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Food tours in Santiago: what to eat and which tour to book
Santiago eats heartily and simply. The city's everyday food is the completo (a hot dog buried under avocado, tomato and mayonnaise), the empanada de pino filled with beef, onion, egg and olive, big sandwiches such as the chacarero, and in summer pastel de choclo, a corn-topped meat pie. The long Pacific coastline sends conger eel, sea bass, clams and sea urchins to the Mercado Central, and the Central Valley around the city grows the grapes for Chile's wines and pisco. The two old markets on either side of the Mapocho River — the iron-roofed Mercado Central and the busier, cheaper La Vega Central — are where to see what Santiago eats.
Use this page to know what to order and where, from the markets to Lastarria, Bellavista and Barrio Italia, with rough prices in Chilean pesos. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Santiago
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completo completo / completo italiano | A hot dog in a soft bun topped with chopped tomato, mashed avocado and lots of mayonnaise — the 'italiano', named for the colours of the Italian flag. Other versions add sauerkraut, chilli sauce or green-bean salsa. | Fuente de soda (snack bars) and sandwich counters all over the city; the classic places are in the centre and Providencia. | roughly CLP 2,500–5,000 (about €2.30–4.50) |
| Beef empanada empanada de pino | A large baked pastry filled with pino — minced or chopped beef and onion — with a slice of hard-boiled egg, a black olive and sometimes raisins. Cheese and seafood empanadas are also common, usually fried. | Bakeries and empanada shops everywhere; especially popular in September around the national holidays (Fiestas Patrias). | roughly CLP 2,000–4,000 (about €2–3.70) each |
| Corn and meat pie pastel de choclo | Pino (beef and onion), chicken, olives and egg baked in a clay dish under a layer of ground fresh corn with basil, sprinkled with sugar and caramelised on top. A summer dish, when fresh corn is in season. | Traditional Chilean restaurants and the cocinerías (cook-shops) at La Vega Central; mostly December to March. | roughly CLP 7,000–12,000 (about €6.50–11) |
| Conger eel soup caldillo de congrio | A stew of conger eel (a firm white fish, not an eel in the usual sense) with potatoes, onion, tomato and white wine. Pablo Neruda wrote an ode to it. | Seafood restaurants in and around the Mercado Central. | roughly CLP 9,000–16,000 (about €8–15) |
| Razor clams with parmesan machas a la parmesana | Chilean razor clams (machas) baked in their shells with parmesan, butter and white wine. A classic starter. | Seafood restaurants in the Mercado Central and in Providencia and Las Condes. | roughly CLP 8,000–15,000 (about €7.50–14) a plate |
| Steak sandwich chacarero / barros luco | Thin-sliced beef in a round bun: the chacarero adds green beans, tomato, chilli and mayonnaise; the barros luco adds melted cheese. Sandwich counters serve them in huge portions. | Fuente de soda and sandwich counters in the centre and Providencia. | roughly CLP 6,000–10,000 (about €5.50–9) |
| Fried pumpkin bread sopaipillas | Round fried discs of dough made with pumpkin, eaten as street snacks with pebre (tomato, onion and coriander salsa) or mustard, or 'pasadas' — soaked in a hot chancaca (raw-sugar) syrup in winter. | Street carts across the city, especially near metro stations and in winter. | about CLP 300–600 (€0.30–0.55) each |
| Peach and wheat drink mote con huesillo | A sweet summer drink-dessert of rehydrated dried peaches (huesillos) in their syrup with cooked husked wheat (mote), served cold in a tall glass. | Street stalls, especially on the walk up Cerro San Cristóbal and in parks in summer. | roughly CLP 1,500–2,500 (about €1.40–2.30) |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Mercado Central
The fish and seafood market under a cast-iron roof made in Scotland and opened in 1872. Fishmongers on the outside, restaurants in the middle; the small restaurants around the edges are cheaper than the big central ones.
La Vega Central
The city's huge produce market across the Mapocho River from the Mercado Central: fruit, vegetables, cheese, spices and dried goods at local prices, with cocinerías (small cook-shops) serving cheap set lunches, cazuela and pastel de choclo.
Barrio Lastarria
Small cobbled area near Cerro Santa Lucía with restaurants, wine bars, cafés and ice-cream shops; good for an evening with Chilean wine.
Bellavista
Bohemian district at the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal with restaurants, bars and the Patio Bellavista courtyard of restaurants. Lively at night; touristy in parts.
Barrio Italia
Residential area in Providencia and Ñuñoa with cafés, bakeries, restaurants and design shops in old houses, popular with locals for weekend brunch and dinner.
Persa Bío Bío
Sprawling weekend flea market in the south of the centre, with food stalls selling sopaipillas, empanadas and anticuchos (grilled skewers) between stalls of second-hand goods.
Food tours in Santiago compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4h Cooking Class in Santiago: 8 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks | 4 hours | from €68 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Santiago: Guided Foodie Tour with Drinks, Tapas & Live Music | 2.5 hours | from €45 per person | max 8 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Santiago Food Tasting Tour - Eat like Locals! | 3 hours | from €85 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Santiago: Mercado Meals Food Tour with 12+ Tastings | 4 hours | from €53 per person | max 8 | Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source. | Check dates |
| Santiago Sightseeing Tour: Living History and Local Food Tasting | 3 hours | from €22 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
4h Cooking Class in Santiago: 8 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks
On GetYourGuide · run by Cook in Fiesta
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €68 per person
- Rating
- 4.5 ★ from 16 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- A fun and immersive culinary experience that lets you connect with other food enthusiasts. The chance to learn authentic recipes and cooking techniques. The opportunity to create lasting memories in Santiago de Chile'…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- FFW5+8FW, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Santiago: Guided Foodie Tour with Drinks, Tapas & Live Music
On GetYourGuide · run by Compostela Tapas Tour
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €45 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 229 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Praza de Cervantes, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
Santiago Food Tasting Tour - Eat like Locals!
