Food · Santiago · Chile
What to eat in Santiago
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Santiago, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Miguel hernandez, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Start with Empanada de pino, Completo and Pastel de choclo. Several historic wineries in the Maipo Valley, including Concha y Toro in Pirque and Santa Rita in Alto Jahuel, run tours with tastings within an hour of the city; book ahead and avoid driving yourself. Lunch is the main meal, usually from about 1pm to 3pm; dinner starts late, often after 8:30pm.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Empanada de pino
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- A 10% tip is customary in restaurants and is usually added as a suggested line on the…
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Snack
1.Empanada de pino
Chile's classic baked empanada is filled with pino: minced beef and onion seasoned with cumin and paprika, plus a slice of hard-boiled egg and a black olive. Watch for the olive stone.
Where: Bakeries and empanaderías across the city, especially on Sundays and around the September national holidays.
Street food
2.Completo
A Chilean hot dog in a soft bun piled with toppings; the 'italiano' carries avocado, tomato and mayonnaise in the colours of the Italian flag. It is the everyday quick lunch.
Where: Fuente de soda counters and sandwich bars in the centre and Providencia.
Dish
3.Pastel de choclo
A clay-dish bake of beef pino, chicken, egg and olives under a layer of puréed sweetcorn and basil, sprinkled with sugar and browned. It is a summer dish, made when fresh corn is in season.
Where: Traditional picadas and market cocinerías, mainly from December to March.
Dish
4.Cazuela
A clear broth served with a large piece of beef or chicken on the bone, a potato, a wedge of pumpkin, corn on the cob and rice. It is a home-style winter staple.
Where: Set-lunch menus (menú del día) and cocinerías in La Vega Central.
Dish
5.Sándwich chacarero
Thin-sliced steak (churrasco) in a soft round bun with green beans, tomato and chilli. The Barros Luco, with steak and melted cheese, is its classic rival.
Where: Long-running sandwich houses and fuentes de soda in the centre and Providencia.
Dish
6.Machas a la parmesana
Razor clams baked in their shells with white wine, butter and parmesan. They are a typical starter in seafood restaurants.
Where: Seafood counters at the Mercado Central and marisquerías across the city.
Street food · Vegetarian
7.Sopaipillas
Fried rounds of pumpkin dough eaten with pebre (a fresh tomato, onion and coriander salsa) or mustard; on rainy days they are served 'pasadas', soaked in a dark sugar syrup.
Where: Street carts outside Metro stations and markets, especially in winter.
Drink · Vegetarian
8.Mote con huesillo
A sweet summer drink of dried peaches rehydrated in caramelised juice, served over husked wheat (mote) and eaten with a spoon.
Where: Street stands in parks, on Cerro San Cristóbal and near the Mercado Central in summer.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Pisco sour
Chilean pisco sours are made with pisco, lemon juice and sugar, usually without the egg-white foam common in Peru. Chilean pisco comes mainly from the Elqui and Limarí valleys in the north.
Where: Any bar in Lastarria, Bellavista or Providencia, often as a happy-hour special.
Dish
10.Chorrillana
A heaped platter of chips topped with strips of beef, fried onions and fried eggs, designed for sharing with beer late at night.
Where: Bars and picadas in Bellavista and the centre.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Terremoto
An 'earthquake' of sweet white pipeño wine with pineapple ice cream and grenadine or fernet. It is strong and popular around the September holidays.
Where: La Piojera, an old bar near the Mercado Central, is the traditional place to try it.
Dessert · Vegetarian
12.Alfajores and manjar
Manjar, Chile's version of dulce de leche, fills alfajores, layered tortas mil hojas and the soft pastries known as chilenitos.
Where: Bakeries and pastelerías citywide; boxed versions make easy gifts.
Food experiences
Winery visit in the Maipo Valley
Several historic wineries in the Maipo Valley, including Concha y Toro in Pirque and Santa Rita in Alto Jahuel, run tours with tastings within an hour of the city; book ahead and avoid driving yourself.
Menú del día lunch
Weekday set lunches of soup or salad, a main course, dessert and a drink are the best-value way to eat local food; look for chalkboards outside restaurants in the centre and Providencia.
Market lunch at La Vega
The cocinerías inside La Vega Central serve cazuela, porotos granados and pastel de choclo to traders at long shared tables, at a fraction of restaurant prices.
Once
The Chilean early-evening meal of tea or coffee with bread, avocado, cheese, ham and cakes; many cafés offer an 'once' set in the late afternoon.
Quick bites and street food
- Empanada de pino — Bakeries and empanaderías across the city, especially on Sundays and around the September national holidays.
- Completo — Fuente de soda counters and sandwich bars in the centre and Providencia.
- Sopaipillas — Street carts outside Metro stations and markets, especially in winter.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Sopaipillas, Mote con huesillo, Pisco sour, Terremoto and Alfajores and manjar. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch is the main meal, usually from about 1pm to 3pm; dinner starts late, often after 8:30pm.
- Restaurant bills often list a suggested 10% tip (propina) and the waiter will ask whether to include it; it is voluntary.
- Ask for 'pebre' with bread in traditional restaurants; it is often brought free.
- Chilean wine is good value in restaurants; Carmenère is the signature red grape.
- Many places close on Sunday evenings and some on Mondays, especially in Lastarria and Barrio Italia.
Tipping
A 10% tip is customary in restaurants and is usually added as a suggested line on the bill when you pay. Petrol station attendants and supermarket baggers, often students, expect small change.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ¿Cachai? | Do you get it? (Chilean slang) |
| Al tiro | Right away |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Con propina, por favor | Including the tip, please |
| Bacán | Great, cool |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Santiago famous for?
Empanada de pino, Completo, Pastel de choclo and Cazuela. Chile's classic baked empanada is filled with pino: minced beef and onion seasoned with cumin and paprika, plus a slice of hard-boiled egg and a black olive.
+Is Santiago good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Sopaipillas, Mote con huesillo and Pisco sour.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Santiago?
A 10% tip is customary in restaurants and is usually added as a suggested line on the bill when you pay. Petrol station attendants and supermarket baggers, often students, expect small change.