From humble origins selling food and drinks to the workers of Santiago's nearby central station in the early 20th century, family-owned El Hoyo has grown over the generations into one of the city’s most beloved restaurants. Santiaguinos stop by El Hoyo when they want a taste of porky, rustic comfort, whether that means the famous arrollado, boiled garlic and spice marinated pork loin wrapped in pork skin, or pernil, an irresistibly tender pork hock. Grab a seat and sip on a terremoto while you wait; El Hoyo is one of several restaurants that’s credited with creating the iconic cocktail. [$]

When Santiaguinos want traditional Chilean fare done well they head to Ana María, a picada turning out the sort of dishes that are mostly only found in Chilean homes cooked by Chilean grandparents. From the bright yellow interior to photographs of Ana Maria herself with notable guests and other memorabilia tacked to the walls, the experience is steeped in kitsch. Thankfully, it’s the charming kind that makes your meal of pickled rabbit, plateada al horno (a Chilean preparation of brisket), stewed quail, or pillowy Chilean sea urchin all the more enjoyable. [$$]

You’ll find a number of confiterías selling coffee, tea, pastries, and sandwiches around Santiago, but for a taste of the old world, locals head to Confiteria Torres, the city’s oldest restaurant, founded in 1867. With white tablecloths, mahogany walls, lace curtains, and dapper waiters, Confiteria Torres will transport you to the Santiago of old. Head there for a simple lunch of classic Chilean fare or one of the best afternoon teas in the city, and be sure to check out the pictures of the famous regulars hung along the walls. Look closely and you’ll notice many of them are former presidents. One such former president, Barros Luco, even got a steak and cheese sandwich named after him for his loyal patronage — ask for the Presidente Barros to give it a try. [$$]

With its floral tablecloths and homey decor, this small cafe hidden in the heart of downtown Santiago will make you feel like you’re having lunch at a friend’s house — if that friend happens to be Rolando Ortega, one of Santiago’s most beloved chefs. At Salvador Cocina y Café, Ortega gets to play around with whatever suits him that day, creating a three-course menu del dia for lunch. With his butcher background and love of working with whole animals, expect the menu to be heavy on the meat, featuring elevated versions of some of Chile’s most traditional foods, like ossobuco or plateada al horno. (Lunch only.) [$ - $$]  

While you can find stands de comidas (street food stands) serving golden empanadas throughout the city, some of them can be hit or miss, with either too little filling or too much dough. If you’re going to go the street vendor route, opt for one that’s garnered a large line of locals and you’re less likely to leave disappointed. Either way, save room for Zunino Emporium, one of the city’s best. Open since 1930, Zunino claims fame as the city’s oldest empanadería, serving hundreds of its popular beef empanadas de pino and classic cheese empanadas de queso to hungry Santiaguinos daily. [$]

A classic Chilean restobar, Ópera Catedral attracts throngs of hip Santiaguinos for live music by some of the city’s coolest up-and-coming musicians. This spot operates as multiple concepts housed under the same roof: During the day, you will find a popular cafe serving Chilean small plates and baked goods as well as Marilyn, a stylish new sandwich shop. At night, the space transforms into a buzzy bar scene and fills up fast. Get there early and head to the terrace to enjoy the signature pisco rica-rica sour. (Performances dates vary, so make sure to check the website for upcoming shows.) [$ - $$]

This wonderfully kitschy restaurant and bar centered around a picture of the patron saint of misfits, Sarita Colonia, is all about taking Chilean flavors and having fun with them in unexpected ways. Dishes that showcase a hybrid of flavors and techniques from Peru, Asia, and America, like the mac and jaiba, a play on the Chilean crab pie pastel de jaiba, and a fresh scallop take on oysters Rockefeller, are what make dining at Sarita Colonia so fun and surprising. [$$]

In Santiago, the debate over who makes the best pisco sour can get very real. But most agree there’s no better place to sample the South American brandy than at Chipe Libre in Lastarria. Home to the country’s largest collection of pisco, the geographically organized north-to-south flight is a great way to educate yourself on the subtleties and regional differences of the country's favorite spirit. Grab a seat in the outdoor garden and nibble on some octopus and tuna ceviche in between sips for the full Chipe Libre experience. [$$]

Sanguchería history runs deep in Santiago, but with a new wave of young chefs embracing the cuisine, the classics are getting redefined in new and exciting ways. Among the best to tackle the cuisine and make it its own is José Ramon 277 in barrio Lastarria. Inside this casual sanguchería you’ll find the young and cool sipping on pints pulled from one of the 12 Chilean craft beer taps while they pick at pichanga (cubed pork snout with pickled cauliflower, carrot, and olives) and wait for their food. Their take on the lengua sandwich is a local favorite, but the plateada is worth just as much attention. The mechada may seem typical, but the surprising addition of a sweet corn pastel de choclo mixed with olives, caramelized onions, and fried egg will show you how (happily) wrong you were. [$ - $$]

