Entertainment in Santiago
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A
Teatro Municipal
This exquisite neoclassical building is the most prestigious performing-arts venue in the city. It’s home to the Ballet de Santiago and also hosts world-class opera, tango and classical music performances.
reviewed
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B
Etniko
Etniko is the in place of the moment - and boy, does it know it. It is pretty funky, mind you, with a sleek, low-lit central courtyard, a DJ at the turntables, and the atmosphere abuzz with media gossip and goings-on. Being hip comes at a price, of course, and being seen with the in-crowd ain't cheap.
reviewed
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C
Cine Hoyts
Modern multiplex showing mainstream movies. Also in: Estación Central (Exposición 155; Estación Central) and San Agustín (Moneda 835, Centro; Santa Lucía).
reviewed
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Estadio Nacional
On the whole, Chileans are a pretty calm lot – until they step foot in a soccer stadium, that is. Mad screaming and dancing (or cursing, weeping and hair-tearing) accompanies international games, the most dramatic of which are against local rivals like Peru or Argentina, when ‘Chi-Chi-Chi-Lay-Lay-Lay’ reverberates through the Estadio Nacional. Tickets can be bought at the stadium or from the Feria del Disco. Equally impassioned are the hinchas (fans) of Santiago’s first-division soccer teams, of which Colo Colo, Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica are the most popular.
reviewed
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Club Hípico de Santiago
The main racetrack in Santiago is the grand Club Hípico de Santiago, where views of the Andes compete for your attention with the action on the turf. It was once the preserve of Chile’s elite, but the CH$200 minimum bet means it’s now very egalitarian indeed. Races take place here every Friday and on alternate Mondays.
reviewed
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D
Bar Constitución
The coolest nightspot of the moment has no sign outside: find a huge gray sliding door with a long queue of trendies and you’re in the right place. Live bands and DJs play nightly – the bar’s eclectic (but infallible) tastes include electroclash, garage, nu-folk, house and more, so check the website to see if the night’s program suits.
reviewed
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Trianon Club
One of the coolest dance clubs on the Santiago scene at the moment, this unpretentious up-for-it newcomer mixes electronic beats and trance with a more eclectic groove to cater for the many students that come here. There were rumblings that the venue would be shifted, so check the website before you put on your dancing shoes.
reviewed
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E
Café del Teatro
A free-spirited young crowd makes Café del Teatro the happening bar of the moment in laid-back Barrio Brasil. Formerly a café, it now has regular events in an old theater out the back, and a welcoming bunch of regulars mingle among the brightly decorated canvases on the wall.
reviewed
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F
El Clan
The name’s short for ‘El Clandestino,’ a throwback from this small club’s undercover days (there’s still no sign outside). A small crew of resident DJs keep the 20-something crowds going – expect anything from ’80s to house, R&B, funk or techno. Cheap beer and pisco is your fuel.
reviewed
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G
La Chimenea
One of the best places in Santiago for live music and events, La Chimenea gets packed to the rafters - and not just on weekends. Bands vary from local indie to traditional bolero. There's always a fun crowd here so arrive early for a seat near the stage. It occasionally shows movies.
reviewed
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H
N'Aitun
N'Aitun takes its name taken from a Mapuche word for free, and this atmospheric, intimate little venue was a regular gathering spot for leftists opposed to the dictatorship during the 1980s. It has live music on Fridays, when acts range from indie bands to bolero and tango duets.
reviewed
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I
El Diablito
Old photos and vintage household items clutter the already dark walls of this smoky den. After dark, the tiny candlelit tables seem to invite you to huddle conspiratorially into the small hours; great value schop (draft beer) and pisco sours are two more reasons to stay.
reviewed
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J
Eurohappy
Over 400 types of beer – including local artisanal and microbrewery options – are expertly poured by Santiago’s only beer sommelier. Sip your selection out on the pavement or head for the candlelit vermillion-and-white interior to strike a pose on 1950s furniture.
reviewed
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K
Las Lanzas
Neon lighting and no-frills furniture that hasn’t changed much since the ’70s are part of the charm of this Ñuñoa mainstay. Rock-bottom prices mean it’s usually full right up to closing, especially in the summer, when revelers spill out onto the sidewalk terrace.
reviewed
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L
Bar Yellow
Truly magic mixology has made this small but achingly cool bar the hands-down favorite among cocktail quaffers. Give yourself a wake-up call with a Breakfast Martini (marmalade is involved) or let loose with a Golden Shower (we’ll let you find out what’s in it).
reviewed
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M
El Tunel
Teenyboppers of the world unite: if you missed the ’70s and ’80s the first time round, this is the place to show the world your best John Travolta moves. The decor is dingy and the vibe is cheesy but cheap drinks mean everyone emerges perspiring but happy.
reviewed
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N
777
You'll either love it or hate it here. If you have any airs and graces, it probably is not for you. If, however, you enjoy drinking bargain-basement booze sitting on plastic beer crates surrounded by students, punks and goths, then welcome to nirvana.
reviewed
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O
Havana Salsa
You can't fail to notice the fake Havana-themed facade to this established Cuba-inspired dance venue/restaurant. It's the place to go if you can't help shaking to the 'uno dos tres' of the salsa beat. Some extravagant live shows are also staged here.
reviewed
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P
Santo Remedio
Strictly speaking, this low-lighted, high-ceilinged old house is a restaurant, and an aphrodisiac one at that. But it’s the bar action people really come for: powerful, well-mixed cocktails and regular live DJs keep the 30-something crowds happy.
reviewed
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Q
Centro Cultural Gran Circo Teatro
Santiago’s best-known street theater troupe was given this run-down house by the government in 2008. Avant-garde theater and circus performances are the group’s specialty – it was behind La Negra Ester, one of Chile’s most famous plays.
reviewed
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Sofa
Yes, there are plenty of sunken couches to slump into. But that’s not all: at this effortlessly cool club you stand your drinks – chilled in an old bathtub – on retro cabinets and then groove to funk, soul, hip-hop, R&B or breakbeats.
reviewed
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R
Bar Berri
Forget what’s hot and what’s not: with its close mishmash of antique furniture and classic rock ’n’ roll, Berri is totally timeless. Well-pulled schop keeps the crowd of toe-tapping 30-somethings – many of them expats – happy.
reviewed
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S
Teatro Universidad de Chile
The Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile and Ballet Nacional de Chile are two high-profile companies based at this excellent theater. There is a fall season of ballet, choral, orchestral and chamber music, as well as the occasional rock gig.
reviewed
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T
Club de Jazz
One of Latin America’s most established jazz venues – Louis Armstrong and Herbie Hancock are just two of the greats to have played here – this large wooden building hosts local and international jazz, blues and big band performers.
reviewed
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U
Bokhara
Although local connoisseurs think it slightly passé, Bokhara is still the automatic choice for midweek clubbing. House and techno are the main beats on its two floors; there are rather tired live shows on weekends.
reviewed
