5 Best Restaurants in The Lake District, Chile

Casa Valdes

$$$ Fodor's choice

Start your dinner off right with a cool pisco sour at this fine dining, lakeside restaurant with great views. The cooking style is influenced in part by Basque cuisine, with its fish and other plates often accompanied by peppers, beans, and potatoes. It's mostly known for its seafood, but there are several other options on the menu. The restaurant fills up fast for dinner, so patience with servers is often needed. Come early or reserve a table ahead of time.

Restaurant Kiel

$$$ Fodor's choice

Founded in 1973, this Chilean-German seafood restaurant is located on the coast about 15 minutes west of Puerto Montt and is considered an institution in the area. The interesting decor and sea views are nice, but it's the beautifully prepared seafood and, in particular, the curanto that draws crowds. Fresh produce from the well-kept garden further makes lunch here a delight. Tour groups frequently fill the restaurant in summer, so reserve ahead.

Caleta Angelmó

$$

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.

Puerto Montt, Los Lagos, 5480000, Chile
No phone
Known For
  • food stalls serving Chilean specialities
  • no set hours but usually open for lunch and dinner in high season
  • fish market and handicraft stores also on-site

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La Olla

$$$

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.

R-225, Km 1 (Camino a Ensenada), Puerto Varas, Los Lagos, 5550000, Chile
65-223–3540
Known For
  • excellent fish dishes
  • tasty empanadas
  • big crowds on weekends, so book ahead

Mesa del Mar

$$$$

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.

Las Industrias 1228, Villarrica, Araucanía, 4930000, Chile
45-241–9515
Known For
  • grilled conger eel or sea bass
  • great choices for kids
  • gourmet seafood
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.