Peumayén Ancestral Food — Restaurant in Providencia

After having booked a month before, we were so looking forward to this dinner, our last day in Chile. Arrived at 19:30, nobody came to our table for 20+ minutes. Then I noticed a server (a woman with long red hair) in a animated discussion w a colleague, while looking towards our table. It seemed they were arguing about who had to tend to our table (we were in a far corner and had 2 large groups seated around us). She then came towards us looking quite annoyed and in a rush and without a “hello” or “welcome to Peumayen”, she just said “are you ready to order”? Startled, we asked a couple of questions about the menus origen. She literally said “ the list of all items is at the bottom of the menu on your phones”. We proceeded to order 2 piscos and 2 menu origens. It was 19:55. By 20:25 NOTHING nor NOBODY had returned to our table, to bring the drinks or at least give us the courtesy to acknowledge the delay or explain things were busy, but we’ll bring your order soon. NOTHING, not a nod, or a glance or a smile. She vanished. At that point (55 minutes after having arrived and sat down) we got up and left, much to my disappointment (I was really looking frwd to trying out this restaurant). Never before have I experienced such unprofessional, rude and frankly offensive behavior in a service establishment. The fact that nobody there seemed to be in charge made things even worse and showed that the problem isn’t just that immensely unprofessional waitress, but the restaurant management as a whole. Hence the reason to write my review, not so much as a feedback to the restaurant itself (I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears), but to help avoid such a disappointing evening to other...

Peumayen Ancestral Food: A Tale of Missed Potential.

Peumayen's promise of ancestral, native flavors intrigued me, so I embarked on their vegetarian tasting menu with high hopes. While some courses delivered glimmers of that promise, the overall experience fell short.

The highlights were undeniable. The amuse bouche, featuring seasonal ingredients like fresh herbs and quinoa was a delightful introduction. A couple of main courses used unique combinations of vegetables and grains, showcasing the potential of Peumayen's culinary vision.

However, several aspects dampened the experience. Sadly, the promised vegetarian substitutions weren't available for all courses, leaving me with limited options on "don't eat that" moments. Worse, the same amuse bouche reappeared multiple times throughout the menu, feeling repetitive instead of offering new tastes.

Perhaps the most disappointing was the bread. Undercooked and nearly raw in texture, it was unsettling and detracted from the enjoyment of the accompanying dishes.

The service was pleasant but lacked finesse. While attentiveness was present, there was a complete absence of wine service. I ended up pouring the entire night for my family, which felt awkward considering the restaurant's price point and tipping expectations for that aspect of the service.

Overall, Peumayen left me with mixed feelings. While flashes of brilliance hinted at what could be, the inconsistencies and missed opportunities overshadowed the experience. Three stars reflect the potential I glimpsed, but also the need for significant improvement to truly live up to the ancestral culinary journey they...

We have been traveling throughout Chile for about a week. We’ve tried to find places serving true Chilean cuisine to experience the culture, but we struggled. This place has that historic food, friendly service that explain where it comes from, and an atmosphere that feels true to Chile.

We began with a platter of historical breads and doughs from the country, a traditional grain from every part of the country, south to north. My personal favorite was the bread from Rapa Nui, which had an interesting use of banana.

We tried 6 clams and 6 oysters, caught from the Chilean coast. We come from New England, so we’ve had our fair share of oysters—these offered something unique to South America, with some interesting differences from back home. The oysters here have more meat in their shells and less brine, a little more chew, and a slightly different flavor. Overall, worth trying!

We also sampled guanaco tartar (guanaco is an animal closely related to llamas), which was fantastic and surprisingly different from beef tartar. It was incredibly delicious and I would absolutely try it again.

Lastly, we had the “Fried southern hake” and “Shrimp in chascu sauce”. Both were fantastic and excellently incorporated original South American flavors. The shrimp dish was almost soup-like, and the sauce itself was fantastic. The hake—cooked perfectly—came on a potato stew that, just like everything else, incorporated traditional flavors very well.

Overall, very interesting, unique, and excellent place—would visit again, and would recommend to anyone traveling...