La Marmita

Great local find for seafood and meat, plus an interesting interior with lots of history on the walls. Everyone in our group enjoyed their appetizer and entrees, including the cocktails which were excellent. I had the mussels which were more than double in size than I’m used to in the US. Our servers were attentive too.

Excellent place! Very very recommended! I had mussels the size of a palm (see pics)! Also excellent steak and crab! Nice atmosphere, tasty beers, good service (with my bad Spanish and their bad English we managed to communicate ;) ). An absolute must in Punta Arenas!

The king crab here is highly recommended. We returned the following day for this. It is sweet and juicy. We tried this food in Natales, but it can not compare. The mussels are also very delicous, juicy. Among the three soups: garlic, pumpkin and beef, we like the beef the most. The pumpkin soup is just too plain, no flavor at all. The lama is well cooked, too dry. The pasta spices are overwhelming to me

Charming restaurant with warm service and excellent food. Went for dinner on a Monday night and was seated solo on the ground floor. The Pisco sour was well-balanced and delicious, and the salmon was absolutely perfect. I also want to be sure to comment on the complimentary bread—clearly made in-house, it was warm, crusty, and came with a garbanzo bean spread and a salsa that were both fresh and flavorful. The service was attentive and very warm, regardless of the fact that I was the only one in the restaurant at that time. Ate until I couldn’t eat anymore and would highly recommend.

Was a great spot for a lovely dinner! A nice atmosphere and cosy vibes. The calafate sours was the best we had in PA (was a frozen version) and the lamb was lovely! Recommend going early or booking as it gets busy but great service and was a great location from our hostal.

This place is outstanding. I’m a big soup lover, and both the garlic and beef soups were excellent - the garlic soup was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had (and coming from Poland, I know my garlic soups 😉). We also tried the blue tea (té azul) and main courses - mussels and a vegetarian stew, all of which were delicious.

I said I can't eat gluten and they gave me gluten free appetizers, on top of baking my fish on aluminum foil to avoid contamination, which is really reassuring for celiacs. The food was excellent, I will go back for sure if I visit Punta Arenas again.

Our favorite restaurant in Chile! Even before we stepped in, we were charmed by the appearance of both outside and the interior. The food is amazing. Not only delicious, but beautifully presented as well. Have to specifically mention calafate pisco sour, king crab, and of course the guanako meat. Wish we had more days in Punta Arenas just to have another opportunity to visit this welcoming place. Highly recommend!

Excellent incredible food. Very tasty. And beautiful presentation. The staff is all super friendly. And the interior is quiet and unique and interesting. It's a bit pricey. Spent 25 per person and the portion sizes are very small. Some vegetarian options.

This small restaurant is easy to find thanks to its colorful exterior. They have many signs saying they are cash only, but they do accept US$ and EU€ as well as CLP. We tried the sweet corn pie, the hare stew, and the charquican. There was also a small bread plate delivered to start. All the food was good, though the corn was a little lukewarm. The service was friendly and we were provided English menus, but they were largely absent and I don't know if that's cultural or just this place. Overall I'd be willing to go back, try more of the menu.

I was hopeful for the vegetarian options but the ones I tried were just ok. On the other hand our drinks were amazing-whatever basil blended pisco was on point and the herbal one is worth trying!

Started with a cherry Pisco sour, and I am very delighted. Husband and I both selected the salmon and if I say it is amazing it doesn't go it justice. So delicious!

I'll admit that I deviated from Yelp in Punta Arenas where Trip Advisor is king, and to their credit I will say that the site's top five restaurants (with the exception of one) were all top notch to include La Marmita, which was an excellent and authentic experience. Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere? Apart from being cash only (don't worry, they accept US Dollars), the service and atmosphere at La Marmita are brilliant, with friendly folks who speak English all around in what is a fantastically quaint chalet building. Star. Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost? The entrees as La Marmita range roughly between $15.00 and $25.00; and while those prices are a bit on the high side, they're reasonable given the portion sizes and the fantastic presentation. Star. Stars 3 and 4: How was the food? My soup appetizer and lamb entree were both very good, with the one weakness being that the lamb was pretty dry and could have benefitted from being pulled apart a bit before being cooked. My Dad's salmon was also good, but not quite as good as what we'd had the day before at La Cuisine nearby. Single Star. Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could? Without a doubt - this was an excellent culinary experience. Star.