On GetYourGuide · run by Eat like locals !!!
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €85 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 63 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
- Starts
- José Miguel de la Barra 650, 8320356 Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Santiago: Mercado Meals Food Tour with 12+ Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by A Chef's Tour
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €53 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 16 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Suits
- Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source.
- Starts
- Monument to the Indigenous Peoples
Santiago Sightseeing Tour: Living History and Local Food Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Esteban tour Chile
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €22 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 15 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Iglesia de San Francisco
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is completos, sopaipillas, empanadas, mote con huesillo and, around the September national holidays, anticuchos and choripán from fondas (festival stalls). Sopaipilla carts and empanada shops are everywhere and cheap.
Sit-down meals
Lunch is the main meal; many restaurants offer a 'menú del día' or 'colación' (set lunch) at a good price on weekdays. Dinner starts late, around 20:30–21:00. Seafood restaurants, parrillas (grill houses) and picadas (simple local eateries) cover most tastes; wine is cheap and good.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Santiago usually include a market visit to La Vega Central and cover empanadas, pebre, pastel de choclo or ceviche, with a pisco sour lesson and Chilean wine. Wine tours to the Maipo and Casablanca valleys are the other main food experience.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | CLP 20,000–30,000, about €18–28 (bakery breakfast, set lunch, completo or empanadas for dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | CLP 45,000–70,000, about €42–65 (café breakfast, market seafood lunch, restaurant dinner with wine) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | CLP 120,000+, about €110+ (a top Chilean restaurant with wine pairing) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Fairly easy in Santiago: vegetarian and vegan restaurants are common in Providencia, Barrio Italia and Lastarria, and many menus mark vegetarian dishes. Traditional dishes are meat-heavy; cheese empanadas, porotos granados (check for meat), humitas and salads are safer choices.
Halal: Limited. Santiago has a small Muslim community and a few halal restaurants and butchers, as well as Middle Eastern restaurants in Patronato and Recoleta, where many Palestinian-Chilean families live. Seafood restaurants are the easiest everyday choice.
Gluten-free: Reasonable in modern restaurants, where 'sin gluten' is understood and gluten-free products are sold in supermarkets. Completos, empanadas, sandwiches and sopaipillas are wheat-based; humitas, pastel de choclo (check), grilled fish and meat are naturally gluten-free.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Touts at the Mercado Central pulling visitors into the large central restaurants, where prices are much higher than at the smaller places around the edges. Walk around first, compare menus with prices, and choose one of the smaller restaurants on the sides of the market.
- The 'mustard' or spilled-liquid trick: someone squirts a substance on you and a 'helper' offers to clean it while an accomplice steals your bag or phone, mostly in the centre. If something is spilled on you, keep walking and clean it up later somewhere safe; don't let strangers wipe you down.
- The 10% 'propina sugerida' (suggested tip) added to the bill, sometimes presented as obligatory. The tip is voluntary; staff must ask if you want to include it. It's customary to pay it for good service, but you can decline.
- Phone and bag snatching at outdoor tables in busy areas like Bellavista and the centre. Don't leave phones on the table and keep bags on your lap or strapped to your chair.
Top tours & activities in Santiago
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Santiago?
Yes, 10% is customary. Restaurants usually show a 'propina sugerida' (suggested tip) of 10% on the bill and the waiter will ask if you want to include it. It is voluntary but expected for normal service. Cafés and counters may have a tip jar. On food tours, tipping the guide is appreciated, roughly CLP 5,000–10,000 per person.
Is the Mercado Central worth visiting?
Yes, for the building and the fish stalls, but eat carefully. The big restaurants in the middle target tourists with high prices and touts. The smaller restaurants around the sides serve similar caldillo de congrio, machas and ceviche for less. Go at lunchtime, when it is busiest. For cheaper food and a more local feel, cross the river to La Vega Central.
What should I eat first in Santiago?
Start with a completo italiano at a fuente de soda, an empanada de pino from a bakery, and a chacarero sandwich. At the Mercado Central try caldillo de congrio and machas a la parmesana. In summer, look for pastel de choclo and mote con huesillo; in winter, sopaipillas with syrup. Drink a pisco sour and Chilean Carménère.
Is street food safe in Santiago?
Generally yes. Sopaipillas, empanadas and completos from busy shops and carts are cooked fresh. Tap water in Santiago is safe to drink, though its mineral content can upset some stomachs; many visitors use bottled water at first. Seafood is best eaten at busy restaurants with high turnover.
What time do people eat in Santiago?
Lunch is the main meal, usually from about 13:00 to 15:00, and many restaurants offer a set lunch on weekdays. In the late afternoon, Chileans have 'once' — tea or coffee with bread, avocado, cheese and ham, sometimes replacing dinner. Restaurant dinner starts around 20:30–21:00 and runs late, especially on weekends.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a budget, about CLP 20,000–30,000 (roughly €18–28) a day covers bakery breakfast, a set lunch and street food. With a market seafood lunch and a restaurant dinner with wine, expect roughly CLP 45,000–70,000. Top restaurants in Vitacura, Las Condes and Lastarria can cost CLP 60,000–100,000 or more per person.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.