174 Best Restaurants in Chile

Boasting what is arguably one of the best terraces in town, this two-story hilltop behemoth is one of the trendiest spots to watch the sunset with a pisco sour and a ceviche. Yet it's much more than just a bar and restaurant; you can also listen to live music, view art exhibitions, or shop for gifts at the on-site design store.

Evoking another time and place, El Mesón Nerudiano centers around traditional recipes, poetry, music, and live theater, all in homage to Chile's greatest poet, Pablo Neruda. A stone's throw from La Chascona, Neruda's house-turned-museum, this restaurant has a menu with Chilean favorites, including caldillo de congrio, a fish soup cooked from the recipe given in one of Neruda's poems.

A small wooden sign on the front lawn of a local home invites visitors to the residents' very own terrace and restaurant. Past the modest exterior a world of authentic Chilean culinary delights awaits. A favorite dish is the grilled hake, called merluza in Spanish, which is prepared with a basil sauce and accompanied by a pastel de choclo, a Chilean corn dish. Save room for desserts such as hot brownies with ice cream.

This bohemian bistro with ocean views is a must for anyone staying in the area. The innovative, contemporary menu lists such culinary non sequiturs as curry dishes and tallarines con mariscos (a pan-Asian noodle concoction served with shellfish and topped with cilantro). On the sand-covered, two-tiered porch, you can sit in a comfy chair and watch the sunset.

Locals love this seafood restaurant, and for good reason. The corvina con salsa margarita (sea bass in a seafood-based sauce) is a winner, as is the paila marina, a hearty soup stocked with all manner of fish. The dreary fluorescent lights and faux-wood paneling give this restaurant on the second story of a concrete-block building an undeserved down-at-the-heels air.

Inside the entrance to the Neruda museum at Isla Negra, this small restaurant has a wonderful ocean view, with seating both indoors and on a protected terrace. The name translates as the Poet's Corner, a theme continued in the small but original menu filled with classic Chilean dishes. One of the house specialties is oda al caldillo de congrio Nerudiano (literally, Neruda's ode to conger eel chowder). Neruda, who had a penchant for transforming the mundane into the beautifully poetic, often waxed poetic for the Chilean culinary dish. The menu is decidedly fish-heavy, but also offers some meat and poultry options and specializes in some of Neruda's favorite dishes, such as fried conger eel with creamed corn and steak cooked in dark beer. Lighter fare includes a range of sandwiches.

Right on the corner of the plaza, this superb souvenir and bookshop doubles as a restaurant, bar, café, post office, and the best Wi-Fi spot in town, where you can surf on your own computer or rent one of theirs. With empanadas, tacos, seafood, and salads, you've got all bases covered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just coffee and a snack. In addition to hot beverages, the bar also stocks local beers and a decent wine selection.

Seafood receives top billing at this trendy yet relaxed eatery on Santiago's swankiest shopping avenue. Try the shellfish risotto topped with a fish stock foam or wild game, such as venison ragout. Even though it's frequented by the wealthiest Chileans, it has a set lunch that's a steal at 18,000 pesos. Dinner can be à la carte, or choose a tasting menu with wine pairings for a hefty (but most say worth it) 87,000 pesos.

Pause for a coffee or a cold beer at one of the sidewalk cafés on the west side of Plaza de Armas and let the hustle and bustle of the city flow past you. The coffee is best at the Faisan D'Or, which serves a typical cortado (coffee with warm milk).

Starting life as a canteen for local workmen, Galindo today draws artists and the young Bellavista crowd, who come for traditional Chilean fare in an old adobe house. Although it gets crowded, it's a great place to try traditional dishes like pastel de choclo or a hearty cazuela, a typical meat and vegetable soup.

This place seeks mastery over the art of sandwich-making. Not to be missed is the Abuela Lucy, a juicy hamburger with onions and cilantro, a thick layer of soft cheese, roasted peppers, a grilled egg, and French fries. Another highlight is the El Beto, a tender steak sandwich with blue cheese and mushrooms sautéed in beer. To top it off, there are 70 different beers on tap. A fun time to come is when the soccer matches play on their big-screen TV.

Good, quality pizza is the specialty at Gustoso. You must pay more for premium styles, but if you appreciate a slowly fermented, thin-crust pizza with quality Italian cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and all manner of healthy toppings like arugula, then you'll leave happy. They also serve pasta dishes.

Inside this rambling beachfront building that arches over the street, this restaurant serves seafood, beef, and other dishes. Try the oysters or merluza margarita, hake fish in a shellfish sauce. Above the restaurant is a hostería (small hotel) with 30 rooms. The rooms are nothing special, but they're clean and serve as a fine option in a pinch.

Seemingly dangling from the edge of Cerro Concepción, the bright yellow Hotel Brighton and its restaurant have an amazing view from the black-and-white-tiled terrace. The limited menu specializes in seafood, with such standards as ostiones a la parmesana (scallops on the half shell with Parmesan), as well as pizzas and burgers. It's also a great place to stop for a break to have a pisco sour or once (afternoon tea) on the terrace.

