Where to Eat in Ushuaia (2026–27): King Crab, Fuegian Lamb, Merluza Negra and the Best Restaurants by Budget

Centolla (king crab) in Ushuaia: the complete buying guide

What exactly is centolla?

Centolla is Lithodes santolla, a southern king crab caught with traps in the Beagle Channel by a small local fishing fleet. The provincial tourism board says it can weigh up to 6 kg with a shell up to about 20 cm across; Argentina’s national tourism board puts the average at about 2 kg. It grows slowly: about five years to reach breeding age and ten to reach marketable size, according to the national board. Centolla is one of the products that carries the provincial Sello de Calidad Certificada Tierra del Fuego – Fin del Mundo quality label.

Centolla vs centollón: what’s the difference?

Centollón (Paralomis granulosa) is a smaller, more compact crab with less meat per animal. It’s a legitimate dish, but it isn’t centolla, and menus sometimes translate both as “king crab”. Under provincial Law 931, the minimum legal shell width is 12 cm for centolla and 8 cm for centollón, and the two species have different closed seasons. A real example of how this trips people up: one valley restaurant’s 2026 menu lists “Agnolotti de Centollón” in Spanish but “King Crab Agnolotti” in English. Always read the Spanish.

When is king crab season in Ushuaia?

Centolla fishing is closed (veda) from 1 March to 30 June every year, according to Argentina’s national tourism board and provincial Law 931. From July to February, the crab on your plate can be fresh from the Beagle. Centollón has its own closed season, 1 November to 28 February, so in peak summer any centollón you eat comes from stock.

Two points matter here:

• The veda limits fishing, not eating. The tourism boards note that centolla is also sold frozen, smoked and preserved, so restaurants can legally serve it all year. Frozen isn’t a scam. Selling frozen crab as “caught today” in April is.
• Some sources disagree. In 2023 Crítica Sur quoted Carlos Marzioni, Tierra del Fuego’s undersecretary of fisheries (“Hay menos centolla y nos preocupa”), and Diario Nuevo Día reported that Resolution 334/23 cut Subzone 1 licences from 23 to 15 and traps from 2,300 to 1,500, with a “veda total” from 1 May to 1 July in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The same Crítica Sur article said the veda runs “de abril a junio”, while Law 931 sets 1 March–30 June. We follow the official 1 March–30 June dates. If you’re planning a trip around crab, message the restaurant the week before you go.

How much does centolla cost in Ushuaia in 2026?

Expect ARS 60,000 for a plated centolla natural at a top restaurant (Kaupé’s online menu, October 2026), roughly USD 40–45 on a foreign card. A whole live crab from a tank is priced by weight and usually costs several times that; ask for the total before it goes into the pot.

To put that in perspective: in August 2026 Ushuaia’s El Diario del Fin del Mundo joked that a restaurant crab tank held about 6 million pesos’ worth of live crab, “the equivalent of 16 minimum wages”. Centolla is now a luxury for locals as well as for visitors.

How do I avoid a crab tourist trap?

Ask four questions before you order: which species, fresh or frozen, the weight, and the total price.

1. "¿Es centolla o centollón?" Check the Spanish name on the menu, not the English one.
2. "¿Es fresca o congelada?" This matters most from March to June. A good restaurant will tell you straight.
3. "¿Cuánto pesa y cuánto sale en total?" Whole crabs are often priced by weight. Ask the waiter to weigh it and give you the total before it’s cooked. At Freddy’s, you pick the crab you want from the tank.
4. "¿Qué incluye?" Check whether sides are included and whether there’s a cubierto.

A live tank shows the crabs are alive. It doesn’t tell you when they were caught or how well the kitchen cooks. Ask about origin and listen to how the staff answer.

How is centolla served, and what should I order first?

For your first time, order it al natural, either whole or as cleaned meat, so you taste the crab and not the sauce. After that:

• Gratinada / a la parmesana: cheesy and rich. Good if a whole crab looks too daunting.
• Chupe / cazuela: a creamy stew that warms you up on a cold night.
• Sorrentinos, tortellini, risotto: the cheapest way in, since only a little crab is used.
• Whole crab: bring patience. Restaurants give you scissors. Cut along the legs lengthwise, not across them, and ask the waiter to show you.

Wine pairing: a crisp Patagonian Sauvignon Blanc goes with crab al natural. A Chardonnay suits the creamy gratin versions.

Where is the best Fuegian lamb in Ushuaia?

