Bars we LOVE in Santiago

The Santiago Nightlife offer has been growing, and there are now more options available to go out, have a good drink and have fun with friends. Therefore, we have decided to put together a list of our favorite Bars in the city. We don´t go out much – Guilty of too much Netflix binging, wine and takeout 😉 – so when we do, we like good drinks, great atmospheres and dressing up. 

Just, so you know there is no dress etiquette in the city, people are very relaxed when they go out. So, in most places you don´t have to worry about formality, or going out with your sneakers. 

The List, Random order:

1) Whisky Blue: Bar/Nightclub at the W. Great place to go out for drinks and some music. It is a fancier venue, so you should dress up nicer.

2) Sala Gente: Dance Club, with great parties. They hold different theme parties on Thursday Friday and Saturdays, so you have to buy tickets before or find some contact to get you on a list.

3) Candelaria: This dance club has good atmosphere and music. It plays current pop, dance and some old hits. Sometimes the bouncer at the door, gets funny and asks you to be on some list, but try talking to them so they let you in.

4) Ruca Bar: loving this cool spanish bar at barrio Italia. Favorite spot in Barrio italia for a long shot. They have great food and drinks.

5) Ky: This is a Thai restaurant with a good bar atmosphere, but make sure to sit outside in the tented terrace. When you get there, you will think you are in the wrong address, but no the creepy house and doorbell means you are there.

6) Etniko: Good Sushi! But also great atmosphere and drinks. Hands down our favorite place of the Bellavista area.

7) Bar Constitucion: This is a big nightclub bar; it has like three different atmospheres and music. Compared to others, it stays open to later hours of the morning.

8) Taringa: Great Bar! Great Atmosphere! Nice Food. So it is practically impossible finding a table, especially on a Thursday. It has a great rustic feel and friendliness.

9) Bocanariz: Best Chilean wine selection in the city, they have amazing tapas and small things to eat while you drink. It´s always full and you have to make reservations. The downside it closes earlier, has it is a restaurant also.

10) De La Ostia: Enjoy a some spanish tapas in a relaxed casual atmosphere. The food is good and it has good price value.

11) Liguria: Typical Chilean bar, with and old feel and decorations. The walls are packed with memorabilia from older times. This is a great place to take visitors out for a traditional Chilean night.

Have something to add?? Want to share your favorite bars? Leave it in the comments =) 

Restaurants we LOVE in Santiago

The food offers in Santiago have grown so much in the last five years, it´s amazing to see how many new restaurants have opened up. The gourmet scene is growing and the alternatives are vast, from anything to traditional Chilean to exotic Peruvian food and even a good old burger.

We have rounded up a list of our favorite restaurants, those that we love going back to, because of the food, the ambiance, or the wines. It was not easy making this list, we left out some new ones and some really fancy high end ones , but have in mind that the list is about the ones we just can´t get enough off, and keep going back to.

1) Hanzo: nikkei restaurant: fusion between Peruvian and Japanese food. We keep coming back for the mix of flavours, and never leave out our favorite dish: Acevichado Roll.

2) Tiramisu: Hands down the best pizza in town. Tiramisu is always full, because the food is tasty, homey and the ingredients are always fresh. Great Price for your value.

3) Osaka: Also nikkei food, it’s on the list of Latin Americas 50s best restaurants. The entire menu is delicious; anything you order will be perfectly cooked and seasoned. We love their drinks, berry caipirihnas or pisco sour aperitifs are a must.

4) El Baco: Great french restaurant with an amazing wine cellar.

5) Mestizo: Chilean cooking with a modern twist. Mestizo is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Santiago, it is inside Parque Bicentenario, and it´s built within huge rock pillars which seem to blend the building into the parks landscape. Don´t miss the traditional machas and the Entraña.

6) El Barrio: Which means neighborhood in Spanish, makes you feel like you are eating at a friend’s house. It is sort of like a French brasserie with a many alternatives in its menu. Don´t miss their truffle French fries.

