22 Best Restaurants in Southern Chilean Patagonia, Chile

The idea of a "taste of Africa in Patagonia" might sound unusual, but the fusion menu here is well rehearsed and flavor combinations are well-tuned and tasty. With bamboo shoots adorning the walls, you might forget you are in Puerto Natales, but then you'll see the local seafood, Patagonian lamb, and king crab on the menu, presented with enticing ingredients like masala curry, mango, and coconut cream. Top it all off with a Calafate sour.

Named for the grandmother of the chef, who was said to have cooked like a goddess, Damiana Elena is a culinary experience you won't soon forget. Housed in a cozy Victorian home with high ceilings, the restaurant has no fixed menu; instead, the chef cooks eight different dishes each night, and the waiter explains them at your table. Expect to stay awhile as you linger over enormous portions. The culinary delights include exquisitely prepared dishes like pasticciata, a cannelloni au gratin stuffed with spinach and chicken, or, if you're lucky, mouthwatering gnocchi with slow-cooked lamb. 

This place became one of the most popular restaurants in Punta Arenas by adding a French and European twist to typical Chilean seafood and meat dishes. Layered king crab lasagna and guanaco with calafate berry reduction are house favorites, as well as their signature pâté. La Cuisine is small, so it's best to make a reservation in summer.

Just a short distance from downtown, the popular La Marmita is warm and inviting, charmingly decorated with an old kitchen stove, spatulas, whisks, and wooden children's toys from yesteryear. There's often live jazz music, which seems to make menu standouts like charquicán de cochayuyo (pumpkin stew) and guanaco steak even more delicious. To warm the cold Magellanic afternoon, try their legendary caldillo de congrio (conger chowder). From the vegetarian menu consider the zucchini trilogy filled with tomatican, black beans, and quinoa. They also offer several regional beers, Chilean wines, and tasty natural rhubarb and Calafate juices. Don't forget to leave room for dessert: the chocolate pyramid with Calafate mousse is an explosion of sweet flavors. The place fills up, so make sure to book ahead.

This trendy restaurant inside a funky shipping container is almost always packed, and for good reason. Their menu is an ode to the centolla (king crab), the rare, highly prized crustacean which is caught in the frigid, turbulent waters of the region's fjords. The crab legs (served in a delectable sauce of white wine, merkén, and parsley) and the chupe de centolla (savory crab cake cooked with white sauce and cheese) are both outstanding, or you can opt for an entire king crab served cooked in its shell.

An evening dining at the Singular is a quintessential Puerto Natales experience where old-world charm meets modern Chilean cuisine in a stylish and historical setting. Smartly dressed and attentive waiters welcome you with a long list of aperitifs and hand you fur-bound menus that list exquisitely original Patagonian dishes like ceviche of fresh king crab and seafood; guanaco steak with native cracked wheat; and locally caught rabbit with homemade pickles. The historic and handsome setting, along with roaring fireplaces and sultry jazz, make the Singular an unforgettable visit.

An evening dining at the Singular is a quintessential Puerto Natales experience where old-world charm meets modern Chilean cuisine in a stylish and historical setting. Smartly dressed and attentive waiters welcome you with a long list of aperitifs and hand you fur-bound menus that list exquisitely original Patagonian dishes like ceviche of fresh king crab and seafood; guanaco steak with native cracked wheat; and locally caught rabbit with homemade pickles. The historic and handsome setting, along with roaring fireplaces and sultry jazz, make the Singular an unforgettable visit.

This restaurant is zealous about meat; so zealous, in fact, that there's no seafood on the menu. Great care is taken with the excellent lomo and other grilled steaks, and the room is filled with the smell of roasting meat. The place used to be a pharmacy, and much of the furniture is still labeled with the remedies (Catgut crin anyone?) they once contained. There's lively music, dim lighting, an open fire, and a friendly buzz; wear removable layers since it can get warm when the grill is cranking.

This colorful and cozy café has a warm, inviting atmosphere, aided by the steaming hot chocolates and coffee on offer, alongside sweet treats and Chilean sandwiches. You can buy local handicrafts here as well and take advantage of the Wi-Fi.

