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Myth Busted: 7 Dining Spots That Will Change Your Mind About Santiago’s Mediocre Dining Reputation

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No, I am not back in Chile, although I dream about it often.  It is a country I wish I had more time to explore.  I met some great expats living in Santiago, and it seemed like a city I could settle down in for a few months.

Today I bring you a guest post from the talented Meg from LandingStanding.com.  She wants to make sure everyone knows where to find the great food in Santiago, Chile.

7 Great Dining Spots in Santiago, Chile

Whenever you hear about the wonderful food in South America, people often refer to Argentina for its succulent steak and Peru for its amazing seafood.  Some other South American foodie locations get thrown in the discussion too, but you rarely hear anything about the culinary scene of Santiago, Chile.

In fact, I have heard many people even complain about the lack of good food in this city.

Well, I am here to challenge these haters.

Santiago was the first stop in our RTW trip and we probably spent a total of 3+ weeks in this modern and charming city.  Seeing as how Tony and I put food as our #1 priority when we travel, we made sure to dig deep into the culinary world of Santiago to find some delicious eats during our stay here.

Here are some excellent spots to check out in Santiago, whether you are on a budget, can afford to splurge a little bit, or are just in need of a good drink and some sweet treats!

Cheap Eats

Fuente Alemana

Hands down AWESOME sandwiches.  Fuente Alemana looks like a joint Anthony Bourdain would peruse in No Reservations – a true local hotspot.

Setup diner-style, the bustling kitchen area is in the center of the restaurant with a bar surrounding the busy grills for patrons to sit.  But come during peak lunch hours and you’ll more than likely be eating your sandwich standing up elbow to elbow with other hungry customers… Trust me though, the sandwiches are worth it.

While you are here, try the Chilean specialty, the Lomito – a ginormous slow braised marinated pork loin sandwich topped with avocado, thick slices of fresh tomato, tangy sauerkraut, and mayo… EPIC.

These sandwiches are incredibly filling and nap-inducing, but you can easily make it out of here for under $10… And you won’t want to eat for hours/days afterwards!

California Cantina

During our time in Santiago, Tony was dying to watch the Patriots play in the NFL Playoffs.  We were told that California Cantina was the best gringo hangout to go watch American sports.  Run by an American from… wait for it…. California, this place is definitely an expat hub.  But ya know what?! The atmosphere is lively, the food is good (try the chicken tacos with pineapple!), and its great during happy hour for some cheap eats and drinks.  You won’t be disappointed.

Splurge

Coquinaria

Tony and I were very lucky to have family friends living in Santiago when we visited the city.  The Pacas’ let us stay with them for a week during our trip, showed us around the city, and on a couple of occasions, took us out for some great dinners.  One of the places we dined at with the Pacas’ was Coquinaria. 

Located in Las Condes (also known as “Sanhatten” for its resemblance to its Yankee cousin), Coquinaria is a one-stop shop for foodies.  In Coquinaria, you will find not only a vibrant restaurant, but a wine shop, chocolate shop, pastry shop, a small gourmet grocery store and a cheese shop.  It’s such a cool place to walk around and explore.

But fancy grocery store/market aside, this place has great food.  It is on the pricier side, but if you ever get to dine here, be sure to order some great wine (you can even pick out a bottle at the restaurant’s store to enjoy at your table) and try the seafood risotto.  They also have some great desserts too to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Aqui Esta Coco

Also known as the place where I had my first RTW foodgasm.

This place was recommended to us by Emily In Chile, who has never steered us wrong when it comes to food.  Aqui Esta Coco is a distinctively decorated restaurant that is popular with both the locals and tourists alike and is famous for serving up anything from the sea.

Our favorite dishes there were the Easter Island Tuna Tartar and their friggin amazing passion fruit tart for dessert. Even though it can put a dent in your wallet, everything at Aqui Esta Coco is fresh and cooked to perfection… Definitely worth the splurge!

Drinks and Desserts

Bar the Clinic

Shortly after arriving in Santiago, we setup a date to meet the lovely Emily In Chile, whom we had been following online for months.  Being a local and knowing all the great places to go, she recommended meeting up at Bar The Clinic.

Bar The Clinic is owned and inspired by the Chilean satirical/investigative newspaper, The Clinic.  It has a fun and hip vibe throughout the bar and is a perfect place for afternoon cocktails with friends.

The ambiance is wonderful (with both indoor seating and a cute outdoor patio area) and the drinks are plentiful and delicious.