7) La Mar:  This traditional Peruvian restaurant is one of the most famous offers of Gaston Acurio. We keep coming back for the ceviche and seafood planchas.

8) Bocanariz: Great Location at Barrio Lastarrias, the most complete cellar offer of Chilean wines in the city and a very innovative menu by flavor types, are the reasons why we love it.

9) Quinoa: Cozy vegetarian restaurant, ideal for a girl’s lunch. Love the vegetable wok with quinoa.

10) Coquinaria: If you want to buy a rare cooking ingredient, like pink salts from the Himalayas, or truffles salt, Coquinaria has a great little market. We enjoy their terrace, and like to eat brunch on sundays.

Did you like the post? Do you have any other favorite restaurants that you will like to add to the list? Leave us your comment. 

Found! Exotic side of peruvian food

Hello again insiders,

This time, our gastronomic weekly recommendation takes place in Recoleta neighbourhood, a bohemian part of Santiago which offers a lot of exotic foodie options worth to experience. Sarita Colonia is our top pic. This restaurant was born for the first time in year 2000 and became a “must” for Santiago art scene, but 4 years after it was closed and all of their fans waited a long time  before its re opening. So now, with a very exotic new proposal, they call it “peruana travesti”, they created a kitsch maximalist place (with very exotic decoration), where you can find typical peruvian food, and this peruvian travesti exquisite option you must try!

Tattoos in the walls, kitsch deco, and great enviroment invites everyone to join this experiencie

But the most important thing is food!!! please, you must try Wendy in Thailandia and ceviche chino, to incredible dishes of peruana travesti food

important: it opens only at nights

for reservations and more information:

http://www.saritacoloniarestoran.cl

address: loreto 40. Recoleta neighbourhood

Yes! ice cream, gelato, helado!

hello insiders!!!!!

we finally found in Santiago a great option for ice cream lovers. It is called El toldo azul, and its strategically located in the heart of el Golf de las Condes. At 2 blocks from W hotel, over Isidora Goyenechea avenue, you will find a little exquisite shop with the greatest ice cream i have tried in Santiago. 🙂

They have very original flavours you must try!

for more information, please check its facebook fan page, or information below.

please share your favourite flavour with us!

see you!

Easter is here!

 

Hello insiders!

Preparing for this special weekend? maybe your first time celebrating easter in this new country?Here we offer you a very good tip if you want to buy tasty take away food. As you know, around the world at this time of the year everybody is trying to get good stuff, special easter eggs,  all together. Santiago is not the exception.

Today, we recommend you Mercado Pasteur. It is a very nice place located in Vitacura neighbourhood, in Luis Pasteur streets (one of my favorites).

In this gourmet food market you can order typical chilean food, special meals to eat in Santiago or if you are going away, for example to the beach, the same options but frozen. I totally recommend this place!

for more information please check its facebook fan page:

https://www.facebook.com/mercadopasteur?fref=ts

or webpage:

http://www.mercadopasteur.cl/

we hope you to have a great weekend with your family, couple, or new friends you´ve made here!

see u!

Give us your vote! Is it Chilean or Peruvian?

You might have noticed by now that there is huge controversy between Chile and Peru, and who was the creator of certain products like the pisco or the ceviche. As expats we have really no clue and honestly don´t have the credentials to give official opinions. But, we think it might be a fun idea for you guys out there to speak your mind and tell us what you think! 😉

We love Pisco Sour, and dream of a good ceviche, what about you!? Who owns it internationally? let´s see what the international crowd thinks, and maybe we can go on drinking?? =)

Is it Chilean or peruvian? It´s your call! Just Vote below

 

No matter the outcome, we love eating them anyway =) Cheers!

Not quite breakfast, not quite lunch, it is brunch time!

Hello insiders!!!!!

