Cuzco
This retro-cool Peruvian Chinese restaurant is inviting on all sensory levels. It's also very popular; unfortunately, the dining experience, with clumsy…
Must-see restaurants in South America
Trujillo
You can spot this place by the near-constant lines snaking around the corner in summer as locals queue for the drool-inducing juices. But don’t leave it…
Rio de Janeiro
Upstairs from Bar Urca's popular snack stand you'll find an elegantly set dining room with memorable views across the bay. The seafood is first rate, with…
Brazil
These rockstar-themed gourmet burgers are worth the 3km haul up to Altiplano, where the owners' former home has been transformed into a trendy gathering…
Guayaquil
The best restaurant for traditional Ecuadorian specialties also has traditionally dressed waiters. Sit at the tables with wooden benches and share several…
La Paz
We don’t know where (or how) they get their fresh ingredients, but this candlelit underground restaurant has figured it out, offering up dish after dish…
La Paz
Get down to 'the bones' with a hearty Andean lunch of four favorite fried fish in a delicious home-made batter, all served with crispy ispi (little…
Buenos Aires
This colorful, hipster-friendly Vietnamese-Argentine eatery is a cozy and casual – and affordable! – foodie haven in Retiro. Order spicy noodles or pho at…
Fortaleza
Santa Clara is one of the city’s happening pontos de encontros; loosely translated, this means where hot people go to mingle (and cool down in the icy air…
Rio de Janeiro State
Directly opposite the picturesque 17th-century white church on Cabo Frio's most historic square, this eatery in a colonial house serves sophisticated…
La Serena
Tucked away in a residential neighborhood 1.5km south of the plaza, Lemongrass has a loyal local following for its delicious pan-Asian cooking – a rarity…
São Paulo
This top-quality casual grill (there's a more formal location at gastronomy-heavy Shopping JK) serves the city's best steak – don't let anyone tell you…
South Coast
It's a bit of a walk out of the center but this local institution is the best place in town to enjoy traditional dishes. It knocks out good ceviches and…
Elqui Valley
Don't miss lunch at this restaurant 5km southeast of Vicuña, where a group of women discovered a groundbreaking way to cook with sunrays instead of hard…
South Coast
This new edition is one of the coolest hangout spots in town. A converted VW campervan food truck fronts onto a sleek patio with fairy lights and wooden…
Iquique
This small rock-music-loving joint dishes up sizzling gourmet burgers and frothy craft brews to a postsurf crowd near the beach. The draw: delectable…
Guayaquil
This unassuming place on main road Av del Periodista (San Jorge) has white walls, black benches and simple chalkboards with funny slogans and cute…
Lima
Venerated Japanese superchef Nobu Matsuhisa once co-owned this sushi bar. Its new location is posh and atmospheric. Diners come to try some of the most…
North Coast
This retro-pop pub cranks out the hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s, and serves up plentiful seafood favorites such as ceviche and chupe de cangrejo (crab…
Praia da Pipa
Tapas is a culinary godsend, a labor of love of a well-traveled paulista couple who dish out large Brazilian tapas peppered with Thai, Indian, French and…
Ayacucho
This bustling and stylish hangout advertises Peruvian food but what it serves is almost fusion cuisine. Get ready for the likes of the house lomo saltado …
Fortaleza
Hugely popular with local families, this grill restaurant has a fabulous main dining room covered in old movie posters; it houses a collection of hundreds…
Medellín
One of Medellín's long-standing romantic restaurants, La Provincia is an essay on the finer points of seafood prep. Most dishes are made to share, from…
The Lakes District
Don't let the name evoke garden gnomes and lederhosen – this is a dead-serious steakhouse tucked just enough inland from the lake that most folks don't…
Santiago
This is one of Santiago's more innovative dining experiences. The name means 'French Barbershop,' and that's exactly what this elegant corner building,…
São Paulo State
It’s worth popping to the Grande Hotel for this award-winning pizzeria. Firing in the wood-burning oven is interrupted three times to slather the pies…
South Coast
Away from the main tourist drag, one block inland from Chipipe Beach, you'll find this inexpensive local empanada shop with plastic chairs, selling fine…
Huaraz & the Cordilleras
This gourmet bistro with checkered tablecloths and colorful blackboard menus is a respite from the usual suspects. It serves up interesting sandwiches (as…
Elqui Valley
In an airy upstairs space across from the plaza, Govinda's serves up delicious and hearty vegetarian fare, with a menu that changes daily. Spaghetti with…
Recoleta & Barrio Norte
Originally founded in Bariloche (in Argentina's lakes region), Rapanui specializes in deliciously creamy helado (ice cream), adorably shaped chocolates,…
Around Medellín
Right on Parque de la Chinca, this top place serves authentic Spanish food – including excellent paella and fideuà – in a large courtyard and patio. The…
Pará
It's no surprise that the island's nicest hotel also has its most sophisticated restaurant. It's not easy to attract experienced staff to this culinary…
Ushuaia
Self-promoted as serving up ceviche de la puta madre (politely translated as 'fantastic seafood'), this place is run by a charismatic chef loved by locals…
Rio de Janeiro
Aconchego Carioca consistently ranks as one of the best places in town to eat traditional Brazilian cuisine. The setting, cozy and welcoming, has a casual…
São Paulo
The Moema location of this classic pizza Paulistana chain follows suit from its more lively Pinheiros location, churning out wood-oven baked pies (try…
Bariloche
The tantalizing aromas of a wood fire and grilled meat waft down the street, enticing you into this diminutive parrilla – one of Bariloche's best. The…
La Serena
One of La Serena's best restaurants, Donde el Guatón has a covered courtyard with beautifully tiled floors and an aesthetic of rustic elegance – a fine…
Norte Chico
Across from the waterfront, this popular spot serves up some of the best grilled fish in town. There's a happy buzz to the place, with locals and out-of…
Arica
Across the street from Playa Chinchorro, Rayú has earned a strong following for its creative menu that fuses Italian and Peruvian dishes. The upscale,…
Rio de Janeiro
Hands down, Azumi serves some of the best traditional Japanese cuisine in Rio. This laid-back sushi bar certainly has its fans – both in the nisei…