Sandwich culture in Chile is vast, varied, and regional, but if there’s one that stands out, it’s the lomito sandwich at perpetually bustling Fuente Alemana. Grab a seat at the square bar surrounding the small flat-top and watch as the faster-than-light Fuente sandwich ladies put together heaping platters of thinly sliced braised beef and pork loin on fresh bread the size of a toddler’s head. Order yours completo for the house specialty of avocado, cheese, mayonnaise, and, thanks to the influence of Chile’s German population, sauerkraut. [$ - $$]

Local ingredients meet European technique at this upscale restaurant by Spanish chef Sergio Barroso. Dinner comes in the form of a 10- or 12-course tasting menu and favors local seafood like sea urchin and locos. With gorgeous small plates, like a perfect slice of eel with its own bare skeleton sitting atop it like a sculpture, it’s clear Barroso’s time working at the legendary El Bulli stuck with him. Finish up the night with an after-dinner drink at 09, a small speakeasy in the building where you can sip on creative cocktails made with native fruits and spirits served in everything from a birdcage to a light bulb. [$$$ - $$$$]

This tiny gelateria near Cerro San Cristóbal is widely credited with starting Santiago’s artisanal ice cream movement, thanks to owner and Italian expat Donata Bergmann. Depending on what Bergmann feels like making — and what’s in season — you can find flavors from beet to toasted flour, but the gelatos made with classic Chilean flavors are some of the best. If available, the get the cherimoya (custard apple) or lúcuma (Andean tree fruit) for a taste of Santiago’s most iconic flavors. [$]

From the colorful facade to the red- and white-checkered tablecloths and paintings covering every inch of available wall space, Bar Liguria is where locals go for traditional Chilean comfort food with a side of bohemian vibes. Sopaipillas, a classic deep-fried bread made with pumpkin served along fresh pebre, a traditional Chilean salsa, are a great way to start the meal before moving on to traditional dishes like ossobuco stewed in black beer or pastel de choclo chilote, a classic sweet corn and beef pie. [$$]

When it comes to bistronomy, the food movement largely responsible for Santiago’s recent notoriety as an up-and-coming food city, 99 is the city’s beating heart. A technique-driven, minimalist operation that focuses on foraged and well-sourced local Chilean ingredients in a chill, bistro-like environment, 99 is where the city’s chefs go to geek out. Helmed by Kurt Schmidt (who trained at the likes of Noma and Boragó), dinner at 99 comes in the form of a six- or nine-course tasting menu that rotates daily, showcasing anything from the signature dish called Mushroom Textures to chicken with apple puree, depending on what’s in season. [$$ - $$$]

The second outpost by chef Rolando Ortega of Santiago favorite Salvador Cocina y Café, La Salvación has quickly become a buzzing Santiago essential since its opening earlier this summer. In typical Ortega fashion, diners can expect a menu heavy with Ortega’s favorite: offal with a signature twist. Pull up a seat at the bar — a large central table studded with vibrant house-made vermouths and liqueurs — and dig into a hearty plate of guatits y almeas, a clam-laced riff on Chilean tripe stew, or go refined with a slice of fresh crusty bread dressed in beef tongue tartare and briny local sea urchin. Either way, you’re leaving happy. [$$ - $$$]

It’s not always easy to find a restaurant that’s open on a Sunday in Santiago. Due to a law that requires workers to have at least two Sundays off per month, many restaurants choose to just close on Sundays altogether — but not Baco. A favorite of local chefs for its wonderfully executed French fare made with market produce, Baco also has an extensive selection of Chilean wines by the glass, from the small producers to the heavy-hitters — something that’s not always easy to come by in Santiago. [$$ - $$$]

If the view is just as important as the meal, then look no further than Mestizo. Located on the edge of the lush Parque de Bicentenario along the Mapocho river, Mestizo is undoubtedly one of. Santiago’s most picturesque spots to dine, lily pad-laden lakes and herons included. From plates of rock crab claws, oversized spiny scentolla stuffed with mashed local avocado, house ceviche, wood-grilled octopus, or lomo vetado doused in a bright chimichurri, it’s not just the view that makes Mestizo a favorite for when date night needs just a bit more romance. [$$$]

When Boragó first opened in 2006, fine dining in Chile almost exclusively meant European cuisine. But after cutting his teeth at Spain’s two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz, chef Rodolfo Guzmán returned to Santiago to open the city’s haute venue dedicated to Chilean cuisine. Dinner at Boragó comes in the form of a tasting menu of beautifully minimalist dishes like fresh, sweet shrimp and foraged maqui berries or tender lamb cooked in the Patagonian al asador style so perfectly executed it’s no wonder Boragó is currently ranked No. 4 on the Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list. [$$$$]

The inarguable king of nikkei cuisine, Mitsuharu Tsumura of Lima’s Maido (and Worlds 50 Best Restaurants No. 7 spot holder) has come to Santiago with the ultra-chic Karai. Located in the swanky W hotel, this modern lunch and dinner haunt serves a mixture of the classic dishes for which Tsumaru gained fame. Try the best of both with Maido’s siganture 50-hour braised short rib and ultra-bright ceviche alongside Karai originals like the sizzling cast iron of chupe de camaron dotted with unbelievably crispy prawn head chicharroncitos. [$$$ - $$$$]

