8 Best Restaurants in The Central Coast, Chile

Pelicans, gulls, and cormorants linger among the fishing boats anchored near this remarkable seafood restaurant. Because it's next door to the fishermen's cooperative, the seafood is always the freshest in town. A classic starter is machas (razor clams) parmesana, although locals will go for locos (Chilean abalone) or erizos (sea urchin). Then try any of the half a dozen types of fish, served with different sauces. The dining room—with a floor of crushed shells and hand-carved chairs resembling sea creatures—is a delight.

Head north of town to this hot spot right on the beach for the best seafood in town. The extensive menu includes the classics like razor clams Parmesan and crab gratin as well as more creative fare. Meat lovers and vegans will also find something on the menu. You can enjoy your food on the deck in summer and by the blazing fireplace in winter.

Owner Jaime Vegas is usually on hand here, seating customers and scrutinizing the preparation of such house specialties as ensalada de mariscos Aquíjaime (a seafood salad mix of abalone, crab meat, shrimp, scallops, fried calamari, and clams with melted Parmesan cheese), arroz a la valenciana (paella packed with seafood), and ceviche de centolla (king crab ceviche). Perhaps this is why the small restaurant perched on a rocky promontory next to Caleta Higuerillas has one of the best reputations in the region. Large windows let you watch the waves crashing just below, passing boats and pelicans, and the coast that stretches northward.

Near the top of Ascensor Concepción, this 19th-century mansion is one of the city's best-known restaurants. The traditional menu has a French twist; onion soup with Gruyère and foie gras sit alongside excellent seafood. In the newspaper-cum-menu, you can read about local art shows and upcoming concerts. Outside there's a terrace, and inside are two floors of dining rooms.

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.

With its trendy decor and swanky seafront setting, Mar Central looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. Instead, it eschews the heavily marked-up seafood dishes of other spots nearby by offering fish tacos, crab sandwiches, octopus fried rice, and other casual fair, alongside killer cocktails like the Elqui Mule (a twist on the traditional Moscow Mule with pisco from the Elqui Valley).

Echoing the colors of the fishing boats below, this seafood restaurant is painted vivid shades of yellow, green, and red. The restaurant's proximity to the caleta (cove) means the fish on your plate was probably pulled from the water early that morning. Attentive servers will help you choose from the good wine selection.

Facing the casino, this elegant seafood restaurant specializes in made-from-scratch pasta, crab casseroles, tuna tartare, and fresh-caught fish draped in creative sauces. There's a rare-in-Chile English-language menu, and you can expect impeccable service from the career waiters.