Ryde Wharf Reserve 8:00 am
Launched at the end of 2020, these markets right on the Parramatta River have brought around 70 food, produce, craft and fashion stalls to a part of Sydney that was crying out for something social and fun on a Sunday morning that didn’t involve worship. The markets take place the second Sunday of the month in the Ryde Wharf Reserve, a green space punctuated by granite and sandstone blocks that attest to the wharf's colonial history. The iron colossus of the Ryde Bridge looms in the background as visitors browse fruit and veg, jewellery and candles, children’s clothes and distillery offerings.
Grab a market brekkie and eat it with your legs dangling off the wooden wharfside. You’ll find crêpes, bao, arancini, pho, dumplings and more. Our pick is the bacon and egg burek from Alexander’s Bakery, a triangle of rustic, flaky pastry layered with egg and bacon bits – a guaranteed hangover buster. Alexander’s also do beef mince and onion, spinach and cheese, spicy Mexican or a more healthsome kale, cheese and mushroom burek. Still hungry? Try a pandesal, a traditional pastry filled with salted caramel, choc hazelnut or purple ube, from the Filipino Australian Pastries stall.
Bring the whole family, although you may have trouble dragging littlies away from the impressive pirate ship slide in adjacent Anderson Park. Parking is at a premium too, although the Meadowbank ferry terminal is just a pleasant stroll around the bay away.