A bit off-the-beaten path, but only about a 10-minute walk from the center of town, this is an excellent nautical-chic café. The tasty, feel-good food prepared lovingly by the marine biologist owners, Francisco and Nuriys, is well worth the effort to get there. Good music and a maritime vibe provide the backdrop as you chow on a plethora of sea dwellers, which is their specialty. You'll also find lamb and other meats on the contemporary menu. Add organic wine, homemade waffles, and nice loose leaf teas, and you are onto a winner.

At once a tea and coffeehouse, chocolate shop, and bakery, Chocolatta is the perfect refueling stop during a day of wandering in Punta Arenas. The interior is warm and cozy, and the staff is efficient and friendly. You can hang out, perhaps over a creamy hot chocolate, for as long as you like.

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.

This coffee bar and lounge is the best spot for a steaming cup of joe in Puerto Natales, thanks to its well-sourced beans, expert baristas, and some of the best views in town. They also sell sandwiches, salads, vegetarian options, delicious cakes, and have a daily set menu. It's a good spot to hang out, enjoy the view, meet fellow travelers, and take advantage of the Wi-Fi.

This little bar is always packed with locals who come here for their specialty: a small sandwich with chorizo paste and béchamel sauce, and a banana milkshake. It might not seem like much, but Kiosko Roca is an institution in Punta Arenas. Pop in for a quick snack and see if you agree with what all the fuss is about.

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).

After falling in love with Patagonia while doing the famed W trail, Australian tourists Keira and Matt decided to stay, and opened the world’s southernmost distillery and whisky and gin bar. Local cheese platters and home-smoked jerky mean you can spend most of the evening here imbibing. Last Hope has one of the best stocked whiskey and gin bars in Chile. First-timers to their stylish bar are given a tasting of the two house gins (a standard dry and a Calafate gin, colored and flavored with local Calafate berries) before diving into a creative and versatile cocktail menu that reinvents classics like the gin and tonic. They have new concoctions monthly and sometimes weekly.

A fast-moving but friendly staff serves Chilean-style blue-plate specials at this bustling deli. In addition to traditional hamburgers, you can try the ubiquitous completos: hot dogs buried under mounds of your choice of toppings, from spicy mayonnaise to an intense guacamole—they're among the best hot dogs in southern Chile. Sweet tooth? Sit at the counter and treat yourself to a heavenly gelato. Or savor a tasty schop (draft beer). Locals gather here for coffee and drinks, morning to midnight.

It’s not a backpacker town without a great pizza joint, and this one is Puerto Natales's, located on the Plaza de Armas. Diners eat together at long, open tables on classic pies and more creative offerings heaped with cordero (Patagonian lamb), merkén (a spice similar to smoked paprika), or local smoked salmon. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, their pasta menu is equally delicious.

This bright restaurant resembles a rural estancia, with retro decor and waiters dressed in gaucho costumes serving up spectacular cordero al ruedo (spit-roasted lamb) cooked over a big fire in the dining room. A lamb serving comes with three different cuts of meat, or you can pick your way through other barbecue dishes. Complement your meal with a choice from the long list of Chilean wines. Black-and-white photographs of past and contemporary ranch life are displayed along the walls.

Named for the strait on which Puerto Natales is located, Restaurant Última Esperanza is the place to go for Patagonian seafood classics in a town being overrun by hip eateries. This traditional restaurant is well known for attentive, if formal, service, and regional dishes. Poached conger eel in shellfish sauce, king crab stew, and cordero are specialties—dishes served with plenty of flavor and little fuss. The room is big and impersonal, and for this reason alone the restaurant may be losing ground to new arrivals with better atmosphere and comfort.

An institution in Punta Arenas, Sotito's is old school. Attentive, bow-tied waiters serve large grilled meat dishes and mouthwatering plates of centolla (king crab). Make your first course the ostiones a la parmesana (Parmesan scallops), which are spectacular. 

If wine tasting at the end of the world is what you are after, this smart wine bar and shop offers personal wine tastings to get to know all the main valleys and varieties of Chile. Select a bottle from the excellent range of Chilean wines and brews, and enjoy it at the informal bar with some of the local delicacies and nibbles on sale in the shop. A relaxed atmosphere, Wi-Fi, and large communal tables make this a great stop anytime of the day or evening.