Mercado del Puerto
This 1868 market hall, built with British cast iron, is now packed with charcoal grill restaurants and is a must for sampling Uruguayan asado.
The Port Market was built in 1868, with steel components prefabricated in Liverpool, England, and shipped over. Under its high corrugated-iron roof, it was once a fruit and vegetable wholesale market. Today it is home to more than ten grill restaurants (parrillas). The moment you walk in, you'll smell charcoal and beef. Huge iron grills are covered with asado de tira (beef short ribs), entraña (skirt steak), bife de chorizo (sirloin), morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (sausage), as well as lamb and mollejas (sweetbreads). Sit at the bar and watch the cooks flip the meat. Uruguayans lead the world in per-capita beef consumption, and the beef is mostly grass-fed. The classic pairing is a medio y medio (half sparkling wine, half white wine, said to have originated at the Roldós bar here), or the local Tannat red wine. Expect to pay about 1,000–2,000 Uruguayan pesos per person. The market is busiest at midday, and weekend lunch is the liveliest time. On Saturdays, candombe drummers often pass by. Outside, the pedestrian street Pérez Castellano has art and craft shops, and next door are the port and the Customs House.
Opening hours
Daily about 12:00–17:00 (some restaurants open in the evening)
Nearby sights
- Museo del Carnaval
- Palacio Taranco
- Museo Gurvich
- Catedral Metropolitana de Montevideo
- Ciudad Vieja
- Museo Andes 1972
- Museo Torres García
- Solís Theatre