Restaurants

Menus tend to be extensive, although two items in particular might be considered specialties: centolla (king crab) and moist, tender cordero magallánico (Magellanic lamb). Many Chilean restaurants offer salmon a la plancha (grilled), a satisfying local delicacy. If you hop the border into Argentina, the dining options are cheaper and similar. You'll find the same fire-roasted cordero (in Argentina it's cordero a la cruz or al asador), but you'll also get a chance to try the famous Argentine parrillas (grilled-meat restaurants). Many restaurants close for several hours in the afternoon and early evening (3–8).

Huge numbers of foreign visitors mean that vegetarian options are getting better; woks de verdura (vegetable stir-fries) are a newly ubiquitous option. Most cafés and bars serve quick bites known as minutas. The region is also famous for its stone fruits, which are used in various jams, preserves, sweets, and alfajores (a chocolate-covered sandwich of two cookies with jam in the middle). When in El Calafate, be sure to nibble on some calafate berries (or drink them in cocktails like the Calafate Sour)—legend has it if you eat them in El Calafate you are destined to return one day soon.