22 Best Restaurants in Uruguay

This classic and beloved diner-style establishment has been around for more than a century, and it is clear that some of the customers have been frequenting it for almost as long. Many congregate here for a coffee or beer, and the chivito, which is made with fresh, fluffy bread, is considered one of the best in town.

The smell of fresh-baked bread wafts through this pleasant, sunny spot off Plaza Zabala. Plates are fresh, inspired, and expertly prepared, from the soup of the day to desserts like panna cotta with red grapes and a sweet orange sauce. Jacinto is a favorite among the city's foodie crowd and stylish set.

A shaded terra-cotta terrace gives way to a breezeway with arched windows at this restaurant, considered one of Latin America's finest, and opens onto a large split-level dining room with antique sideboards. French chef Jean Paul Bondoux is at the helm, and the food, served by impeccably clad waiters, is prepared with only the finest and freshest ingredients. Breads are baked on the premises (an adjoining bakery sells them by the loaf), while the herbs and berries are grown in the backyard garden. The desserts are sublime—choose the sampler to try them all.

There's no spot more perfect in Colonia to while away an afternoon with a leisurely salad for lunch or tea than this café nestled along the water. Don't miss the baked goods—the redondos (rich, round cheesecakes) are particularly heavenly. Lounge in the lush, enclosed yard, or cozy into the main dining room, which feels like a friend's welcoming living room, complete with a bookshelf for borrowing and perusing.

People flock to this classic Punta spot at all hours for their piping-hot medialunas, which are crescent moon–shape pastries that taste like fluffy croissants and come brushed with a sweet syrup. Many patrons profess they're the best medialunas to be found anywhere. You can sit down or grab your medialunas (and other food, such as chivitos) to go.

Huella means footprint, and this now-legendary restaurant certainly has left its mark. Built right on the sand, La Huella takes beach dining to an unrivaled level with exquisite grilled seafood and meats—the octopus is not to be missed—as well as fresh sushi, pastas, and pizzas. The restaurant epitomizes the best of beach culture and spirit, and while celebrity sightings are common, everyone seems to be relaxed and easygoing. Because the place is wildly popular, reservations in peak season are necessary.

This bright, upscale restaurant is a local favorite and always filled, yet the efficient, friendly staff manages to keep up. The menu is gourmet and extensive, ranging from sushi to paella to cuts of meat on the grill. Everything is high quality and innovative, but the seafood dishes in particular stand out, like the chipirones (baby cuttlefish) in a garlic and parsley sauce with grilled onions.

In Tandory, French-Uruguayan chef and owner Gabriel Coquel has created an intimate yet convivial restaurant with top-level service. Fusion dishes harmoniously blend Asian, Latin American, and European flavors, and the eclectic decor includes heirlooms and souvenirs from his travels around the world. Diplomats, tourists, and well-traveled Uruguayans seeking cuisine more inspired than steak and potatoes fill the tables here. The menu changes daily based on what's fresh and in season.

This small and smartly designed restaurant facing Teatro Solís inhabits a building that dates to 1844 and attracts a young, hip crowd. The owner takes special care in preparing the excellent salads, such as the Bacacay (spinach, raisins, carrots, nuts, grilled eggplant) or the Sarandí (celery, chicken, apples, carrots).

The bookshop is classic, with floor-to-ceiling books, and a nifty rolling platform to browse the upper shelves. The café, though, is airy and serves innovative dishes such as beet and goat cheese pie, and grilled polenta and veggie gratin, along with freshly baked breads and delicious desserts. If the weather is unkind, dine inside, but the sunny, vine-covered outdoor patio is the place to be.

This hip restaurant serves delicious, crispy pizza, sliced into bite-size rectangles. The backyard tables overlook the river, and inside is cozy, with warm walls. The terrace is a great spot for a bite and beer when it's warm.

Meats are the specialty at this beautiful restaurant set in a restored 1920s house and facing the Carrasco Beach. You can opt for the meat-tasting option with sausage, sweetbreads, and three cuts of beef; or try the grilled fish or seafood paella. If you'd prefer to sit outside, there are several umbrella-covered tables on the lawn with attractive views of the ocean.

While the polished wood and wicker interior is attractive, it's the food that draws diners here. The meat, seafood, pasta, and risotto dishes are all carefully prepared, and all gluten-free. The busy bar has an extensive cocktail list and the wine list features both local and Argentine labels. The desserts are yummy, too, if a bit on the sweet side.

Simple Spanish and Portuguese dishes—many steak-based—made with good-quality ingredients have made this traditional restaurant a favorite with porteño visitors to Colonia. The comprehensive wine list showcases Uruguayan vineyards hard to sample anywhere outside the country. Try to get one of the outside tables that sit right on the peaceful Plaza de Armas. Guitar-strumming musicians regularly play for diners, adding to the ambience.

Set inland from Barra's center on an expansive, rolling property is the upscale, rustic Narbona restaurant. The property is so tranquil and removed from the Punta frenzy that the restaurant provides GPS coordinates as their address. Tour the vineyard or opt to taste the wine right with your meal—the cuisine has a strong Italian influence—at your sunny table, perhaps on the veranda, overlooking the bucolic surroundings.

It's a bit hard to believe a place as low-key and affordable as this traditional Uruguayan steak house exists in chic Punta del Este, but it does—and that's precisely why locals love it. Your best bet is to stick to steak and sides to share, including the platter of mini provoleta (grilled cheese) with a bottle of wine to wash it all down. Expect to wait for a table at prime mealtimes, but the friendly and fast waitstaff will have you feasting in no time.

A converted mechanics shop setting, its school lunchroom furniture and lighting, and its spotty service doesn't make it an obvious choice, but the food on the 10- or 12-item menu is the stuff of your favorite food cart; classics made tastier and with a touch of style. The menu changes regularly but there's always a choice of sandwiches, tartas, and salads, along with pastries and desserts.

In peak season this laid-back, Americana-style diner serving up classic Uruguayan fare in La Barra is open 24 hours a day to accommodate everyone's beach and partying hours. The atmosphere is lively no matter when you come, and the fried calamari and chivito—they claim to have the best in town—are popular menu items.

The painted white brick helps make the café bigger than it is, but the food and vibe are so good that size hardly matters. It's open for lunch on Thursday through Sunday and breakfast on the weekend. Sometimes serves super sandwiches—such as brisket, pulled pork, or avocado—also salads and other dishes with international influences, along with freshly baked breads and great coffee. Tasty veggie options can be made vegan.

There are several good seafood dishes here, and the pastas are done right, but Tannat is really the place for meat lovers; even nose-to-tail carnivores will leave satisfied. The service is courteous and quick, as the embers are always burning. The downside is there isn't much in the way of lighter dishes, so go there ready to eat.

What draws the post-theater crowds to this friendly, but plain restaurant near Plaza Cagancha are gargantuan portions of smoked pork chops and fried potatoes.

Loved by locals, this small eatery has a great view of Isla Gorriti. The menu includes a bit of everything, but the specialty is seafood. Perennial favorites are brotola à la Roquefort (baked hake with a Roquefort sauce) and pulpo Provençal, likely to be the most tender octopus you've ever eaten.