Popei is living history in José Ignacio: it opened in 1991 and has clocked more than thirty seasons in the heart of the village, two blocks from the beach. It's the family-run classic where the freshness of the fish rules: calamari with prawns, paella, seafood rice, homemade pastas — even some made with seaweed — clay-oven pizzas, milanesas and the inevitable chivito.

Amid so many fashionable openings, Popei keeps the essence of a fishing-village restaurant: service that makes you feel at home, prices gentler than the local average, and regulars who come back year after year. It runs seasonally, so it's usually closed in winter; in summer it's a safe bet for a family meal.