Must-Eat Santiago Food: Best Cheap Eats Santiago, Chile

Travelers searching for the best food in Santiago, Chile have plenty of choices. Chile is a diverse country and the delicious Chilean cuisine is equally varied. In the capital city of Santiago, visitors can get a taste of classic food and traditional dishes – without breaking the bank. In fact, our top picks for Must-Try Santiago Food also rank as the city’s best cheap eats!

 

Traditional Santiago Food…on a Budget

Traditional Chilean food is heavily linked to the region’s natural resources, yet it carries the influence of the nation’s European immigrants. The unique commingling of flavors and styles has resulted in a rich Chile food culture. While the menu offerings differ from north to south, in Santiago tourists can sample an array of the country’s most popular foods. 

That said, travelers visiting Santiago on a budget might be hesitant to engage in the local culinary scene. A quick glance at top Santiago restaurant menus reveals prices that are on par with dining out in the United States. Rest assured, however, that it is possible to feast on famous Santiago, Chile foods while keeping your budget in check!

 

Best Cheap Eats Santiago, Chile

When we complied our personal list of what to eat in Santiago, Chile, we kept our budget top of mind. Rather than sit-down meals, we sought out Santiago street food and instead of fancy restaurants, we ate local market fare. 

In the end, we learned that some of the best Santiago foods are budget eats. Even better, the budget Santiago food that we ate provided extremely local experiences!

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The Best Santiago Food for Cheap

On our quest to eat Santiago, Chile’s most famous foods (without over-spending), we discovered some of the city’s culinary treasures. Highlights of our list include a local lomito sandwich, divine empanadas and fabulous fresh fish. 

Save, Pin or Bookmark our Santiago Food Guide for your trip to Chile!

 

#1 LOMITO SANDWICH

A legendary sandwich, the Lomito is a South America specialty. The main component of the sandwich is pork loin. After hours of simmering, the pork is thinly sliced and covered in a broth of secret spices before being heaped onto a freshly-baked bun.

The sandwich can be enhanced with a variety of toppings. The popular Lomito Completo is topped with sauerkraut, tomato sauce and mayo. 

 

Where To Eat Sandwich de Lomito: Antigua Fuente

Formerly known as Fuente Alemana Santiago, Antigua Fuente is the place to indulge in the glorious Lomito sandwich. Carrying on a longstanding Santiago tradition, the Antigua Fuente Lomito sandwich is an artform…and it’s absolutely massive!

La Fuente Alemana served as an institution in the city. The German diner-style eatery was owned and managed by the Siri family for 50 years. Although now under new ownership, the Lomito Completo still ranks as the best sandwich in Santiago. 

Hungry patrons squeeze into the noisy restaurant, hoping to find an unoccupied seat at the long counter. Like a well-oiled machine, the cooks and waitresses, clad in traditional aprons, work in sync as they expertly and effortlessly assemble heaving sandwiches to serve alongside chop (draft) beer. The production is almost as fascinating as the sandwiches!

 

Dining at Antigua Fuente in Santiago, Chile

The signature Lomito Completo sandwich ranks supreme at Antigua Fuente, but there are many menu options and flavor combinations. 

In fact, our preferred sandwich is the Lomito Italiano, which is piled high with thick-sliced tomatoes, a heaping portion of sauerkraut, an obscene amount of Chilean mayonnaise and a slather of mashed avocado. The colossal sandwich costs around $12 USD, but it can easily be shared by two people.

The Churrasco Alameda is a sliced beef sandwich with melted cheese, crispy bacon and onions, while the Rumano is a mix of pork and beef. 

Top Tip: The Lomito Completo is not to be confused with the Completo Chileno. The Lomito is a pork sandwich, whereas the Chileno is a Chilean hot dog. When ordered ‘Completo’ is comes with the same toppings as the Lomito Completo sandwich.

 

Finding Antigua Fuente

Anyone searching for the best restaurants in Santiago, Chile are likely to stumble onto Antigua Fuente. Not only is it one of the top Cheap Eats on TripAdvisor Santiago, the restaurant was also featured by (the late) Anthony Bourdain on No Reservations Chile. The address of the original Antigua Fuente location is: Av Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 58, Santiago, Chile – Map and Reviews. 

 

#2 CHILEAN EMPANADAS

Empanadas serve as a satisfying budget meal throughout Latin America. The little pockets of dough are filled with an array of mixtures – from meat to cheese to vegetables. Baked or fried empanadas are available at markets, bakeries and even the grocery store – and typically cost about $1-2 USD each.

Because of their price, portability and appetizing taste, empanadas are one of the most popular foods in Chile. 

Unlike empanadas we have eaten around the world, Chilean empanadas are unique. The empanadas de pino – or meat empanadas – are typically stuffed with a blend of ground beef, sautéed onion, garlic, hard-boiled eggs and olives.

Some empanadas in Chile even include raisins. Additionally, it is considered more traditional to bake the empanadas than to fry them in Chile.

