International

Housed in a tastefully decorated old building festooned with overhanging bougainvillea blossoms and painted in bright shades of green and blue, the finest restaurant in Flores [1] is undoubtedly La Luna (corner of Calle 30 de Junio and Calle 10 de Noviembre, tel. 7926-3346, lunch and dinner Mon–Sat., $6–12). Culinary highlights include stuffed peppers, steak in a black pepper cream sauce, boneless chicken breast in wine sauce, pastas, and vegetarian dishes, including falafel.

Also on Calle 30 de Junio is Capitán Tortuga (tel. 7926-0247, 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily). There is a spacious dining room housed under a large palapa structure and a two-story terrace with lake views where you can enjoy pasta, tacos, sandwiches, chicken quesadillas, grilled meats, and tasty pizzas in addition to a fully stocked bar. For snacks, try the burritos for about $5.

Across the street is La Albahaca (tel. 7926-3354 or 7926-0505, 6 p.m.–11 p.m. Tues.–Sun.), a cozy little place with a quiet atmosphere serving delicious beef and chicken recipes as well as scrumptious homemade pasta at reasonable prices. There is a nice assortment of Chilean wines.

For pizza and Italian food, try Pizzería Picasso (Calle 15 de Septiembre, tel. 7926-0673, 10:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Tues.–Sun.), serving reliable pastas and very good pizzas for around $10 for a large pie.

There are a number of good choices along Calle Unión, on the island’s northwest corner. La Villa del Chef (tel. 7926-0296, 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Mon.–Sun., 1–11 p.m. Tues.–Sun., $4–15), theoretically specializes in Arab and Mediterranean food, but serves a wide variety of sandwiches, pasta, chicken, and seafood dishes in an attractive lakeside atmosphere atop a small wooden deck. The parrillada petenera ($13) is a good option for sharing.

Just down the street, Terrazo (tel. 7867-5479, jpzeas [at] gmail [dot] com, 7:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., $3–9) is a welcome addition to Flores’s restaurant offerings. The owners have plenty of restaurant experience, having worked as chefs in some of the country’s best restaurants. There are delicious paninis, pastas, tagliatella, oven-baked fish fillet in potato, as well as smoothies and a full bar. The ambiance is also quite pleasant, set in an airy second-floor thatch roof terrace overlooking the lake. Chill music plays on the stereo.

The island’s sole Asian food recommendation is Suica (Calle Fraternidad, tel. 7926-3790, 1 p.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat.), where you can sit on woven mats and dine on sushi, fried rice, and other pan-Asian staples for about $4. It also has books for sale.