Best Burgers in Valparaíso: Cerros and Plan

The best burgers in Valparaíso are spread between the Plan, the flat strip of downtown along the port, and the hills above it, especially Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción in the UNESCO-listed historic quarter. Barrio Puerto, around Plaza Sotomayor, adds old bars and cheap counters closer to the docks.

Valparaíso’s signature late-night plate is not a burger but the chorrillana: a mound of fries topped with strips of beef, fried onions and eggs, built to be shared. A local restaurant owner claimed to have invented it in the 1970s for hungry students, a story still told in the city, and the dish has since spread across Chile. Several universities keep the port full of students, so cheap and generous food never goes out of fashion. The steep hills shape every outing: people move between the Plan and the cerros on foot, by stairway or by ascensor.

Burgers in Valparaíso: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Cerro Alegre, Cerro Concepción, the Plan and Barrio Puerto.
• Local specialty: the chorrillana, fries with beef, onions and egg, served on a shared platter.
• Heritage: the historic quarter has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003.
• Getting around: the ascensores, historic funiculars, link the Plan to the hills; Viña del Mar is a short metro ride along the bay.
• Currency: Chilean peso (CLP).

Every guide we publish on Valparaíso is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare the port with other cities, browse our burger restaurant guides.