47 Best Restaurants in The Lake District, Chile

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.

Popular with wealthy professionals, this upscale modern steak house is known for its huge, delicious cuts of beef, abundant salads, and the best papas fritas (French fries) in Temuco. Although most Chilean restaurants douse any kind of meat with a creamy sauce, this is one of the few exceptions; the entrées are served without anything but the simplest of seasonings.

The creative and wide variety of sandwiches in this bohemian café have made it legendary. On first glance, La Ultima Frontera appears to be nothing more than a college hangout or a trendy place for the artsy crowd, but the abundant and delicious food attracts young and old. Inhabiting a restored mansion, the place has colorful art on the walls and a popular outdoor terrace. The many locally brewed beers on tap provide the perfect complement.

This place has been an institution in Temuco since 1975, attaining legendary status for its homemade food. The kitchen puts its own tasty spin on traditional Chilean dishes like guatitas a la española, a stew of cow’s stomach, bacon, sausage, and tomato cooked in wine. The interior is simple, clean, and basic; it's all about the food here.

The menu at this local favorite has diverse offerings, but it is the colorful, exquisitely prepared fish and shellfish that deserve your close attention. They also have a special kids' menu.

Situated on a lone pier jutting out into the lake, Mesa Tropera offers Italian-Patagonian cuisine that features a wide array of creative toppings on their thin crust pizzas, inventive pasta dishes, and abundant salads. Mesa Tropera is also a connoisseur of fine beer, brewing their own flavors as well as keeping a selection of microbrews in stock from others in the region. The place fills up, so get there early or be prepared to wait.

Louisiana Cajun cooking in southern Chile is far from common, but this place pulls it off and has become a must-stop on the tourist trail. Excellent meats and seafood with a spicy, Cajun twist populate the extensive menu, like filete Mardi Gras or red curry shrimp. As noteworthy as the food, the service and ambience contribute positively to the whole experience.

If traveling by car near Ensenada, make sure to swing by this classic stop between 4 pm to 8 pm, when they serve onces, a sort of Chilean teatime. For 14,000 pesos, you're served great küchen, cake, bread, cheese, salami, Nescafe coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and more. A panoramic view of the volcanoes and lake provides the backdrop. There is also a mini zoo with animals such as llamas and guanaco, a tennis court, and private lakeside beach. Eight well-equipped cabins are available if you want to stay overnight. In summer, onces are served every day, but the rest of the year only on weekends and holidays.

Located near the center of town, Pataliebre has all manner of gourmet sandwiches, including hamburgers, chicken or steak sandwiches, and vegetarian options, all made with fresh, organic ingredients. If you're hankering for a hamburger from back home, this will hit the spot.

The excellent pizza here is cooked in a wood-fired oven, making for exquisite crust. A host of great toppings is exactly the way Italy meant a pizza to be. Combine with a fresh tossed salad and a local microbrew beer and you can't go wrong. In summer, take a seat outside if you can.

Showcasing southern Chilean hospitality at its finest, this restaurant was actually constructed using wood from trees taken from the bottom of Lake Calafquén. The gregarious owners are on-site serving up stories and exquisite food, from diverse dishes using local trout and salmon to roast beef covered with a delicious mushroom sauce.

Get a table with an incredible view of the lake during the day if you can, and prepare to enjoy mouthwatering homemade bread and a delicious pisco sour. Then, go for one of their huge steaks, pork chops, or short ribs, along with the homemade French fries. If possible, and that's a big if, leave room for the spectacular desserts.

If you love a great steak house, and even if you don't (they also have fish and vegetarian options), this is the place to go in Futrono. In addition to the good food, there's a wide, impressive view of the lake and mountains: reserve a table on their terrace to appreciate it even further.

A mom and pop–type restaurant you won't soon forget, this simply adorned restaurant makes you feel right at home. Seemingly everything on their varied, unique Chilean menu, from seafood to beef to chicken, looks and tastes delicious. The place is often packed, so making a reservation is advised.

This swanky café caters to Valdivian business executives who come here to make deals over sandwiches, decadent crepes, and desserts. In the evenings, the atmosphere feels less formal—the menu is exactly the same—as the Entrelagos becomes a place to meet friends who converse well into the night. Next door is the Entrelagos chocolate store, which is a good place to buy a gift or splurge.

At this eclectic-looking restaurant steaks are huge and delicious, and there's also a variety of seafood and pasta dishes on the menu. Upon arrival, be sure to start it all off with a pisco sour. This is a popular spot, so reserve your table ahead of time.

As befits the name, Peruvian cuisine reigns supreme at this restaurant with rustic wooden tables. Try the ají de gallina (hen stew with cheese, milk, and peppers), ceviche, or the splendid saltado nikkei, a Japanese-style dish of fish, shrimp, squid, and stir-fried vegetables. You can dine on the porch, a nice option for a pleasant summer night—and take advantage of the two-for-one pisco sours nightly until 9 pm.