LANDED’s Favorite Culinary Destinations

One of the privileges of traveling throughout Latin America is the astonishing variety and quality of its cuisine. Each country, and often each region, offers a unique blend of flavors, techniques, and traditions. We’ve been exploring Central America and South America for decades, but we’re constantly discovering new flavors.

From bustling markets to high-end restaurants Latin America has something to offer every palette.

We can’t include every location we love (I’m thinking of you Rio, Quito, Bogota, and Mendoza) but here is an abbreviated list of some of our favorite dining destinations in Central and South America.

Join us as we take you on a journey through our top picks, celebrating the incredible food culture of Latin America.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

The greater Buenos Aires area is home to more than 16 million residents, so you’re right to expect diverse deliciousness. Its major culinary inheritances flow from Spain, Italy, the UK, the Levant, southeast Asia, and across South America. In short, you’ll find much more than steakhouses and empanadas.

So what do we look forward to when visiting Buenos Aires? Among the recent standouts have been meals at Mishiguene, Roux, Marti, Gran Dabbang, Mudra, Aramburu, Comedor Narda, and Julia. Fine dining options we’re eager to try? Alo’s and Trescha.

Don Julio is a perennial prize winner for steak. But you might also try Elena.

Where to go for empanadas? San Juanino in Recoleta. Fresh pasta? Sottovoce or Quotidiano.

If you have a sweet tooth, gelato at Cadore or Rapa Nui, medialunas from El Progresso, and chocolates from Vasalissa.

Lima, Peru

Peru is a cradle of ancient civilizations on par with Mesopotamia, India, and Mexico. So too, it is one of the world’s great culinary destinations—a rival to Thailand, Spain, or Italy.
Think we’re exaggerating? San Pellegrino’s current list of the top 50 restaurants in all of Latin America includes eight Lima restaurants—a total rivaled only by Buenos Aires.

We’ve loved dining at Isolina, Central, Kjolle, and Maido, but have also had great meals at hole-in-the-wall cevicherias and braserias.

If we were forced to choose to visit only one city in South America for fine dining for the rest of our lives, most of us would choose Lima. Why?

Markets like Surquillo and San Isidro
Anticuchos and picarones
Fine dining at the tables of world-class chefs such as Virgilio Martinez, Pia Leon, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, and Rafael Osterling.
One of the most abundant fisheries in the Pacific
Andean produce such as potatoes, quinoa, and heirloom maize
Miracles of the Amazon, from cacao and chiles to custard apples and lucuma

We asked friends in Lima for some off-the-beaten path favorites, they mentioned Awicha, Merito, Chifa Wa Lok, La Cuina de Bonilla, Ache, Cumpa, Piedra, and La Picanteria. More to look forward to for our next trip.

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Brazil Private Custom Travel Design Sao Paulo Market Rambutan

It is no surprise that Brazil’s economic capital and largest city is a world-class destination for fine dining. We’ve enjoyed unforgettable meals at Mani, DOM, Casa de Porco, Evvai, and Boteco de Dona Onça. Baianeria is a favorite for traditional dishes from Bahia and Minas Gerais.

Sao Paulo’s large population of Japanese immigrants have established top-notch ramen (lamen) and sushi bars, many of which are located in the Liberdade neighborhood. Some of our favorites include Huto, JAM, Lamen Kazu, and Nara Lamen.

For something truly local, visit the spotless Mercado Municipal Paulistano or try the pernil (pork leg) sandwiches at Estadao. For ice cream, Frida e Mina or Bacio de Latte.

Cartagena, Colombia

If you’re headed to one of the major cities in Colombia, you’ll eat well. That’s true whether you’re in Bogota, Medellin, Santa Marta, or the Zona Cafetera. But Cartagena has a special magnetism that calls us back again and again. Maybe it’s the sunsets, the salsa vibes, or the way locals dress up for a night out, but evenings here are just more memorable.

It would be hard to imagine a place in Latin America where you reach so many superb restaurants within easy walking distance of each other. Probably our favorite restaurant in South America, at the time we’re publishing this article, is Celele—a project headed by Jaime Rodriguez Camacho.

For something less formal we love Pascal, Municipal, and the seafood cocktails at El Sombreron.

If you’re out for a walk, try the arepa de huevo at Donde Magola, patacon relleno at Patacon de U outside Cartagena University, coconut lemonade at Armeria Hotel, pan de bono at the corner bakery, or chicken empanadas at Munol. All that, along with rum and coffee tastings, or cocktails at Alquimico.

For something sweet, visit the Tremonti and Paraiso gelato shops or try a morning bun at Mila.

Panama City, Panama

Panama City is the most cosmopolitan of the Central American capitals. It’s a canal-centered commerce hub, with high-rises and duty-free zones. At the edge of the glitz, the Casco Viejo is a window into the city’s past—gilded churches, palm shaded plazas, and a fortified waterfront.

Any time we’re headed through Panama, we’ll extend the trip for at least two nights to revisit some of our favorite restaurants, markets, and shops.

You won’t go wrong at seafood-forward standouts such as Mario Castrellon’s Maito and José Olmedo Carles Rojas’s Fondo lo Que Hay. We also love the surprising speak-easiness of Intimo and Cantina del Tigre.

Chef Saul Umana, one of our go-to references for what’s new and noteworthy in Panama also recommends Umi for sushi, sashimi, and platos pedidos.

As a sweet finish, visit the ice cream masters at Grandclement and the chocolatiers of Oro Moreno, La Praline, and Nome.

Santiago, Chile

Chile is a geographical oddity, stretching from Peru to the Antarctic, with territorial administration reaching westward into southern Polynesia. Its culinary resources span the southern Pacific and Antarctic Oceans, the Andes, the Atacama, and the fertile valleys of the Cordillera Central.

You can’t pigeonhole Chilean food; at best, you’ll end up listing commonalities such as fresh seafood and lamb, artisanal vegetables, top-tier wine, and the spice mix known as aliño completo.

If we’re headed to Patagonia or the Atacama, we always aim for two to three nights in Santiago to sample the creativity of its kitchens. One of our all-time favorites is Borago, where we’ve enjoyed Rodolfo Guzman’s genius for more than a decade. Other solid fine-dining selections have included Ambrosia, Santa Elvira, and 99 Restaurante.

When we dine out locals, we want to eat at places they know well—restaurants where they are treated like family. Those include Doña Tina, Naoki, Fukasawa, Buriana, Carnal, and Restaurante Mariqueria El Manio.

As always, we have some ice cream recommendations for you. Emporio la Rosa is a solid option. We’d also encourage you to try El Toldo Azul and InPasta.

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