Mercado do Rio Vermelho, Market hall in Rio Vermelho, Salvador, Brazil

Mercado do Rio Vermelho is a large market hall in Salvador with separate sections where fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, and flowers are sold. The hall also has small restaurants and shops selling handmade products.

The Mercado do Rio Vermelho was built in 1973 by the Government of Bahia through the state food company Ebal, which still administers the state-owned hall. A renovation costing 28 million reais enlarged the built area by 88%, to 8,735 square metres, and left 171 stalls and 240 parking spaces, 179 of them covered. Ebal's Cesta do Povo supermarket chain, which it also owns, has a unit inside.

The market brings together people from the neighborhood who come to share regional dishes and keep traditional Bahian recipes alive. Visitors can watch vendors preparing fresh ingredients and see locals ordering their favorite foods at the stalls.

The hall is easy to walk through and has clear sections to navigate, though it gets crowded during busy times. Early morning is the best time to visit when selection is largest and the hall is less busy.

Many visitors don't know that the hall has several small restaurants inside where you can sit down and eat local specialties. These hidden dining spots are popular with people who want a real meal quickly without going to a separate restaurant.