There is an excellent selection of food here. Fresh and of high standard. The atmosphere is wonderfully sophisticated yet slightly chaotic at the same time. Particularly on Saturdays. You'll also find a lot of excellent free samples, more so than the Queen Victoria Market.

The market is open Tues & Thurs from dawn-5pm, Fri & Sat from dawn-6pm. There are also some very good cafes and bistros in the outdoor foodcourt that keep the same hours as the market.

This is no substitution for the spectacle and grandeur of the Queen Victoria Market. But this is a nice, colourful way to spend a few hours of your morning or afternoon. So if you're out in Prahan, pop in and you'll probably find it worth while.

What struck me most was the extreme sensory nature of the place: a riot of colors from fruits and vegetables, the sweet aromas of flowers mixed with pungent garlic and cheeses, the textures of meats arrayed in cases like artwork, and the bustle of shoppers combined with the frantic callings of vendors trying to sell off their goods before closing time. We bought fresh-baked bread, a chunk of herbed cheese and a container of fresh-stuffed olives. This was our lunch for the next two days. Free tastings were plentiful, too.

I don't like to cook, and in fact, I am a very poor cook. Seldom has a place motivated me to WANT to cook the way Prahran Market did.

So do yourself a favor when next you are in Melbourne: visit the Prahran Market. For once, the guide book got it right.