandenong Market
DANDENONG MARKET – 40 Cleeland Street, Dandenong
This market is just amazing. It’s incredibly cheap across the board but also stocks some more exotic items. Go here for Lebanese bread, cheap nuts and don’t leave without some hot jam donuts from Dandee Donuts.
Parks: Dandenong Park (174 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong).
Treats closeby: Check out our Gourmet Food Guide to Dandenong with a list of spots from Polish rye bread to Middle Eastern sweets.
SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET – 322 – 326 Coventry Street, South Melbourne
South Melbourne Market can sometimes be a little more expensive than the other markets, but it is gourmet and their products are top notch across the board. Nuts, fresh juices, cheese, smallgoods, Clement Coffee and some Aptus Seafood oysters are all must-buys.
Parks: Again, the Royal Botanical Gardens (Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne) are a really close distance, as are the St Kilda Botanical Gardens (Blessington Street, St Kilda) or the St Vincent Gardens in Albert Park.
Treats closeby: French inspired duo, Chez Drez and Bibelot.
PICNIC SAMPLE MENU IDEAS
Starters
– Dips with Ciabbata or Turkish bread
– Salumi board with gypsy ham and salami
– Pickled/Marinated plate (Dolmades, Stuffed Olives or Peppers)
– Home made sausage rolls with tomato chutney
– Figs wrapped with Prosciutto
Lunch
– Zucchini and Potato Frittata in bread rolls
– Piadine (ham & cheese or roasted veggies & provolone)
– Gourmet pies
– Chicken , roast pumpkin and watercress sandwiches
– Fried or roasted herbed chicken pieces with potato salad
Drinks
– Iced or hot tea and coffee
– Beer or Cider
– Wine
– Prosecco or bubbles
– Freshly squeezed juices or nut milks
Dessert
– Banana Bread with honeycomb butter
– Pastries or muffins
– A teacake with a drizzle of icing
– Cheese board with fresh or dried fruit & muscatels
– Fresh fruit platter or skewered fruit pieces
The famous picnic scene in the classic film, The Sound of Music
PICNIC CHECKLIST
✓ Thermos with coffee or tea
✓ Small Esky or cooler bag (for milk, iced drinks, cheese, smallgoods, etc)
✓ Picnic blanket
✓ Cushions to sit on
✓ Hats & Sunscreen
✓ Bottle Opener (or a Swiss Army knife can be handy!)
✓ Salt and pepper
✓ Tea Towels
✓ Sugar for tea and coffee
✓ Chopping board
✓ Board Games, Cards, Frisbee, Bocce set, Football, Soccer Ball
✓ Recycable crockery and cutlery (knives, forks, spoons, glasses, cups, plates, straws, etc)
✓ Napkins
✓ Tupperware/empty jars for leftovers, as well as scraps and rubbish
✓ Smart Phone Speakers and music uploaded to your phone
✓ Plate covers
A classic Italian starter, cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto
PICNIC RECIPE FAVOURITES
