La Calma by Fredes

La Calma was the perfect finale to our three‑week trip. Every dish was fresh, beautifully prepared, and absolutely delicious. The service was outstanding—our server, Mattius, went above and beyond, guiding us through the menu with care and helping us select a wonderful Chilean wine that paired perfectly with our meal.

Great meal with a fun intro into Chilean seafood and wine. Superb service, including descriptions and wine recommendations.

True definition of a 5 star restaurant, the food is phenomenal, incredible variety of seafood followed by an excellent service - they explained everything in detail, it was noticeable that staff is very well trained and attentive. This restaurant deserves prizes and nominations

Amazing seafood, absolutely the best we’ve had in Santiago. The ceviches are amazing, especially the spicy ceviche - much better tha La Mar.

The best Chilean Seafood we had, service was impeccable, the seafood was unique to Chile, the grilled octopus was perfect. Highly recommend. Upscale but not snobby.

The food was amazing: The octopus was cooked and seasoned well and the ceviche was great. My favorite was the stewed conger eel; it was perfectly cooked (a bit caramelized and finished in a mirepoix stew that complemented the fish perfectly). The squid ink fideoes were fantastic. The service was slightly below average, but the food was so good I would certainly come back time and time again.

Unfortunately, the experience failed to deliver on even the most basic expectations of quality. We ordered their two signature dishes—the seafood platter and the Patagonia king crab—both priced at a premium that should guarantee freshness and execution. Instead, the raw fish on the platter arrived with an unmistakably fishy smell and taste, signaling anything *but* freshness. The body of the king crab suffered the same fate. When we raised this (very reasonably) to management, the manager consulted the kitchen and returned with an explanation that the seafood wasn’t “not fresh,” but rather “matured” for a couple of days. This felt more like linguistic gymnastics than transparency—rephrasing the issue instead of taking accountability for it. What made the situation more frustrating was the manager’s demeanor: unsympathetic, dismissive, and unwilling to acknowledge the problem. Their offered “solution” was simply to replace the raw items with cooked versions of things we had already eaten—hardly appropriate for what is supposed to be a curated tasting experience. The bright spot of the evening was our waiter, who was warm, attentive, and sincerely apologetic. He even offered us a complimentary dessert, which we genuinely appreciated. But exceptional service from one staff member cannot compensate for poor food quality, weak management, and an overall underwhelming dining experience. Calma simply does not live up to the hype, nor does it justify its price point. Sadly, this meal was emblematic of what has been a broader trend—Santiago’s dining scene has been surprisingly underwhelming compared to other culinary destinations in South America. I would not recommend Calma, and I hope they take a hard look at the gap between their reputation and the reality they’re serving.

Amazing experience at La Calma by Fredes! The service was top-notch. The food was fresh and exquisite. The octopus was one of the best I’ve had and the king crab pasta to die for. Our server also recommended the panna cotta for dessert, it tasted like a Christmas morning and not sweet at all. Definitely recommend if you’re visiting Santiago