6 Best Restaurants in The Central Coast, Chile

If your travels don't include the Mapuche heartland of La Araucanía, head to this artfully designed restaurant in Viña for a vital introduction to the little-appreciated cuisine of Chile's largest indigenous group. Start with one of the myriad tasting boards before seguing into the mains, which feature everything from wild boar to antioxidant-rich maqui berries and piñón seeds from ancient araucaria trees.

If you were to ask a local to take you to a traditional restaurant, chances are you would wind up here. Now operated by the third generation of the same family, this small establishment will take you back in time with its long wooden bar, older gentlemen playing dominoes, and very traditional Chilean fare. The star dish is the causeo de patas (cow feet cut into squares and cooked till the fat melts away, mixed with onions, chili, beans, and vinegar and served cold), an adventurous dish that is much tastier than it sounds.

Serving traditional Chilean cuisine with a contemporary touch, Café Vinilo prides itself on making its own bread and desserts. They also work directly with their food suppliers, so you can rest assured the rock fish ceviche on your plate was likely caught that same morning by a diver in Quintero, an hour's drive north along the coast. Wind down and settle in to your meal with great jazz, then check out the upstairs art gallery or adjacent boutique with upcycled clothes.

This eccentric restaurant is a Valparaíso institution thanks to its legendary status for inventing the chorillana (thinly sliced beef with fried onions and eggs served atop French fries), a dish that is meant to be eaten communally. There's no menu—choose either a plate of chorillana for two or three, or carne mechada (stewed beef) with a side of French fries, rice, or tomato salad. Glass cases filled with dusty trinkets surround tables covered with plastic cloths in a cramped, dark dining room. You may have to share a table. The restaurant is at the end of a bleak corridor off Calle Condell.

This long-running bakery on the road up to Cerro Alegre prepares more than 80 different varieties of empanadas, including surprising combos like cheese, salmon, and capers or cheese, mango, and pineapple. The dough is crispy, the service is friendly, and the line out front moves fast.

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.