Café con Piernas

We first learned about cafés con piernas from the No Reservations episode highlighting Santiago.  Cafés con piernas (or “cafes with legs”) are standing-room only cafes selling just coffee by scantily clad women in TIGHT mini dresses.

These cafés are scattered all throughout Santiago. 

Warning: if you see one with draped curtains, this just means the women wear even LESS clothing… I will now leave you to your imagination.

But strip club vibe aside, they do serve up some decent espresso (a rarity in Santiago and a nice change from Nescafé) and you will find a multitude of customers (even women!)  in these cafés – Not just dirty old men… Or maybe that was just Tony’s way of convincing me to go with him.

Emporio La Rosa

Epic ice cream.  Need I say more?

But seriously, Emporio La Rosa rocks! Tony and I went here after Tony’s sister read about it in Frommers.

This ice cream shop and café serves up a wide selection of both classic and unique ice cream flavors (think Strawberry with Black Pepper). As an added bonus, about 10 of their flavors are in the chocolate family, so naturally I was in love.  Another added bonus, the servers are friendly, patient, and let you sample to your heart’s content.

My recommendation: Go for the Dulce De Leche.  It is so rich and flavorful… I am drooling right now just thinking about it!

Final Thoughts On The Santiago Food Scene

Okay, so I do agree that places such as Buenos Aires and Lima have better food than Santiago. BUUUT Tony and I thought the dining scene in Santiago was great and we certainly did not leave the city unsatisfied or hungry.

So next time you hear anybody bad mouthing Santiago’s food scene, just remember to keep an open mind and pay the city a visit for yourself… Just be sure to go on an empty stomach!

Your turn: Have you ever been to Santiago? What did you think of the dining scene?  Do you have any other places to recommend? 

 

Author Bio: Meg Rulli writes with her husband, Tony, for the blog LandingStanding. “Carpe diem” is her favorite cliche and also her motto. Meg is a high-energy girl that loves being active (and the naps that follow), spending time outdoors, and eating (A LOT).

Meg and Tony left their jobs in January 2012 to go RTW and try out this location independent thing. They are aspiring entrepreneurs & digital nomads that blog about travel, food, and all things ridiculous.

You can follow their adventures on Facebook  and Twitter.

 

Comments

  1. I know Meg would never let me down on food! I second all of these recommendations (tuna tartare from Aqui Esta Coco, you are the love of my life), and I’m glad Santiago’s getting a little culintary love.
    Emily in Chile recently posted..Life update

  2. So fun to see Emily on your blog =) Now here I was thinking that the Lomito was Uruguayan…have I missed something? We thought the food in Chile was awesome, despite what we’ve heard/read elsewhere. Didn’t have any bad meals there that I remember. I liked it so much better than Argentina for food.

  6. Hi Stephanie. We spent a year in Santiago and left on a road trip towards the US last August. Our favorite restaurants were
    1. Sukine – Korean, in Recoleta/Bellavista area, and pretty affordable
    2. Ciudadano – Chileanish, with pizza, ceviche, pasta, salads, meat dishes, cocktails, and much more, delicious, great ingredients, and affordable, two blocks from the Santa Isabel metro on Seminario
    3. Ciudad Vieja – owned by the same people, gourmet sandwiches with the best combinations and great bar, in bellavista
    4. Peluqueria Frances – Barrio Brasil, a barbershop connected to a French restaurant, both over a hundred years old, or thereabouts, with great food, great building, full of antiques and hair-cutting tools from the past century.
    Unfortunately I didn’t find your blog till now and haven’t heard of Coquinaria or Aqui Esta Coco, as they both sound delicious. I agree with the rest of the list.
    Cyrelle recently posted..Parque Provincial Ischigualasto

  10. Chile’s definitely got waayyy better food than Argentina, which I found out now recently. Even their supermarkets are better stocked with fruits and veggies! However, Peru, hands down still has the best foods in the entire South America. Actually some of my favorite restaurants in Lima have opened branches in Santiago so I’m sure the good-food movement is definitely moving further south.
    Antoinette | love.antoinette recently posted..Patagonia Highlights

  13. I don’t like staying at hotels or even apart hotels. I like having my own place and be free while visiting the city. When I asked my self where to stay in Santiago Chile I searched for furnished apartments. There are many options but this guys has a few apartments of his own and really takes good care of them with persolized service. I really recommend him.: http://www.jc-apartments.cl
    Cheers.
    RG

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