Since i moved to Santiago, me and my friends started looking for some relaxing, cozy and nice place for a great sunday brunch. For those like me who gets up late at sundays, finally i can share with you a very good option to start your day . After a big research, i discovered a very small place in Vitacura neighbourhood called 7ALCES. This place offers a lot of brunch options for a hot or very cold sunday noon.And don`t be surprised if Jose, the owner, takes your order with a big smile.

It is placed in Nueva Costanera  Avenue, between art gallerys, boutique hotels and deco stores.

I totally recommend it!

Of course, you can also have lunch and dinner because it is open till night!

You must try vegetable lasagna!

To check their menu options and for more information, go to facebook`s fan page

https://www.facebook.com/7Alces

or its webáge? http://www.7alces.cl

I totally recommend it!

see u!

How to cook Machas! Easy Recipe

Normally we would post about a travel adventure today, but we recently learned how to make HOMEMADE Chilean Machas, and since then we wanted to share the recipe with all of our expat community.

First of all, if you have never tried Machas or never heard of them they are like a little piece of heaven in your mouth. They are a special kind of clams, a bit smaller and they are served warm with gratin parmesan cheese. I have only seen them in Chile before, so take advantage of this amazing seafood product while here (Makes my mouth water just writing about it) Most restaurants have them as an entree dish, so be sure to try them.

For those of you that are already Macha Fans, we have a very easy recipe so you can make them at home, safe money and impress you visitors.

Ingredients:

– Fresh Cleaned Machas. (You can buy this at any Fish store, it´s better than the supermarket because they clean them for you for an extra tip)

– Soft Cheese easy to melt (Gouda, Chanco) 

– Parmesan 

-Butter

– White Wine 

– Salt and Pepper

– Cilantro (Optional)

Step by Step:

Place the Machas in an oven tray. You have to put the shell first and on top the actual clam, you can put more than one per shell if you want. It gives it more flavor and meat. On each shell you have to put a little bit of butter, salt, pepper and sprinkle white wine. On top of that place the soft cheese, so it covers the whole shell. To end, top it off with parmesan cheese. If you like you can put very finely chopped Cilantro. Set them in the oven to cook for no more than 5 minutes. You will see that they are finished because they turn pink, and look like small tongue.

This dish is perfect for summer, sit in the terrace our outside and pair it with a nice Sauvignon Blanc, like one of our favorite from Casas del Bosque. Also, if you visit the beach areas go to the local Calera (or fish market) they would sell and clean the best Machas for about 3.000 Pesos per Kilo. Please give an extra tip! 

Cheers! These are our before, during and after pictures! (ha, they were amazing)

Inside Santiago presents: a new tea concept in the city!

Hello insiders!

As you can see, Santiago is getting even more exciting this month!

A lot of things to do, a lot to see, and a lot to try.

This time, for tea lovers (as i am),a new concept store called Inside Tea Connection has opened in the heart of Parque Arauco Mall. Is the first branch in Latin America, so Santiago es pleased to receive them :).

This place offers a very well decorated enviroment, where you can sit, delight yourself with a large herbal tea infusion options (hot and cold), great patisserie and a large variety of sandwiches, bagels and salad for a quick lunch or a frugal dinner.

Their specialty is frozen blended teas with a lot of mixtures (i tried the Double Orange iced tea and it is awesome!).

For more information, please check Inside tea connection facebook fan page:

https://www.facebook.com/InsideTeaConnectionCL

or discover it walking through outside foodcourt.

See you!

Seafood by the sea

This a special post for seafood lovers.

Last weekend i had a great experience at Zapallar. Its a very exclusive beach an hour and a half far from Santiago. Everybody recommended me  a restaurant called El Chiringuito. Of course, i went there and i can assure you i had one of the greatest salmon i ve ever eat in Chile (till now). It is a very relaxed  place in front of the pacific with an exquisite bay view, where you can eat superb fish and all seafood you can imagine.

You must try ” jardin de mariscos”, great white wine and good desserts too.

Please check this tasty pictures

 

 

 

For more information about zapallar please check

http://www.munizapallar.cl

And for the restaurant check all the info and reviews in trip advisor.

See you!