5 Best Restaurants in San Martin de los Andes, The Lake District

Easily one of the best microbreweries in Patagonia, Australis boasts a hearty German-inspired menu, with standout dishes such as smoked trout-stuffed pretzels and goulash. 

It wouldn't be a ski town without a fondue restaurant, and this one is particularly appealing. The cheese fondue is smooth and rich, while the meat version comes with cubes of Argentine beef in assorted cuts and up to 12 condiments. Vegetable fondues are a bit limp. Steaks and pasta are also served, plus there's a fantastic wine list. The service is warm, and the restaurant's two rooms—adorned with wooden panels and rustic tables—are equally well suited to children and honeymooners.

Cozy dark-wood tables and booths, a friendly staff, a chalkboard listing tempting specials—these are good building blocks for a restaurant. Order the smoked-meat plate with venison, boar, trout, salmon, and cheese as a starter; then try the Patagonian lamb al asador (on the open fire). Assorted parrilla classics are paired with a fine wine list.

Between the bay and the main street, this teahouse, with its award-winning garden, serves homemade cakes, pies, and scones. Moist chocolate brownie cake with dulce de leche (sweet caramelized milk) is a winner, as is a pile of filo leaves with dulce de leche and meringue on top. Jars of jam line the shelves.

This is one of the traditional top-end choices in town for locals and tourists alike. With tables scattered about the black-stone floor, and wine barrels, shelves, and every other imaginable surface stacked with pickled vegetables, smoked meats, cheese rounds, dried herbs, olive oils, and wine bottles, you might think you're in a Patagonian deli. Diners should try local wild game dishes; the "La Tasca" appetizer platter of smoked salmon, venison, boar, and trout pâté is especially good.