Big Table

The big table is bloody spesh. In a sea of breakfast options, the central market can overwhelm anyone who’s rushing to grab brekkie before doing the weekly shop. Lucky for me, my sister lived one street from the markets for years, and showed me the ways of the big table.
For a business with so few square meters of real estate, they make up for it by having a team of about 10 staff at any time, weaving and ducking each other to serve you a tasty breakfast or lunch.
The whole experience is centred around the coveted «big table». If you can, grab a seat at the main table/​counter and watch and chat to the staff there. However if you miss out, you can also get a seat at a table nearby (but it’s just not the same as being amongst the action).
All of their breakfasts are top notch. Not a la carte but still really tasty and well made. They know how to poach an egg, how to make mean French toast and make a great coffee and also have good bread (which is strangely not a given at other market establishments — I’m looking at you lucias and zuma)
Visit the big table on your next Saturday morning market visit, but get there early. You will not be disappointed.

Very welcoming. Glad I read reviews. Had a ½ serve, and it was still huge. Devine atmosphere. Staff so friendly. Busy for a reason.

This is one of my new favourite breakfast joints! It’s a tiny little place at the end of one of the aisles in the Central Market (near Zuma Caffe) and, as Chloe R points out, its popularity means you’ll likely be playing free table roulette, but boy is it worth it when you taste that first mouthful.
I have recently started to really get into French Toast for breakfast and I was very lucky to be able to try the Apple Crumble French Toast special on my first visit. I REALLY hope it makes a return visit to the menu at some point as it was divine! That said, I have since had their regular French Toast with maple syrup, strawberries and rhubarb compote and it too was delicious (contrary to my initial instinct to bypass the rhubarb I tried it and it was the perfect offset to the sweetness of the maple).
I have tried a few other menu items as well and found each to be excellent and the chai and coffee are made to perfection with incredible speed (it really is impressive seeing the work of the barista — she’s a seriously impressive coffee making machine!)
A can’t recommend this place highly enough!

The Big Table is awesome. The French Toast is incredible (and I’m a pretty big french toast fan) as well as the scrambled eggs with spinach and feta on Turkish bread (my mouth is watering right now…). Great atmosphere, if you can’t get a seat at one of the shared big tables, grab a stool at the bar and watch them expertly pump out perfect coffee after perfect coffee :)

To me, the Big Table is an Adelaide institution (and I think it’s just Big Table with no The, but we have always chucked a The in front). My parents knew the original owner, maybe 10 – 15 years back, so it’s always been on my radar, but since I’ve started traversing the markets myself as an adult, it is by far my favourite breakfast spot. The Green Eggs & Ham (scrambled eggs with parsley pesto & crispy prosciutto (or is it pancetta?)) are delicious, but my favourite is the classic BLT with mayo and add a fried egg. It’s fun to sit up at the high stools and observe the hustle and bustle going on in their tiny kitchen. Much more affordable than nearby Lucia’s, and more creative and tasty in my opinion.
While I love their breakfasts, the real stand out is the lunchtime salads. Flavourful, original, creative, and catering to a wide variety of tastes, you can get a small or large container and they will absolutely STUFF IT FULL with the salads of your choice so that you can skip back to your car or office, salad in hand. I recommend the potato & sweet potato salad, the edamame, the greek salad, and the pasta salad. That’s my usual combo. Baguettes and turkish rolls are delicious as well. Who am I kidding, everything is good. I love this place.
TOP TIPS: They are cash only. If you like Big Table, check out Penny’s University on Union Street.

HELLO NEW SOCIAL MEETING SPOT!
Loved this place, very funky, cool and welcoming little bar top café for breaky and lunch, just pull up a chair wherever you can fit and let the lovely staff greet you and serve all your hunger and thirst needs!
The whole menu sounded amazing from your standard eggs to delicious sounding French toast with poached peach and ice cream, was hard to choose!
I had the Bircher muesli and talk about amazingly! It was soaked in almond milk, with natural yogurt fresh figs hazelnuts and blueberries… serving size was perfect for a busy day ahead!
All the staff was hugely friendly and helpful with choice and there coffee and chai lattes are the go! :)
I’m happy to have found a little slice of heaven in the busy Adelaide Central Markets! A great little hidden treasure there.
Will definitely be back! :)