Arguably, there is no better place in Santiago to indulge in your favorite cut of beef than at Ox in Vitacura. This steakhouse is revered by even the most serious meat eaters for its extensive list of beef cuts, ranging from a succulent lomo liso (striploin) to the filete ox con hueso (bone-in tenderloin) and a selection of premium wagyu, all cooked in the traditional parrilla style, over wood embers. If you can’t decide between cuts, ask your waiter for the trio and sample a few. Either way, start your meal with some crispy mollejas (sweetbreads) and indulge in a bottle of carménère for the full-on parrilla experience. [$$$ - $$$$]

Celebrated Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio's cebichería La Mar has taken South America by storm. While there are now a handful of locations, including Buenos Aires and São Paulo, the ceviche at this Santiago outpost is no less worth the hype. The trendy location boasts a beautiful outdoor patio perfect to take in a pisco or two alongside La Mar’s vibrant ceviche con leche de tigre. [$$ - $$$]

While Gastón Acurio is basically a household name in South American culinary circles, it’s his executive chef, Martha Palacio, who has stolen the hearts and stomachs of Santiaguinos with the group’s newest outpost of Panchita. To experience the best of Palacio’s unique take on Peruvian criolla cooking, start off with a sampling of the piqueos, like tamales of green corn and artichoke, stuffed Andean potato, huancaina corn, or rich beef heart anticucho skewers. No table is complete without Palacio’s wheat carapulcra, a complex stew made of wheat and dried potatoes in a peanut and chile dressing, topped with thick-sliced pork rinds. Want to go full hog? The whole roasted pork shoulder pernil will fulfill all your crispy-skinned pork cravings. [$$ - $$$]

After a tour working in restaurants across Europe (including Barcellona’s Dos Palillos), chef Benjamin Nast has returned to Santiago with De Patio. In either an eight-course patio or 12-course festival menu, diners can expect artfully plated, seasonally inspired bites that might include raw cuttlefish with apple, snails with shiitakes, or a salt-cured covina. Not down for the tasting-menu long haul? Nast has made sure this space still works well a la carte with a rotating list of items geared toward sharing. For the ultimate a la carte experience, grab a friend or two and hit the bar to watch as Nast’s picturesque dishes float out to the dining room. [$$$]

Helmed by Francisco Mandiola, Europeo makes good on its name by celebrating carefully sourced Chilean ingredients with a hue of European technique. Nestled in the barrio Vitacura, Europeo is the sort of classic occasion restaurant that will never let your group down, keeping the picky and the adventurous equally happy. Citing the myriad European immigrant cultures with which Santiago is rich, Chilean locos are just as at home on this tasting menu-centric spot as is a French-influenced consommé. Going all out? The additional wine pairing is the perfect tour of the best Chile has to offer and one of the best in town. [$$$]

Historically a place where Chilean artists and intellectuals would gather for a tertulia (salon) to talk about the issues of the day, Las Lanzas has slowly become a Plaza Ñuñoa institution. Las Lanzas offers simple fuente de soda (the Chilean version of diner) food. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a cold Quimbra and Chilean mechada sandwich or sánguche of fried hake in one of the true local spots of the area — all on the cheap. [$]

As Santiago solidifies its status as one of South America’s most exciting new dining cities, heavy-hitting chefs from across the continent are opening their own Santiago flagships. None has been so highly anticipated as La Picanteria, the Peruvian export from acclaimed chef Héctor Solís. Specializing in fresh fish sourced from the coasts of Chile, Peru, and Japan, the Santiago location offers a menu colored by Solís’s right hand, Virginia Najarro, with an ample addition of Santiago-specific dishes alongside the Peruvian staples. Choose from the open display of fresh fish and crustaceans kept center stage over ice, then pick your preparation from the chalkboard. While filets and other smaller dishes are available, the best way to experience La Picanteria is to order the whole fish in multiple preparations, from the unparalleled ceviche made from the belly to the crispy fried head drenched in a rich garlicky sauce. Top it off with an extra-large pisco sour for one of the best seafood experiences in the city. [$$ - $$$]

Housed in a modern brick-and-glass warehouse, La Maestranza feels more like something you’d expect to see in Brooklyn than Santiago. Focusing on Chile’s two biggest casual dining trends, the gourmet hamburguesa and reimagined sanguicheria, this hip Vitacura haunt turns out some of the most inventive fast-casual bites in the city. From sandwiches stuffed full of charred octopus tentacles and crispy thin slices of potato to the negrita rica burger that trades beef for a homemade morcilla patty topped with tangy blue cheese, it’s no wonder that you’ll find this place buzzing well into the evening. [$ - $$]

Perhaps the most exemplary of modern parrilla (grilling) culture is Muu, a buzzy new parrilla aimed at making steakhouses as delicious as they are affordable. It’s an amazing feat that chef Gabriel Gil accomplishes while still specializing in American Angus cuts of beef, from juicy entrecote to oversized tomahawks, alongside an extensive wine list. Can’t decide? Opt for the tasting board with a selection of cuts and perfectly cooked offal for the best of all worlds. [$$ - $$$]