Go to the Tierra Mayor valley, about 20 km from town on Ruta 3, where restaurants roast whole lambs over lenga fire. Tierra Mayor’s online menu lists cordero fueguino a la estaca with salad buffet and dessert at ARS 64,000 in October 2026, and you need to reserve it.

• Tierra Mayor: Ruta 3, about 21 km from the centre, open daily 09:30–17:00 according to Ushuaia’s tourism office. Lunch only, in a fire-lit mountain dining room. The menu also has lamb stew a la criolla (ARS 40,000), lamb sorrentinos (ARS 42,000) and a children’s lamb menu for under-11s (ARS 50,000). Drinks are extra, and the cubierto is ARS 10,000.
• Las Cotorras: another classic all-you-can-eat lamb restaurant in the valley. The official winter guide listed it at ARS 37,000 in June 2025, so expect more now. Reviewers love the lamb, though some say it’s expensive.
• Llanos del Castor: a valley restaurant that also serves lamb. We didn’t verify its 2026 prices.
• In town: La Estancia (a parrilla on San Martín, lamb al asador, all-you-can-eat or à la carte) and El Asador Steak House (all-you-can-eat meat service, ARS 55,000 without drinks in May 2025, per Info Viajera).

The valley beats town for lamb. The setting, the wood fire and the drive are part of the meal. Combine it with a morning hike, as in our Laguna Esmeralda hike guide, or with snow activities in winter.

Merluza negra: should I order it, and is it sustainable?

Yes, order it once. Merluza negra (Dissostichus eleginoides, Patagonian toothfish) is one of the best fish on Argentine menus. Kaupé serves it three ways at ARS 69,000.

On sustainability: Argentina’s bottom-trawl toothfish fishery south of 52°S is managed by the federal fisheries council (CFP) and the national fisheries undersecretariat. Since 2020 it has been in a fishery improvement project (PROME) run with the NGO CeDePesca, which aims to reach Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. CeDePesca notes that Argentina’s offshore centolla and Patagonian scallop fisheries already have MSC certification. If sustainability matters to you, ask whether the fish is wild and where it was caught. Volver says outright that it doesn’t serve farmed salmon (“No vendemos salmón de criadero”).

Best restaurants in Ushuaia: comparison table

Restaurant reviews

Kalma Restó: the splurge. Chef Jorge Monopoli trained in Spain, including at El Bulli, and moved to Ushuaia in 2007. He opened Kalma in 2009 and introduced the tasting-menu format to the city. He cooks with more than 35 local proteins, and the menu changes almost daily. Depending on the catch you might get centolla, black hake, róbalo, wild salmon, lamb, seaweed or salicornia. There’s a short three-course tasting menu, a full tasting menu and an à la carte menu. If you only allow yourself one expensive dinner in Ushuaia, have it here, and book ahead in high season.

Kaupé: centolla in a proper dining room. The Vivian family has run this restaurant on Roca 470 since 1990, and the dining room looks out over the bay. The online menu lists centolla natural (ARS 60,000), king crab and spinach chowder (ARS 58,000), merluza negra in three preparations (ARS 69,000) and centollón Kaupé (ARS 60,000). There is also a seafood tasting menu, Degustación del Mar, with no price on the online menu. Come here for centolla without the queue. A few older reviews mention a pushy chef, but most diners praise the food and the view.

El Viejo Marino: the classic crab house. Av. Maipú 227. The menu is almost all crab, plus a milanesa for anyone who doesn’t eat seafood. According to its TripAdvisor listing, it opens Monday to Friday 11:00–14:30 and 19:00–22:30, Saturday for lunch only, and is closed on Sunday. One April 2026 reviewer walked in at 19:00 and found it full by 20:00. Some listings mention a discount for cash, and others say it only takes cash, so bring pesos. Arrive at 18:45, and don’t plan on it for Saturday dinner or Sunday.

La Cantina Fueguina de Freddy: crab from the tank. Av. San Martín 318. You’ll spot the tank from the pavement on the main street. Choose your crab and the kitchen cooks it whole; cheaper crab dishes, down to a crab soup, are on the same menu. Reviews say the sauces taste much alike, so the plain version is the one to order. It works best for a group splitting one big crab. Get the weight and price confirmed before it’s cooked.