My first foray into the world of Big Table came on a Saturday morning before starting work. A quick scan of previous reviews prepared me for a wait to grab a seat, but I had none of the ‘hovering a little too close waiting for someone to finish their coffee’ experience — I was able to grab a seat at the bar straight away.
I did not notice the warning to order a half serve until I had ordered & thought I’d read a few more reviews while waiting. Note: this is GOOD advice. The serve was massive and half the amount would have easily satiated my appetite!
I loved being able to sit at the bar and watch everything being prepared in the kitchen. There seemed to be at least 10 people crammed into the tiny space but they were like a well oiled machine, ducking around each other and passing stuff around. It was almost like a ballet of food preparation!
Now, to the food! I ordered a serve of green eggs & ham and an iced latte to wash it down. My latte was delicious — I’m not sure how they did it with it being iced but it had just a touch of foam on the top, and was creamy and a good strength.
The flavour of the eggs was great with lots of parsley mixed through and the addition of prosciutto gave it just the right saltiness. However the eggs were a little too ‘done’ for me — I don’t like being able to ‘slice’ my scrambled eggs. That’s the only thing that made it lose a star.
I will definitely be back at Big Table before long — I have to work my way through the rest of the menu (half serves this time)!!

We were lucky enough to find two free seats for breakfast on a Saturday morning. If we had arrived half an hour later there would have been a bit of a wait.
The menu looks great with so many different options (Green eggs and ham; Wholemeal Banana bread; Muesli and yoghurt). Whilst the store is quite small I was amazed with how many staff were working around the small space and how quickly my order came out.
I ordered the muesli with fruit and yoghurt (see picture). It tasted amazing! The rhubarb compote that was on top of my muesli (and features in most of the sweet menu options) was delicious and is definitely a must try!
Definitely a great place in the lovely Adelaide Central Market. Perfect for a casual breakfast and to soak up the wonderful market atmosphere!

It’s all about the french toast at Big Table as far as I am concerned. Yes, I’ve dabbled in the scrambled eggs from time to time, but I always come back to the french toast. I’ve watched my companions order other things from the menu, which they insist are very nice, but ultimately I feel sad for anyone who has the opportunity to order this french toast and for some inexplicable reason does not. Maybe it’s the bread, so unashamedly, unapologetically white. Maybe its the thickness of the bread — one piece is I reckon equal to, hmm, three normal slices. Maybe it’s the strawberries, which go some small way to offsetting the guilt — at least until you drown them in maple syrup. And what’s not to love about Big Table itself? Maybe it’s the teensy kitchen, which is inversely proportionate to the quality and quantity of the food it produces. Maybe it is the fact that they now deliver to what I call the market’s «table farm» opposite Zuma’s making the evil eyeball «are you DONE yet» game at their two main tables a thing of the past. (And the table farm has been seriously zhoosh-​ed with new long wooden tables which make it an ideal spot for gathering a small group together). Maybe Big Table sums up a lot about Adelaide that I love — a little place, not as shiny or flashy as others around it, but quietly producing really good stuff that nowhere else does quite as well.
And you really should order the french toast. Or did I mention that once or twice already?

It’s lucky the table is that large to accommodate the maaa-​hooooo-​sive breakfasts that appeared. It was like Texas — everything was bigger. From the fat bread to the busty avocado, it was a meal with the panache of a pirate king. I was warned to get a half order, but did I listen? Of course not. By the end of the meal (note: by end, I mean me waving the white flag, not the completion), I was wishing I could rally the community at the namesake communal table to help finish what looked like I had barely touched.
When a restaurant can do something as simple as eggs on toast in a way that’s both eye-​popping and delicious, you know you’ll be safe venturing into the other menu items like green eggs and ham and french toast. Just don’t make the same mistake I did — always opt for the half order.

The best time to pop in to Big Table for brekky on a weekday is after 8.30am. The central market has a bit of a lull at this time and you can easily find a stool at this charming café.
I found the staff to be attentive (despite it being a little busy) and I didn’t have to wait long for my latte. Good coffee!
Patience was required for the toasted raspberry and pear bread… it was worth it! Chunky and delicious! You get 2 pieces so can save some for later if you’re like me (eyes bigger than belly!). ;-)
I was impressed with the appearance of a wide variety of vegetarian salads — gonna be back to try these one day.

That 5 stars is pretty much for the mushrooms.
Okay now that is out of the way, this place is good. I didn’t have the usual big table experience because we arrived, and we got the table. Straight. Away. Yeah — pretty much a pro breakfaster.
I ordered the half serve of the big breakkie, it was good. Everything was cooked to perfection and seasoned well. The service was friendly.
But lets be serious… let us talk more about the mushrooms.
They were creamy and herby. But more than that, you could tell the mushrooms were real fresh, half the creaminess was coming from the shroom. It was earthy and the perfect compliment to my breakfast. Only downside is the usual — the tomato cast too much of it’s juices everywhere. I’m beginning to think I’m the only person who cares about this.

