Things to Do in Cabramatta: A Food and Cultural Experience in Sydney

Updated January 2026

If you’re looking for things to do in Sydney and love food, culture and exploring different neighbourhoods, a visit to Cabramatta is well worth it. I’ve lived in Sydney since 1979, yet this was my first time visiting Cabramatta — a place once known for all the wrong reasons, but now a thriving, vibrant hub of Asian culture, markets and incredible food.

What Makes Cabramatta Worth Visiting

So today, being a Saturday, I decided I'd go and visit Cabramatta. I referred to TripView and somehow I managed to get muddled up with the timetables and ended up taking a very long route out to Cabramatta. I went from Town Hall via City Circle, Bankstown, Lakemba and it took forever. Don't do that! I should have hopped on a train via Granville much quicker.

The easiest way to get to Cabramatta from the Sydney CBD is by train via Granville, which takes around 50 minutes.

When I arrived the first thing I noticed as I followed the crowd up to the mall was the smell of freshly baked bread. Hmmmm....I didn't have breakfast so that did smell good. I also noticed a couple of shops where customers were queuing up to buy food, so that's a good sign!

Things to do In Cabramatta - Visit Asian Food and Markets

As I had done some research prior to my journey, I knew that there would be little malls off the main street (John Street) and so I ventured into the first one I saw. By now I was feeling like I was in a little mini Asia where people were busy shopping and eating.

There was an abundance of fresh produce to purchase and at very reasonable prices. This is one place to come when you are looking for specific ingredients for Asian cooking.

Continuing my mini-tour, I ventured back on to John Street where I noticed many street vendors selling various items such as sugar cane, herbs and even beads.

By this time I was rather hungry because I had skipped breakfast so I decided to find a Vietnamese restaurant and order some lunch. I found one in another little mall, called 3 Mien' it wasn't what you would call a restaurant but one of the food stalls and here I chatted to the staff and asked their advice on what to order. I decided on Chicken with Lemon Grass and it was sensational. The flavours were beautiful, slightly spicy but with the cucumber and carrot on the side that offset the hotness. I was also offered a free cup of green tea. So there I was sitting in the middle of Cabramatta with my plate of chicken which reminded me a lot of a time when I stayed in Malaysia.

I know the photo doesn't look much, but it sure did taste good.

Now it was time for a little bit more exploring. John Street is full of restaurants, material shops, jewellers, discount stores, clothing outlets and bakeries. I noticed there were a lot a statues scattered around the area as well.

On my journey I discovered another mall and this was the first Fish Market that I came across. There was a huge selection and also a bucket of prized fish heads. I believe this is what makes a good fish stock!

As well as fish there were and abundance of flowers in Cabramatta Fish Markets with stunning colours.

These gorgeous Bamboo Leaves wrapped around Sticky Rice were interesting. (I had to ask some of my Instagram friend what these actually were) thanks to @see.taste.do for explaining.

This was never meant to be a foodie post, so I haven't written much about the food however I know there are food tour guides around Cabramatta that do foodie events.

That was the end of my little adventure out to Cabramatta. It takes about 50 minutes on the train from CBD or you can drive of course.

Cabramatta is a wonderful experience and the shopping is amazing.

What’s Changed in Cabramatta Since My Visit

Since I first explored Cabramatta, the suburb has continued to grow as one of Sydney’s most vibrant food and cultural destinations. Its reputation for authentic Vietnamese cuisine, fresh produce markets and bustling arcades remains strong, with John Street still very much the heart of the action. Cabramatta continues to attract visitors looking for a genuine cultural experience outside the Sydney CBD.

In recent years, Cabramatta has also seen renewed interest through cultural events and local precinct development. The annual Cabramatta Moon Festival has become an increasingly popular drawcard, filling the streets with food stalls, performances and lantern displays. New dining venues and hospitality projects are also gradually adding to the area, complementing the long-standing family-run eateries and markets that give Cabramatta its character.

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