9 Best Restaurants in The Lake District, Chile

Impeccable service is the hallmark of this Italian-style restaurant on Lican Ray's main street. The brick-and-log building has indoor and outdoor seating, perfect to watch the summer crowds stroll by as you enjoy pizza and pasta.

For a filling sandwich, a homemade küchen cake, and an espresso or cappuccino brewed from freshly ground beans, this longtime staple is the place to stop in Villarrica. Pull up around a table in front or slip into one of the quieter booths by the fireplace in the back. The lomito completo sandwich—with a slice of pork, avocado, sauerkraut, tomato, and mayonnaise—is one of the best in the south.

You can dig into a hearty American-style breakfast in the morning and burgers, sandwiches, and ice cream the rest of the day at this diner on the Plaza de Armas. It's most famous around town for its completos—Chilean hot dogs topped with gobs of mayo, guacamole, and whatever else you desire. The friendly, bustling staff speaks little English, but if it's clear you're foreign, an English menu is presented to you with great fanfare.

More than a dozen small kitchens and eateries at this enclosed market 3 km (2 miles) west of Puerto Montt along the coast road prepare southern Chilean seafood favorites like curanto, a potpourri of shellfish, meat, and potatoes, and paila marina, a hearty seafood stew with mainly shellfish. Each kitchen has separate tables and counters. Don't expect set hours, but most open around 11 am for lunch and serve for about three hours. Every day in the January–March high season, they reopen from 6 to 9 for dinner. The rest of the year, most of the kitchens close some days of the week. In the same complex is a colorful fish market and stores selling local handicrafts.

Coffee and homemade pastries are the specialties of this café, but old-school (and big) sandwiches, excellent hot dogs, ice cream, and other simple dishes are also available. A classic stop in Temuco since the 1940s, it seems the whole town stops by for a quick lunch during the week, among the clattering of dishes and the army of waitstaff maneuvering their way around the tables.

The place to get comfort food, this lively restaurant has outdoor seating and is open from 1 pm until late in the evening. Rock music blares; the stars shine above; and the steak sandwiches, hamburgers, burritos, and quesadillas hit the spot. 

This place seeks mastery over the art of sandwich-making. Not to be missed is the Abuela Lucy, a juicy hamburger with onions and cilantro, a thick layer of soft cheese, roasted peppers, a grilled egg, and French fries. Another highlight is the El Beto, a tender steak sandwich with blue cheese and mushrooms sautéed in beer. To top it off, there are 70 different beers on tap. A fun time to come is when the soccer matches play on their big-screen TV.

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.