We had a lovely dinner here while in town. It was super eclectic on the inside. Bright colors. Open windows. We sat upstairs by the window and it was such a cute place! We had really fresh local dishes including ceviche, rabbit stew and lamb. Everything was excellent!! The stew was hearty with squash, carrots and tender rabbit. Very good portion. The ceviche was fresh and light served with lettuce. Everything was delicious! We finished with a very tasty dessert that looked beautiful! A little sculpture on the plate of chocolate, cookie and sauces. It was delicious! The server was very helpful and friendly. They had a very nice red wine selection. It was a very pleasant meal and I would definitely recommend. They use fresh ingredients and have flavorful dishes with local spins.

Only the second restaurant (after Lenga) I've found on my Patagonia excursion that is worth a stop. Food was creative, well executed and presentation was top notch. Service was outstanding and decor was hip. Cash only. This is the diamond in the rough of the Punta Arenas culinary landscape. I had the lamb which I loved (note the lamb in Patagonia is not finished on a grain diet so is more "gamey" than say Colorado lamb). My brother had beef that was excellent as well. Eat here and live!

While in Punta Arenas/Patagonia, this is definitely a stop on the map. The food here is exquisitely prepared and carefully served and just the right portions. Rabbit stew, Austral Hake, and other goodies. A Pisco Sour that is made to perfection. This is off the beaten path, however feel like a four star restaurant in any big town. While visiting, please come by and try this place out. You will not be disappointed. Great service, great food, and great people. Cheers to Alejandro and Argentinea. Wonderful experience, Yelpters!!

At first, I was skeptical about La Marmita as it seems a touristy restaurant (everybody knows it) and I prefer to go where the local eats. Since I was around the block and tired; thought I gave a shot. I had crevice as starter and it was OK, not bad but not wow either. Then the AustralHake; this was AMAZING! The hake melts in your mouth, it was flavorful...sweet, sour, savory - as if the flavor was competing in my mouth. The squid ink spaghetti was cooked just right and had enough of the flavor from the sauce. As I dig 1/4 of the fish, there were shredded vegetables underneath, soaked the juice from the fish and all the flavor in it. I could not stop until it was all gone! I then decided to give their Turkish coffee a go...it was a perfect ending. The smell was like from a spice shop and the coffee had a hint of clove in it. My dinner was amazing. If you're a traveler who prefers local; don't past La Marmita; you won't regret it.

Awesome meal after an amazing journey in Patagonia. This place is a gem. So cute and so friendly. The food was flavorful and unique and the perfect conclusion to a trip they Patagonia living on tuna. Beautiful dishes! Thank you La Marmita

It's ok, but expected more. The atmosphere is nice and well presented, but the food is not up to the price. I would sacrifice the ambiance for tastier options. Get a few bowls of soup, drink the house beer then go elsewhere. Service Food delivery was ill timed. Ceviche (decent) was ordered as an appetizer but was delivered with the entrees. I thought one entree had been forgotten. It was at finally delivered when my companions we're almost done with their food. Food Ceviche was good but not excellent. Lamb over cooked. Guanaco (spelling?) was nicely cooked but bland. Hake was good, but not special. Soups were very good. Drink House beer is awesome. Staff Staff was very friendly and we were accommodated without a reservation

Very colorful restaurant with decent food. We sat down right away but waited a long time for a large party to order so they could give us their menus. I guess they ran out.

The food is well made for a home meal, but not very memorable. I tried King crab, ceviche, and guanaco stew. It was well prepared and tasted great, guanaco was a bit gamy, which is what you would expect

My husband and I ate here last night. It was delicious. The salmon in yogurt and chard was my favorite. Their dessert was also delicious.

Great ambience & hearty chilean food. Feels like a home cooked meal. Soups great. Lamb + Rice also a winner. Excellent options for vegetarians.

Highly recommend the food was so good I got the rib eye over mushroom risotto and it was delicious. The service was great they were so friendly.

We were lucky this restaurant was open on All Saints Day. The decor is quaint and exotic. We sat at a table whose glass top covered antique pictures, tickets, coins, and other memorabilia. Studying the table and other decor helped us pass the time since delivery was slow. I ordered the stone soup; the waiter dropped the hot stone into the sizzling bowl in front of me. The soup was a glorious mix of slices of chicken, beef and little pieces of veggies. My husband ordered the lamb shank which I had a bite of. The lamb was tender and tasty. Altogether it was a memorable meal.