If you’re looking for new flavor combinations, this fusion sushi bar is a great spot for creative cuisine and craft beers. A range of fresh ceviches, delicious octopus tacos, imaginative sushi rolls, and skyscraper burgers are just some of the regular menu items.

Serving excellent Peruvian food, this restaurant founded by the Valerio family has become so popular that they've opened five locations in Temuco. Try the pisco sour with a ceviche or lomo saltado como Dios manda ("stir-fried beef as God intended"). 

On the north-bound side of the Pan-American Highway, between the towns of Requinoa and Rosario, this well-loved Chilean diner caters to hearty appetites. It began as a humble truck stop in 1946 and established a tremendous reputation for its trucker-size portions of Chilean favorites—whopping steaks and ribs grilled over a wood fire, slow-cooked cazuelas, and stews that leave you wanting nothing more than a hammock and a long nap. It seats up to 500 people and fills fast on busy weekends. Stop in at noon or 6 to beat the local crowd, which tends to eat much later. One of the dining rooms overlooks a simple children's play area, which has a very large bird cage with many attractive species.

You'll watch the wind whip the Seno Última Esperanza from a comfortable lounge in front of the fireplace at this modern bar and café in the hotel NOI Indigo Patagonia. It is a nice spot for a Calafate sour, and when you're ready, just amble downstairs to the small restaurant where they have an excellent menu with a little bit of everything, including organic salads made with veggies from their very own huerto (garden).

This intimate establishment specializes in curanto (a Chilean feast cooked in the ground), available at both dinner and lunch (most restaurants have it only for lunch). A variety of other dishes fill out the menu, from paila marina (seafood stew) to pizza, beef, chicken, and sandwiches. The walls of the restaurant are lined with curious photos, statues, and other Chiloé memorabilia. The wood-burning stove in the center of the dining room is much appreciated on the often cold and rainy nights.

Stop by this authentic Spanish restaurant after visiting Cerro San Cristóbal for tasty tapas like chorizo riojano (a piquant sausage), pulpo a la gallega (octopus with peppers and potatoes), and queso manchego (a mild white cheese) or for the house specialty—cabrito al horno (oven-roasted kid goat). Wine aficionados will appreciate the extensive list of vino chileno.

Serpentine bamboo tunnels connect rooms through La Canasta, and slabs of wood suspended by chains serve as tables, creating a scene that could be straight from The Hobbit. A small menu changes regularly but includes dishes such as cordero a la ciruela (lamb with plum sauce) and corvinaqueso de cabra (sea bass with goat cheese).

This restaurant is run by the González family—the mother cooks, her husband and son serve—and they all exude a genuine warmth to everyone who walks in the door. There's plenty of traditional Chilean fare on the menu, including Patagonian cordero (roasted lamb), their standout centolla (king crab) and langostino (lobster), and the hearty filete casona—roast beef with bacon, mushrooms, and potatoes. The design is orderly and pleasant, with fresh flowers in a vase on tables covered with white linen.

Named for the earthenware pottery that made this village famous, La Greda is a great place for grilled meats. Try the filete de la greda, a steak covered with a sauce of tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms, and topped with cheese; or try a complete menú, with drink, main, side, and coffee included. The expansive outdoor dining room has vines winding around the thick wood rafters. If the weather is cool, the staff lights a fire in the wood stove to keep things toasty.

This restaurant draws in patrons with its unbeatable, secluded views from the point of Caleta Hanga Roa, seen from the deck by the breaking waves. Seafood dishes can include prawn curry, warm fish salad, and the grilled catch of the day. You might prefer to linger over a drink at sunset rather than having a full meal here if you're trying to keep costs down.

Argentina claims to prepare the best parrillada, or grilled beef, but here's evidence that Uruguayans are no second best. Watch the beef cuts turn slowly over the wood fire at the entrance. Wood, rather than charcoal, is the key, says the owner, Emiliano Villanil, a transplant from Punta del Este. The product is a wonderfully smoked, natural taste, accented with a hint of spice in the mild chimichurri (a tangy steak sauce), and portions are big.

For quality steaks, this is the top spot in town. Start it all off with a pisco sour and sopaipillas, a sort of sweet fried bread, before moving on to the bife chorizo or lomo vetado—both are tasty cuts of meat. They are now located in a spiffy, bigger space with some outdoor seating. Their service is attentive and the portions just right. The menu has a variety of other dishes, but the main draw is the parrilla-style grilled meats.

Just across the road from the beach and with great views across the bay, this restaurant serves a range of renditions of Italian classics appealing to holidaymakers and the business lunch crowd alike. The extensive menu includes locally sourced delights such as cordero Sebastián (lamb in a red wine and mushroom sauce, served with potatoes and polenta), as well as traditional Italian staples. For dessert, try the papaya split.

This Puerto Varas institution is well-known for its great fish plates, but they also serve a variety of seafood plates, empanadas, and Chilean-style beef dishes. The restaurant, located just past Puerto Chico at the beginning of the Camino Ensenada road, is big, with two dining rooms. Still, on weekends, it's almost always full during peak hours, so reserve a table ahead of time.