Volver: old-Ushuaia atmosphere. Av. Maipú 37, a short walk from the pier. Chef-owner Lino Gómez Adillon cooks in an old wooden house decorated with newspapers from the 1940s and decades of clutter. The menu covers centolla, merluza negra and aged beef. A January 2026 reviewer couldn’t get fresh centolla that day, so ask. Go for the room and the classic dishes; prices sit towards the high end.

Chez Manu: the view. Luis Fernando Martial 2135, on the hillside above town. Chef Emmanuel Herbin cooks French food with Fuegian ingredients, such as salicornia, canelo pepper and a calafate parfait. It’s a steep walk up, so take a taxi, Uber or Didi. Book a table at sunset, which in summer can be after 21:00.

María Lola Restó: a view in the centre. Deloqui 1048, open since 2005 in a renovated house with a view of the bay. The menu is seafood, merluza negra, centolla and homemade pasta. Reviews from 2026 mention that it closes on Sunday. Reviewers are split on the seafood, but they consistently praise the view.

Ramos Generales El Almacén: the café. Av. Maipú 749. It’s a café, bakery, bar and small museum in a recreated general store, open every day 9:00–23:30, and TripAdvisor ranks it first for desserts in town. Come for breakfast, cake and a coffee; main courses are fine but expensive for what they are.

Hotel restaurants for a taxi ride: Le Martial (Las Hayas), Reinamora (Los Cauquenes) and La Cravia (Arakur) are all among TripAdvisor’s top-rated in 2026. They’re expensive and polished, and they suit a quiet evening with a view.

Also on the radar (not re-checked this season): Tía Elvira, Bodegón Fueguino, Kuar 1900 (whose online menu lists whole centolla, salad, risotto and filled pasta), Chiko, Moustacchio, Tante Sara, Corteza Restó, Salitre, Taberna del Viejo Lobo and Placeres Patagónicos. Check Google Maps for current hours before you go.

Where can I eat cheaply in Ushuaia?

Fill up at bakeries, pizzerias and takeaway places, and keep your restaurant budget for crab and lamb. On TripAdvisor’s 2026 cheap-eats list for Ushuaia, these are the most popular:

• Pizzería Dieguito: reviewers call it a friendly place just off the tourist strip.
• Doña Lupita: pizza, and one of the most recommended cheap places in town. It also delivers.
• Dody and Panadería La Verdadera Eureka: bakeries for medialunas, facturas and bread for a picnic.
• Martinica, Betos Lomitos, Max Pipi: big, cheap sandwiches and fast food.
• El Bambu: a vegan, Chinese-style takeaway.
• Supermarkets: Beagle and Cape Horn beer cost far less here than in restaurants. Pick up bread, cheese and salami for a picnic in the park.

Two cheap ways in: a crab soup or crab-filled pasta lets you taste centolla for a fraction of the price of a whole crab, and lamb empanadas (ARS 8,000 each at Tierra Mayor) are the cheapest way to try Fuegian lamb.

How much does eating out in Ushuaia cost? (2026 price table)

Tipping, cover charges and paying

• Propina (tip): around 10% for good service is normal. In Argentina you usually can’t add the tip to a card payment, so leave it in cash.
• Cubierto / servicio de mesa: a per-person charge for bread and table service. It’s not the tip.
• Cards vs cash: visitors with foreign Visa, Mastercard or Amex cards are charged at a special exchange rate for non-residents, close to the market rate. Some restaurants still give a cash discount, and a few take cash only, so carry some pesos.
• US dollars: many tourist businesses accept them, but the rate they give is often worse than paying by card.

What time do people eat in Ushuaia?

Lunch is usually 12:00–15:00 and dinner starts at 19:00–19:30 at the earliest. Argentines tend to sit down after 21:00. Many restaurants close between lunch and dinner. If you’re coming off a late tour or a cruise ship at 16:00, that gap catches people out, so use cafés like Ramos Generales or a bakery to tide you over.

Puerto Almanza: is the crab village open in 2026–27?

Partly. Ushuaia’s tourism office guide (updated 14 April 2026) lists Puerto Pirata as “closed until November”, La Sirena y el Capitán as “closed until further notice”, La Mesita de Almanza as open Friday to Sunday from 12:00, and Zorro Viejo as open Thursday to Sunday and on holidays 11:30–22:30 (reservation via Instagram).

