I like authentic market like these. Definitely worth a visit if you are into not so tourist places.

A lot less crowded than the Mercado Central and a lot more variety of merchandise and vendors. Definitely an exposure to different products and more imported items, it's a worthwhile stop. Fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, an entire aisle of Peruvian produce that caters to the large Peruvian immigrant population in Chile. And shops selling electronics, plastics, clothing and the like. read more

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Nothing life changing but cool. I had read lots of reviews about getting juice here but I couldn't find the juice. Also, we decided to eat here and had the "famed" corn pie (shredded chicken, ground beef, hard boiled egg, olive in a mix of mush cornbread in a skillet type pan)...this tasted sweet like they added sugar so I wasn't a fan so much; but walking around was a little intimidating with all the choices and people standing outside each restaurant yelling at you to come in. I wish we had taken our time looking closer at the menus. The restaurant we went to had a breakfast looking dish that had crispy potatoes, steak, sausage and a fried egg; wish we got that. This market is not that large, so it would probably take an hour of you walked through every aisle. Honestly walking through the center, up top, and down a few aisles was enough to get the vibe. read more

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Once known as "La Jaula" (the jail), Tirso de Molina has changed from a dingy, questionable market within the past decade, alongside its Country, a gastronomical hub of many different cultures and peoples. The Tirso de Molina is where you can best see how Chile is quickly becoming the melting pot of Latin America. Located right next to the Vega Central and across the river from the Mercado Central, the many different restaurant owners in Tirso de Molina, combine the best of both these worlds; using the ingredients these two markets provide to create delicious international dishes. Here you will find food from all different cultures best cooked by the country's natives themselves (because of this, it's the best place to go if you are unsure of what you are in the mood to eat). Not only can you choose between traditional Chilean dishes, Peruvian, Colombian, Mexican or Thai, but you can also pick up fresh fruits and veggies on the first floor as well as clothes, beauty products and even pirated movies on the second floor. Tips: Try the well known Colombian dish, "bandeja paisa" (a very filling dish of rice, beans, fried eggs, avocado, chorizo, fried pig with a fried banana and patacones). You can also order patacones separately and take them to go for lunch the next day! I recommend going to Patacón Pisao. There are many good Peruvian restaurants to choose from but I recommend going to one where you can try their tamales as an appetizer - delicious! To end your meal I recommend getting a hot chocolate with a Spanish twist at Café Café y Algo Más. Although many people have good things to say about this restaurant and despite the very friendly service, both my partner and I had an extremely subpar lunch at to Juanito Ollas. Because of this, I don't recommend eating here. Bring cash! Almost no one takes a card. read more