Puerto Varas eats well for its size, with the highest concentration of restaurants per capita in southern Chile. The German heritage shows in the kuchen (cake) sold everywhere and the smoked sausages in the markets; the Chilean side brings fresh salmon and trout from the lake, congrio (a long pinkish eel that tastes like firm white fish), and curanto — the Chilote stew of seafood, pork, chicken, and potato dumplings.
A small but growing craft-beer scene is concentrated along Calle Walker Martínez.