• Almanza is about 75 km from Ushuaia via Ruta Nacional 3 and Ruta Provincial J. It’s a fishing village of around 36 families (per a local police officer quoted in La Nación’s Revista Lugares, May 2022) that farms mussels and catches crab.
• All the restaurants ask you to book ahead by WhatsApp or Instagram. Puerto Pirata’s normal summer hours are 12:00–17:00 daily except Wednesday.
• Prices: we couldn’t verify 2026 menu prices in pesos. One family reported spending “under 200 dollars for 2 tasting menus, two children’s menus, wine and drinks” in February 2026. Some Almanza tours charge centolla as an extra on the lunch, so read what’s included before you book.
• The tourism office published a newer schedule on 21 September 2026. Check it, or message the restaurants, before you make the drive.

If you’d rather not drive, the King Crab Route 4WD Off Road with lunch in Puerto Almanza (from $145, 4.8/5 from 275 reviews on Viator) takes forest tracks to the village and ends with lunch there. For boat trips on the channel, see our Beagle Channel boat trips guide.

Best restaurants for specific situations

Best for cruise passengers near the port

El Viejo Marino (Maipú 227) and Volver (Maipú 37) are both a few minutes’ walk from the pier on the waterfront avenue. El Viejo Marino opens for lunch at 11:00, which suits ship schedules, and Ramos Generales (Maipú 749) is good for coffee and cake before you go back on board. For timing a park tour and lunch on a port day, see Ushuaia shore excursions.

Best near the national park / after a tour

Inside Tierra del Fuego National Park, the café at the Alakush visitor centre on Lago Roca reopened in September 2026 for coffee and snacks. For a proper meal, plan to eat back in town or in the Tierra Mayor valley, or book the Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour with Lunch (from $120, 4.8/5 from 39 reviews), which stops for about 1.5 hours of lunch beside Lake Acigami. Details on the park are in our Tierra del Fuego National Park guide. If you’re riding the End of the World Train, the station café is the easiest place for a hot drink before or after.

Best for families

Tierra Mayor (children’s lamb menu ARS 50,000, plus space to run around), pizzerias like Doña Lupita, and Ramos Generales for cakes. Most crab houses are small and loud, so take the kids at lunchtime.

Best restaurants with a view

Chez Manu, Kaupé and María Lola for views of the bay and the Beagle Channel. Reinamora, Le Martial and La Cravia at the hotels further out.

Best vegetarian and vegan options

This is lamb-and-crab country, but you can eat well without meat. Tierra Mayor marks vegan dishes on its menu (roasted pumpkin soup ARS 26,000, broccoli sorrentinos ARS 37,000, pine-mushroom risotto ARS 33,000). El Bambu does vegan takeaway. Kalma will adapt its tasting menu if you ask when you book; one reviewer said a vegetarian dish was created “without prompting or charge”. If you need gluten-free food, look for the “sin TACC” symbol, which Tierra Mayor uses on its menu. Several reviewers say gluten-free bread is hard to find in town.

Craft beer, chocolate and sweet things

• Cervecería Beagle: brewed in Ushuaia since 1999. The company merged with Cape Horn, and the two brands are on tap almost everywhere in town. According to Tierra del Fuego’s Ministry of Production, in 2013 Beagle’s stout was included in Ben McFarland’s Boutique Beers, a selection of the world’s 500 best beers. Try the Calafate Ale.
• Other local brewers: Oshovia and Coirón also hold the provincial Sello de Calidad.
• Calafate: a local barberry. According to legend, anyone who eats it will return to Patagonia. You’ll find it in ice cream, jam, liqueur and Chez Manu’s parfait.
• Chocolate: Ramos Generales lists chocolate among its specialities, and there are chocolate shops along San Martín. We didn’t re-check individual shops’ 2026 hours.
• Tolhuin road trip: Panadería La Unión in Tolhuin, on the way to Lago Fagnano, is the classic bakery stop. See our things to do in Ushuaia guide.

Is beaver on the menu? (invasive-species eating)

Rarely, so don’t expect to find it. Argentina’s Ministerio de Marina released 20 Canadian beavers (ten males, ten females) near Río Claro and Lago Fagnano in November 1946 for a fur industry that never took off; CADIC-CONICET has since counted 206,203 beaver dams across the archipelago, 100,951 of them on the Argentine side (per Minuto Fueguino). Argentina declared them an invasive species in 2014, and they now occupy about 95% of the island’s river basins. INTA and CONICET researchers have studied beaver meat, and local chefs have made empanadas, pasta and pâté with it at food festivals. A 2015 CONICET publication noted that commercial sale of beaver meat had not been authorised. Treat any “beaver” dish you see as a one-off, and ask how the meat was sourced.

