5 Best Restaurants in Chiloé, Chile

Co-owned by the authors of an award-winning cookbook about Chiloé cuisine, Travesia is a wonderful way to experience Chiloé dishes that are prepared with inventive, modern twists by a young team of chefs. A favorite is the out-of-this-world chancho ahumado (smoked pork), which is served with a delightful sauce made of local murta berries together with potatoes (a star ingredient here---Chiloé hosts 90% of the world's known potato varieties).

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. 

Inside this rambling beachfront building that arches over the street, this restaurant serves seafood, beef, and other dishes. Try the oysters or merluza margarita, hake fish in a shellfish sauce. Above the restaurant is a hostería (small hotel) with 30 rooms. The rooms are nothing special, but they're clean and serve as a fine option in a pinch.

This intimate establishment specializes in curanto (a Chilean feast cooked in the ground), available at both dinner and lunch (most restaurants have it only for lunch). A variety of other dishes fill out the menu, from paila marina (seafood stew) to pizza, beef, chicken, and sandwiches. The walls of the restaurant are lined with curious photos, statues, and other Chiloé memorabilia. The wood-burning stove in the center of the dining room is much appreciated on the often cold and rainy nights.