 

Where To Eat Empanadas: Zunino

On our search to find the best empanadas in Santiago, we made our way to Zunino Emporio. The restaurant was founded in 1930 by two brothers, who were Italian immigrants. Using quality ingredients – some of which are imported from Italy – the Zunino family perfected the empanada recipe. They only make two kinds of empanadas: Pino or Queso.

The Empanadas de Pino are made with a flavorful combination of meat, onion, egg and olives using a traditional dough. The queso empanadas are made with puff pastry dough wrapped around melted Gouda cheese. Both are absolutely delicious. The cost for a single meat empanada is 2000 CLP; the price for cheese is 2350 CLP (right around $2.50 USD each).

In addition to empanadas, Zunino also creates an incredible number of Italian dishes – including a scrumptious individual-sized Napolitana-style pizza. From the deli case, guests can also purchase fresh-made pastas and imported cheese to-go.

 

Eating at Restaurant Zunino Empanadas Santiago Centro

Even though empanadas are fast food, there will almost certainly be a line at Zunino – as there was when we arrived. The queue moved fast; we ordered and paid then retrieved our piping-hot empanadas from the counter in a matter of minutes.

There are no tables at Zunino, but there is standing room with counter space. We considered taking our empanadas to-go but couldn’t resist the opportunity to eat them fresh from the oven – so we devoured them on-site.

Zunino Emporio is located in a corner shop on the outside of Mercado Central Santiago de Chile. The address is Puente 801, Mercado Central Santiago – Map and Reviews. 

 

#3 FRESH FISH at CHILEAN FOOD MARKETS

Markets – or mercados – in Santiago are not just a place to shop for seasonal produce and fresh meat and fish, but also a place to sit down and dine. In the depths of the bustling markets, visitors will find small restaurants where local chefs cook authentic Chilean cuisine. 

The food at Santiago market restaurants is incredibly fresh. Many of the dishes are homemade comfort fare, but we recommend seeking out seafood specialties. From fresh fish platters to flaming seafood soup, the options are endless!

 

Where To Eat Fresh Fish: La Vega Chica Market

While Mercado Central in downtown Santiago ranks as the most popular among tourists, we recommend that budget travelers skip it for a sit-down meal. The prices at the restaurants at Mercado Central are excessive in comparison to most establishments in the city.

Instead, we encourage visitors to venture into the Local Santiago Markets, where restaurants are hidden in the labyrinth of vendors. Of the many markets we visited, La Vega Chica Market quickly became our favorite – both for the fun restaurants and affordable food! 

We can’t recommend one single place – there are so many excellent choices. We do suggest, however, that you ask to see a menu before sitting down. While most of the restaurants at La Vega Chica are affordable, some meals may come with high price tags. 

 

#4 TERREMOTO COCKTAIL

Okay, the sickly-sweet Terremoto – a concoction of white wine and pineapple ice cream – is an inexpensive yet intoxicating beverage, not actually food. But as the national drink of Chile, the Terremoto is offered at most restaurants and bars and is surprisingly filling if you can handle it!

The most famous place to drink Terremotos in Santiago is at the iconic La Piojera, where they sell cheap Terremotos in plastic cups. They also crank out some tasty and affordable eats. Go with a Chorrillana to share, which is a mound of fries piled high with meat and eggs.

With sticky floors, sticky tables and a boisterous atmosphere, the lively La Piojera bar is truly a Santiago experience! Location and Reviews.

 

Tips for Cheap Drinks at Bars in Santiago, Chile

Tourists visiting Santiago de Chile should not have too much of an issue when searching for inexpensive drinks. Local wine and draft beer are widely available and often affordable.

Upscale neighborhoods and touristy bars, however, can come with a steep upcharge – so check prices before you order. We blindly ordered a recommended beer at a bar in Bellavista without inquiring about the price and got a Belgian Beer costing about $10 USD!

Pisco Sours are also considered to be Chile’s national drink – and they come in a range of prices. For an inexpensive and stiff Piscola, head to Bar Rapa Nui (a nod to Chile’s Easter Island). 

Of course, travelers looking for the cheapest Santiago alcoholic beverages can just swing by the local grocery store, where good Chilean wine can cost as little as $3 USD. 

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More Santiago and Chile Travel Guides

There is more to planning a Santiago vacation than deciding where to eat and drink! We share heaps of tips in our articles for Traveling to Chile.

• Best Things To Do in Santiago 
• Top Santiago Markets
• What To See in Puerto Varas
• Plan a Trip to Easter Island
• Best Easter Island Hike
• Full Day Easter Island Tour

 

Organize Your Trip to Chile

As you begin to make plans and reservations for Santiago, organization is key. Stay on top of all the details of your Chile trip with our Printable Travel Planner!

 

Start planning your trip to Chile! Search for the lowest airfares, the best accommodations and fun things to do…then start packing!  Want more travel advice? Head over to our Travel Planning Page for tips on traveling – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides Page!

 

 

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