Sample Ushuaia food itinerary

1 day (or a cruise port day)

• Breakfast: medialunas and coffee at Ramos Generales (Maipú 749).
• Morning: a park tour or the train, such as the Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour, Train Optional (from $52, 4.8/5 from 509 reviews), which has you back in town for lunch. More options are in our pick of the best park tours.
• Lunch: centolla at El Viejo Marino (opens 11:00) or Volver.
• Dinner (if you’re staying overnight): Kaupé or María Lola, booked ahead.

2 days

• Day 1: as above, ending with Kalma’s tasting menu.
• Day 2: hike to Laguna Esmeralda in the morning, for example on the From Ushuaia: Tierra del Fuego Emerald Lagoon Trekking Tour (from $99, 4.9/5 from 358 reviews), then a late lamb lunch at Tierra Mayor (book the lamb). Dinner is a pizza and Beagle beer in town.

3 days

• Day 3: if the restaurants are open, drive or take the King Crab Route 4x4 tour to Puerto Almanza for a crab and mussel lunch by the water. Otherwise, take a Beagle Channel boat in the morning, such as the Beagle Channel Navigation with Minitrekking (from $96, 4.8/5 from 724 reviews on Viator), and go to dinner at Chez Manu at sunset.

Book a tour that fits your meals

Most half-day park tours leave in the morning and have you back in town for a late lunch or an early dinner. If you want the meal inside the park, the lunch tour above (from $120) runs in groups of up to 10, picks you up around 8 a.m. and has you back around 2:30 p.m. If you only need the park and the train, the train-optional tour (from $52) costs less and leaves the meal up to you. Check your exact date on the booking calendar, because lunch tours run on fewer days than the standard ones.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous food in Ushuaia?

Centolla, the southern king crab (Lithodes santolla) caught in the Beagle Channel, followed by Fuegian lamb roasted al asador.

How much does king crab cost in Ushuaia in 2026?

About ARS 60,000 for a plated centolla natural at Kaupé, according to its online menu in October 2026. A whole live crab is priced by weight and costs several times that, so ask the weight and total before you order.

When is centolla season?

Fishing is closed from 1 March to 30 June. Fresh crab is available from July to February. Frozen crab can legally be served all year.

Is frozen centolla bad?

No. Properly frozen crab can be excellent. The problem is only when frozen crab is sold as “fresh today”.

Where can I eat centolla without spending a fortune?

Try El Viejo Marino, a crab soup or crab-filled pasta. Split a whole crab with your group.

Where is the best lamb near Ushuaia?

Tierra Mayor in the valley about 21 km from town, with lamb a la estaca, salad buffet and dessert at ARS 64,000 (October 2026). Las Cotorras is the classic alternative.

Do I need reservations?

Yes for Kalma, Kaupé, Chez Manu, the hotel restaurants, Tierra Mayor’s lamb and all Almanza restaurants. El Viejo Marino doesn’t take bookings, so arrive before 19:00.

Should I tip in Ushuaia?

About 10% in cash. The cubierto on your bill is not a tip.

Is it better to pay by card or cash?

Foreign cards get a favourable rate for non-residents. Carry pesos for tips and for places that give a cash discount or don’t take cards.

Are restaurants open in winter?

Most in-town restaurants stay open. Almanza and some valley restaurants cut their hours. See Ushuaia in winter and our guide to the best time to visit Ushuaia.

Can vegetarians eat well in Ushuaia?

Yes, with some planning. Tierra Mayor has labelled vegan dishes, Kalma adapts its menus, and there are good pizzerias and bakeries.

Is Ushuaia more expensive than Buenos Aires for food?

Yes, especially for seafood. Most ingredients are shipped in, and centolla is a scarce luxury even for locals. To plan your trip south, see getting to Tierra del Fuego from Buenos Aires, and if you’re heading on to the ice, see Antarctica from Ushuaia.

Caveats: Argentine menu prices change fast. The Kaupé and Tierra Mayor figures come from their online menus in October 2026; the Las Cotorras (June 2025) and El Asador (May 2025) prices are older. Almanza’s status comes from the April 2026 official guide, so check the September 2026 update or message restaurants directly. Ratings and rankings come from TripAdvisor, Restaurant Guru and blogs, and they shift often. Official sources give 1 March–30 June for the centolla closed season; some press reports give other dates, so confirm locally.