el mercado, cheltenham
Save the airfare and travel to South America via Cheltenham courtesy of El Mercado - a bakehouse adored by locals and cherished by the South American community who make the drive for a taste of home.
Save the airfare and travel to South America via Cheltenham courtesy of El Mercado - a bakehouse adored by locals and cherished by the South American community who make the drive for a taste of home.
Dishing up some of the tastiest empanadas and sweet treats you will ever have the pleasure of trying, El Mercado makes everything from scratch in-house daily - and you can tell.
For Mamma, you can’t go past the chipotle pulled pork or slow cooked beef empanadas for savoury and the Alfajor or moist (sorry) orange cake as a treat afterwards coupled with a cup of their strong coffee!
For Mamma’s kids, their go-tos have always been the ham and cheese, margarita or corn and manchego empanadas with a cinnamon scroll or loaded cookie chaser.
And the great news? You can either order their iconic empanadas hot to enjoy in-store or grab a selection to reheat at home for later (hot tip - they make a FANTASTIC lunchbox addition for the kiddos).
There are little touches here that tell you El Mercado is family run. Firstly, you are made to feel like a regular whether you visit every day, once every few months or for the first time.
Secondly, their little kids caddy complete with toys, books, colouring in and games lets you know that not only do the owners have children, but yours are also welcome in this space as well. And finding a place where you can bring the kids, take a breath and enjoy a coffee is worth its weight in gold (or empanadas).
Mamma says - if the kids are being particularly kiddish, grab your order to go and walk the 5 minutes to the fully fenced playground just down the road.
Mamma’s special mention
Cheltenham Recreation Reserve is a fantastic playground just a short drive away.