Don’t be a hater, just wait on a table till later!
Yes, you’ll probably have to wait 10 minutes for a table and yes, in the process you’ll be required to play the (they’re on their last sip of coffee) «excuse me are you almost finished?» game. But once you get a seat at a deceivingly small «Big Table,» you’ll feel rewarded and even more ready for brunch.
The Big Table has a pretty simple breakfast menu but there is definitely something on there to cater for everyone! From ricotta pancakes to Green Eggs & Ham or Strawberry French Toast it is hard to decide.
Word of warning: Do not, I repeat, do not get their full serving of breakfast unless you are bloody hungry. Their half servings of everything are huge and so rich in flavours you don’t need it doubled in size. You also want to allow enough space to have a berry smoothie and at least 3 coffees while you are there because they are scrumptious.
Green Eggs and Ham on rye is one of my staple dining out brunch items and The Big Table serve some of the best. Fluffy, slightly gooey scrambled eggs with pesto and grilled smoked salty ham makes for a perfect brekkie and lunch.
For a place that has a kitchen the size of my bathroom the service has always been friendly and quick. This is a great way to spend a Saturday morning amongst the buzz of the Central Markets.

Reading the menu at the Big Table doesn’t really get me too excited. There’s nothing that jumps out at me as being wow amazing. Thankfully there’s a difference when it turns up on your plate.
The food is tasty, and you can tell they source good ingredients, but what do you expect for a Central Market eatery.
There are plenty of ways to tailor the typical eggs to suit you, and I love that their big breakfast comes in a half size. I’m a fan of the variety in a big breakfast, but all too often they’re just too huge (and too expensive) for the morning. So the Big Table makes a nice change.
If you unfortunately do miss out on a spot on the ‘big table’ countertop seating is squishy. And if you’re like me and lack the coordination to sit atop a high stall you might have a bit of a problem. Despite the slipping and sliding and lack of places to pop my handbag it was a great breakfast.

Yeah, it’s not literally a big table, but it has its charm. A popular spot for a quick bite for Central Market-​ans. If you’re anywhere near the markets around breakfast time, definitely go here.
Fantastic menu, coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, and a full breakfast menu. It’s funky, cool, you’ll like it trust me.

The Big Table is a great place to get a coffee in the markets.
In addition to the big breakfast for which it is so well known, the BigTable also does a mean foccatia and a heap of different salads which can become quite addicitve.
Serves are generous and the staff are friendly. Stools are packed tight encircling the courregated iron and wood bar.
Best on a Tuesday or Wednesday, when the crowds are not so intense.

Going to the markets as a kid, I was obsessed with The Big Table. I would dream about their thick-​cut Japanese raison toast. A few years later at school (which was just around the corner) I would live off their baguettes, foccacias and wraps. Now, no-​one wants to go here with me.
Many a mornings I will suggest having breakfast at The Big Table and all I get is a ‘mmm’ and a ‘nah it’s not good there anymore’. What! Since when? I think the food is still amazing. I love sitting up on the counter, watching them make my milkshake and waiting for my food (maybe I haven’t quite left my childhood?)
Yes it is slightly pricey. As a student I would wince at giving away half my wage for a delicious, mouth-​watering foccaccia. However, I think it is worth it, the serving sizes are generous and the food is good quality.
Another reason I don’t eat here so much is the serious lack of seating. If you miss out on getting a place on the counter, there are about two tables which you may be lucky enough to scab, if not you have to wait. Most places are absolutely packed on a Saturday morning, The Big Table is especially so.

Famous for their breakfasts, Big table is also the best place to have a coffee in the Adelaide Central Markets.
You can identify the stall by, that’s right — the big table! It’s a big wooden number adjacent to the stall proper and right next to the Tbar seating with a bunch of multicoloured chairs around it. Big, happy, bright and friendly pretty much sums up the general atmosphere of this delightful stall. They do fresh juices too if you’re feeling saintly and for the slightly more sinful a no nonsense affogato; for just $ 4.5 they’ll put a ball of vanilla icecream in a latte glass and pour a shot of coffee over it.
The pesto mushies that come with the big brekky are a must try, otherwise they’ve got a bunch of healthy wraps, baguettes, salads and what not, all available for takeaway too. I prefer to try and grab a place on the stools around the U shaped counter and watch all the goings on as the 8 or so staff maneuver their way around each other in the tiny space. Feels like I’m in amongst all the industrious excitement!