Gambrinus has been operating inside the Mercado Público Central since 1889, making it one of the oldest restaurants in Brazil and certainly the most historically significant in Porto Alegre. The setting alone is worth visiting for: the restaurant occupies a large space inside the market building, its tables filling one of the main corridors, and the atmosphere is one of those genuinely old-fashioned restaurant experiences — a proper menu, professional service, the hum of a working institution — that is becoming rare everywhere.
The food is traditional gaúcho cooking at its best: churrasco in various cuts, grilled fish from the Guaíba and Lagoa dos Patos, the classic Mercado Público dish of freshly grilled sausage served with bread, and a list of regional wines that takes the wines of Rio Grande do Sul seriously as they deserve. Lunch here on a Saturday — when the Mercado is at its most crowded and lively — is one of the great Porto Alegre experiences. Prices are reasonable given the quality and history. The service can be slow when the market is busy; order your food early, have a beer, and watch the market move around you.