If you love the clamor of a big family Sunday dinner, then you’ll feel right at home at Donde Augusto in the middle of Santiago’s Central Market. Pisco sours appear almost immediately, followed by fresh salads, platters of seafood, and some of the most delicious French fries in South America. Before long, owner Donde Augusto arrives to insure that you’re enjoying his food as much as he’s enjoying having you as a guest.
A massive structure with an exquisite wrought-iron, latticework ceiling, Santiago’s Mercado Central opened in 1872 to house the Palace of Arts – before becoming the capital’s primary wholesale market for produce and seafood.
Designated a national monument in 1984, Mercado Central is currently the locale of numerous food stalls and restaurants, with Donde Augusto beckoning to seafood cognoscenti from around the world.
Well-loved by the locals, particularly for Sunday dinner, it’s no wonder that Mercado Central has appeared in Spanish telenovelas – and Donde Augusto proves to be a fitting set for a true slice of Chilean life.
