Things to do in Santiago
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Las Vacas Gordas
The name means ‘fat cows’ and cow-print paint plasters the outside walls and pavement: if it once said ‘moo,’ it’s on the menu and in hefty portions, too. Your steak sizzles on the giant grill at the front of the clattering main dining area, then dead-pan old-school waiters cart it over to your table. It’s usually packed, so reserve or get there very early.
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Emporio La Rosa
Choco-chilli, strawberry and black pepper, and rose petal are some of the fabulous flavors of this extra-creamy handmade ice cream, which has been known to cause addiction. Flaky pains-au-chocolat and squishy focaccia sandwiches are two more reasons to plonk yourself at the chrome tables.
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Palacio de la Moneda
Chile’s presidential offices are in the Palacio de la Moneda. The ornate neoclassical building was designed by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca in the late 18th century, and was originally the official mint – its name means ‘the coin.’ The north facade was badly damaged by air-force missile attacks during the 1973 military coup when President Salvador Allende – who refused to leave – was overthrown here. A monument honoring Allende now stands opposite in Plaza de la Constitución. Shiny-booted carabineros (police) stamp through a brief changing-of-the-guard ceremony every other day at 10am.
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Astrid y Gastón
The seasonally changing menu of Peruvian haute cuisine has made this one of Santiago’s most critically acclaimed restaurants. The warm but expert waitstaff happily talk you through the chef’s subtle, modern take on traditional ceviches, chupes (fish stews) and chochinillo (suckling pig), all beautifully presented. The barman deserves an ovation for his complex cocktails: Peruvian pisco comes with physalis juice in the Aquaymanto, for example.
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Ocean Pacific’s
From brass-rimmed portholes to fish tanks and a massive fiberglass whale skeleton, they’ve gone all out on under-the-sea decor here. The menu should come as no surprise then, not least because they’ve illustrated it with photos of each fishy dish. The kitsch factor is reason enough to come, but the massive seafood platters and traditional fish stews are surprisingly good, too.
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Normandie
With its varnished wood paneling and deadpan waiters, Normandie strives hard to look like a typical French café. The food is equally Gallic: think well-executed classics like lapin en gibelotte (rabbit in red wine) or duck à l’orange.
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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.
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Bravíssimo Gelateria
The ice cream at this popular chain comes in colors as lurid as its sign, but it still goes down a treat on a hot day.
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Cerro San Cristóbal
Smog permitting, the best views over Santiago are from the peaks and viewpoints of the Parque Metropolitano, better known as Cerro San Cristóbal. At 722 ha, the park is Santiago’s biggest green space, but it’s still decidedly urban: cable cars and a funicular carry you between different landscaped sections, and roads through it are aimed at cars rather than hikers. The park lies north of Bellavista and Providencia and has entrances in both neighborhoods: the cheapest and most logical way to visit is to buy a joint cable car and funicular ticket (adult/child one way CH$2500/1500) to start on one side and finish on the other.
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La Chascona
When poet Pablo Neruda needed a secret hideaway to spend time with his mistress Matilde Urrutia, he built La Chascona, which he named for her unruly hair. Neruda loved the sea (but disliked sailing) so the dining room is modeled on a ship’s cabin and the living room on a lighthouse. Guided tours walk you through the history of the building and the collection of colored glass, shells, furniture and artworks by famous friends that fills it – sadly much more was lost when the house was ransacked during the dictatorship. The Fundación Neruda, which maintains Neruda’s houses, has its headquarters here and runs a swank gift shop and lovely café.
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Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
Exquisite pottery from most major pre-Colombian cultures is the backbone of Santiago’s best museum, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. As well as dozens of intricately molded anthropomorphic vessels, star exhibits include hefty Mayan stone stele and a fascinating Andean textile display. More unusual are the wooden vomit spatulas used by Amazonian shamans before taking psychoactive powders. Note that though Sunday admission is free, groups of two or more are pressed into a ‘voluntary’ contribution.
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Iglesia de San Francisco
The first stone of the austere Iglesia de San Francisco was laid in 1586, making it Santiago’s oldest surviving colonial building. Its sturdy walls have weathered some powerful earthquakes, although the current clock tower, finished in 1857, is the fourth. On the main altar look for the carving of the Virgen del Socorro (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), which Santiago’s founder Pedro de Valdivia brought to Chile on his 1540 conquistador mission to protect him from attacks.
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Patagonia
No prizes for working out where the star ingredients at this cozy wood-lined restaurant come from. Harder to predict are the combinations the Argentine chefs cook them into: Patagonian lamb comes in a calafate (berry) sauce, rainbow trout is dressed in smoked goat cheese, and the brownies come with a Cabernet coulis. Wild boar and venison are also on the cards, but there’s also a plain old parrillada (mixed grill) if you’re not feeling, um, game.
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Restaurant Majestic
The chef at Santiago’s only Indian restaurant is Bangladeshi and the menu revolves around rich northern dishes like Rogan Josh, tandoori meats and breads. There’s a good selection of vegetarian curries, but let them know if you like yours hot. Predictably decorated with elephant statues and batik tablecloths, it’s inside the Majestic Hotel.
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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.
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Tiramisú
Bright murals, rough-hewn tables and cheerful red-checked cloths set the tone at this busy pizzeria. You’ll spend more time choosing one of the myriad thin-crust pizzas than wolfing it down – consider the gamberetti, which combines buffalo mozzarella and prawns.
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El Huerto
This earthy restaurant’s changing vegetarian fare is a big hit with both hip young things and ladies who lunch. Some dishes err on the stodgy side, but most are fresh and tasty. Next door, smaller Café La Huerta does salads and sandwiches on weekdays.
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Café del Patio
Locals rave about the superfresh vegetarian specialties at this cute eatery, where the best tables are clustered in a brightly painted courtyard. As well as tofu- and seitan-based stir-fries, there are salads, sandwiches and a few fish options.
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Museo Nacional de Historia Natural
If your kids have a taste for the bizarre, check out the dusty stuffed animals (we’re talking taxidermy, not teddies) in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, where displays look almost as old as the fossils they contain.
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Viña Cousiño Macul
Most of the vineyards of Viña Cousiño Macul are now at Buin, but tours take in the production process and underground bodega, built in 1872. It’s a 2¼km walk or taxi ride from the metro.
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La Vega Central
Raspberries, quinces, figs, peaches, persimmons, custard apples… if it grows in Chile, you’ll find it at La Vega Central. Go early to see the hollering vendors in full swing.
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OH! Salad Garden
Calorie-counters swear by this inexpensive and healthy lunchtime buffet, where a team of chefs washes, tosses and stirs an impressive range of salad dishes.
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Cine Hoyts
Modern multiplex showing mainstream movies. Also in: Estación Central (Exposición 155; Estación Central) and San Agustín (Moneda 835, Centro; Santa Lucía).
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Viña Concha y Toro
To see winemaking on a vast scale, do one of the mass-market tours at Viña Concha y Toro.
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Liguria
A legend on the Santiago restaurant circuit, Liguria mixes equal measures of bar and bistro perfectly. Stewed rabbit or silverside in batter are chalked up on a blackboard, then dapper old-school waiters place them on the red-checked tablecloths with aplomb. Vintage adverts, Chilean memorabilia and old bottles decorate the wood-paneled inside, but it’s the sidewalk tables that diners really fight over – even on weeknights you should book ahead.
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