Wonderful exploration of flavors with the king crab and the roast beef plates, as well as every plate is presented very professionally.

Had an excellent dinner at La Marmita on my last night in Chile. The lamb tagine was excellent, as was the house Pisco Sour. Charming atmosphere as well. Highly recommended.

This is a very fine restaurant. The ambient is very well though and very local. The staff is really helpful and they really care about your enjoyment. Shout out to Constanza which was the best waitress of the place. She made the best sour i've ever had in my life. A must go.

This was one of my favorite dining spots in Punta Arenas (along with Mesita Grande) during a three night stay before and after an Antarctic cruise. This was recommended to my friend and I by someone else who had visited PA and also got a positive write-up in the Lonely Planet book for Chile. Fair warning: CASH ONLY....bring CASH. No credit cards accepted, there is a small sign on the door, however we did see a couple who didn't have sufficient cash have a rather embarrassing interaction with their server (who justly suggested that one of them hit an ATM). The place was so good, we ate here twice. In both cases, we had our hotel call and make a reservation for us. I'd suggest doing the same. It's located on a quiet side street, which when we visited was partially walled off due to some construction. Someone did wisely spray paint the name of a restaurant and an arrow to guide you. Thank goodness, as it's in a rather unassuming spot. When you walk in (after hopefully noticing the cash only sign...if you can read Spanish), you are immediately taken by the funky interior. The walls are decorated with a ton of memorabilia and knick knacks from the area. There's a small area upstairs for dining as well. On both occasions, we split a few apps and an entree. There were so many things on the menu that seemed interesting, we went with that approach and it worked out well both times. For me the standout items were the ceviche, the crab, and the pumpkin ravioli with artichokes (sounds like a weird combination but it worked). The corn tart got mixed review from our table, I liked it but others were more lukewarm to it. The basil sour cocktail was a great twist on the Pisco sour. We hadn't encountered it much elsewhere, so it was a nice surprise. So good, I had them during both visits to start off the meal. Wine choices were solid as well. The service was warm and friendly. The restaurant called us a cab one evening as we ended on the later side and our hotel was on the other side of town. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation to come here! And did I mention....bring cash?

A true highlight of my stay in Punta Arenas. Every dish was complex, hearty and quite unique. The service and atmosphere were a compliment to the heartfelt food. Definitely try the "Mystic Soup!" :)

Amazing foods and a really nice atmosphere. The front of the restaurant is decorated as if you're walking into someone's home. The inside is the same decorated with various memorabilia from punta arenas. The staff is friendly and the food is amazing. I had the rabbit stew with potatoes carrots olives onions and of course rabbit. My friend was very happy with his pork tenderloin. I highly recommend this place and would definitely come back if I find myself in punta arenas again.

Both the food and the service were simply amazing. We had pumpkin soup and it was delicious. Tried some guanaco stew - so hearty and filling! We showed up before their open time and they were so nice and understanding as to get the restaurant just for us! What a special treatment on our first day in Punta Arenas.

I was expecting a lot based on other reviews. I had the guanaco brochettes and salmon. The brochettes were good. The salmon was overcooked for my taste. The main issue was the very poor service. Considering the price tag I would have expected more.

Mixed feelings about La Marmita. The decor was charming and the service appeared attentive at first. However, they got my husband's order wrong, and towards the end of the meal (maybe because the restaurant became more crowded) we had to work harder to get attention. Some food items were quite good. I really liked the salmon ceviche (excellent balance of flavors, generous portion) and the guanaco bruschettas (guanaco meat surprisingly not gamey, interesting blend of flavors and textures that worked well together). Husband seemed to enjoy his potato and corn soup. The main courses were not as good. Husband had grilled vegetable timbales even though that is not what he ordered. My husband is the opposite of picky when it comes to food so he just thought it was strange when he received the timbales and did not say anything about it until half way through the meal. Younger son did not enjoy his gnocchi. My lamb tangine was flavorless, watery, and lame. Older son ordered the hake and said it was only okay. I enjoyed the dessert, especially the toasted flour ice cream in red wine, a creative combination. The calafate ice cream was also good. Dessert presentation was impressive.