6 Best Restaurants in Puerto Varas, The Lake District

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.

A small wooden sign on the front lawn of a local home invites visitors to the residents' very own terrace and restaurant. Past the modest exterior a world of authentic Chilean culinary delights awaits. A favorite dish is the grilled hake, called merluza in Spanish, which is prepared with a basil sauce and accompanied by a pastel de choclo, a Chilean corn dish. Save room for desserts such as hot brownies with ice cream.

For quality steaks, this is the top spot in town. Start it all off with a pisco sour and sopaipillas, a sort of sweet fried bread, before moving on to the bife chorizo or lomo vetado—both are tasty cuts of meat. They are now located in a spiffy, bigger space with some outdoor seating. Their service is attentive and the portions just right. The menu has a variety of other dishes, but the main draw is the parrilla-style grilled meats.

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.

Situated on a lone pier jutting out into the lake, Mesa Tropera offers Italian-Patagonian cuisine that features a wide array of creative toppings on their thin crust pizzas, inventive pasta dishes, and abundant salads. Mesa Tropera is also a connoisseur of fine beer, brewing their own flavors as well as keeping a selection of microbrews in stock from others in the region. The place fills up, so get there early or be prepared to wait.

Located near the center of town, Pataliebre has all manner of gourmet sandwiches, including hamburgers, chicken or steak sandwiches, and vegetarian options, all made with fresh, organic ingredients. If you're hankering for a hamburger from back home, this will hit the spot.