6 Best Restaurants in Chiloé, Chile

The tasty vegetarian fare made with fresh, locally grown organic ingredients at this cozy restaurant with an ocean view will impress even meat eaters. Creative dishes include the papas rellenas, the island's famed potatoes stuffed with sautéed veggies, quinoa, cheese, and a special pesto sauce. There are delicious classic tacos and homemade flatbread topped with goat cheese and veggies. Do leave room for the best part, though: real coffee with carrot cake or maqui berry pie. 

This waterfront restaurant is the place to eat in Quemchi. They have an ample menu, but it's the dozen types of empanadas—filled with beef, cheese, clams, salmon, or crab meat, to name a few—that impress most.

Standard Chilean fish and seafood plates are the main dishes to try at this favorite stop for travelers going through Quellón. The service is friendly; plus, getting here includes a nice walk along the waterfront. Order a schop (draft beer) to wash it all down. 

For coffee fanatics in need of a good cup of joe in southern Chile, Palafito Patagonia is the answer. Situated in a refurbished palafito on Ten Ten Bay, it offers nice views from the refreshing outdoor terrace; inside smooth tunes play while you kick back with a selection of gourmet coffee imported from around the world. They also offer fresh juices and delicious cakes. 

Going strong since the late 1970s, Sacho features the favorite seafood plates Chiloé is known for, cooked in the traditional style, from fish and curanto to chupe de jaiba (crab stew). Service is friendly and mostly prompt, even when it fills up at lunchtime with locals. Though there is a nice bay view, it's not the ambience you're here for; it's for the Chiloé seafood. There are chicken and beef plates for nonseafood lovers.

The giant sandwiches here have attained mythical status in these parts. The restaurant also has an extensive daily menu featuring a variety of traditional Chilean dishes like cazuela, roasted chicken, lentejas (lentils), and more. This is a good break from the ubiquitous seafood establishments on the waterfront.