La Mesita de Almanza

The first Almanza restaurant, opened by Lito Lavía and his wife Loreto in 2014. Lito greets guests and creates the atmosphere at a shared table, Loreto cooks. 16–25 seats. Signature dishes: centolla "volcano" (baked crab with cream and breadcrumbs) and "Sorretolla" — sorrentinos with crab sauce. TripAdvisor 4.8/5, #5 of 192 Ushuaia restaurants. Cucinare.tv reported in 2023 a 6-month waiting list. Open noon to 17:00. Instagram: @lamesitadealmanza.

La Sirena y El Capitan

Fisherman Kike — owner, fisherman, chef and waiter in one. Fishing hut interior: nets, buoys, old hooks, wood-burning stove. The only place with cachiyuyo seaweed buñuelos — kelp from the Beagle Channel. Patagonian toothfish (mero negro), mussels, centolla. Red as Velvet blog called it "the most authentic fishing experience." Several tables, cash only.

Alma Yagán

Diana Mendez — former fisherwoman, captain of her own boat, co-founder of Puerto Pirata. In 2018 she opened her own restaurant 20 minutes' walk from Almanza — on wooden boardwalks through the lenga forest to a rocky cliff over the channel. Just 2 tables, two seatings a day. Five-course tasting menu: mussel cream soup, sea bass, centolla in cream, calafate ice cream. All ingredients sourced within a few kilometers. TripAdvisor 5.0/5. About $100 per person with wine. Swoop Patagonia blog called this place "a secret kitchen at the end of the world."

Puerto Pirata

Sergio Carrera, nickname Zuco, and his son Lucas (chef) receive guests in Punta Parana, 11 km past Almanza. No electricity, no signal, no menu — just a boat, traps and the Beagle Channel. Guests go out with the fishermen, pull centolla and eat the catch on the shore. 5 tables, bookings via WhatsApp. TripAdvisor 4.9/5, #4 of 185 Ushuaia restaurants.

Practical info

All four restaurants only do lunch (12:00–17:00). Booking mandatory — tables are few. Cash or bank transfer, no cards. Season: October — March. Drive from Ushuaia 75–90 km, 1.5–2 hours, last stretch dirt road. No public transport.