The 1872 iron-and-glass central market is the most beautiful building in Santiago and the right place to eat Chilean seafood — congrio (conger eel), chupe de centolla (king crab gratin), and the full range of the cold Pacific's extraordinary catch. Go at lunch; sit at the central restaurants rather than the tourist-facing perimeter stalls.
Why It Belongs on the List
Mercado Central is a genuine 19th-century iron market hall built to a design inspired by London's Crystal Palace — the architecture alone justifies the visit. The market's central restaurants serve the best seafood lunch in the city: congrio frito (fried conger eel), caldillo de congrio (Pablo Neruda's favorite soup), chupe de centolla, and whatever arrived fresh from the Pacific that morning. Sit at Don Augusto or Donde Augusto in the center; avoid the tourist stalls along the perimeter.
What Stands Out
- 1872 iron-and-glass market hall — most beautiful building in Santiago
- Congrio frito, caldillo de congrio, chupe de centolla
- Best seafood lunch in the city
- Sit in the center
- Go at noon