Practicalities

Chile (Central Region - Santiago de Chile)

Practicalities Getting there
Santiago is one of the easiest and least intimidating South American capitals to arrive in. Connections from all arrival points to downtown are frequent and straightforward, and while you should take normal precautions you’re unlikely to be hassled or feel threatened while you’re finding your feet. All flights arrive at Arturo Merino Benítez airport, some 26km northwest of downtown Santiago. The cheapest way to get to the city centre is by bus, with frequent services from right outside the arrivals gate. An even easier option is to take one of the excellent-value minibuses offering door-to-door services from the airport to your hotel. Taxis from the airport are plentiful but expensive, costing around CH$10,000 to the centre.

If you’re arriving on an international bus, you’ll almost certainly be dropped at the Terminal de Buses Santiago (also known as the Terminal de Buses Sur), on the Alameda, the city’s main thoroughfare, near the Universidad de Santiago metro stop. Getting around
You’ll probably spend most time in the city centre, which is entirely walkable, but for journeys further afield you’ll find public transport cheap and abundant. For trips along the main east-west axis formed by the Alameda and its extensions, the metro is quickest, as well as being very modern, clean and safe. The city is also served by thousands of noisy, undisciplined buses, though these are quite bewildering for the newly arrived. Taxis are numerous and inexpensive (make sure the meter is re-set when you start your journey), and are in many cases the most convenient way to get about. Taxi colectivos - which look like ordinary taxis but operate along fixed routes with fixed fares - are most useful for getting out the centre into the suburbs. Tourist Information
There are three main sources of tourist information in Santiago. Sernatur, the national tourist board, is west of the centre at avenida Providencia 1550, between Manuel Montt and Pedro de Valdivia metro stations (Dec-March Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 9am-2pm; April-Nov Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm; tel 236 1416). Far more central and convenient is the municipal Oficina de Turismo (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; tel 632 7783), just off the Plaza de Armas at Merced 860. Finally, the National Parks organization, Conaf, has an information office at avenida Presidente Bulnes 291 (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm & 2pm-4.30pm; tel 390 0125). Eating
At first sight Santiago’s eating scene appears to be dominated by uninviting fast food outlets serving hot dogs and fried beef sandwiches. In truth, however, there’s an enormous choice of restaurants, from the humble to the outstanding, taking in many different types of cuisine including Asian, Arabic, Spanish, Peruvian, French and Italian. Most eateries tend to be concentrated in specific areas like Bellavista, Providencia and calle Lastarria (next to Cerro Santa Lucía). The majority are quite expensive, except at lunchtime when many places offer a good-value fixed-price menú del día or menú ejecutivo. For this reason a lot of restaurants tend to be packed out at lunchtime but fairly quiet (sometimes empty) in the evening, at least during the week. A Pinch of Pancho, General del Canto 45, near Manuel Montt metro. Attentive staff, a mellow atmosphere and excellent North American dishes, including New England chowder, BBQ spare ribs, Cajun chicken and desserts to die for. Bar de la Unión, Nueva York 11, near to the Bolsa. Old wooden floors, shelves of dusty wine bottles and animated, garrulous old men make this a really atmospheric place to come for a drink or a meal. The food is tasty (lots of fish) and good value, and the servings are generous. Closed Sun afternoon. Camino Real (tel 232 3381; take a taxi) also known as the Enoteca, on Cerro San Cristóbal. A really special place to come for a splurge, offering magical views, especially at night when the city lights spread out below like a blanket of diamonds. The menu is imaginative, featuring dishes like sea bass in champagne sauce with fetuccini, and there’s an excellent choice of wine. Chez Henry, south side of Plaza de Armas. Large delicatessen serving good ready-made hot and cold meals to take away, as well as fresh fruit, ice cream and other goodies. Closed Sun. Cocoa, Lastarria 297 (tel 632 1272). Tiny Peruvian restaurant in a painted wooden building off a pretty courtyard. The food is expensive but excellent, with the sort of complex seasonings and mixtures of ingredients you just don’t get in Chilean food. Try the Costa Verde (deep-fried prawns and chicken in BBQ sauce) or filete a la mantequilla de ají peruano (fillet steak with chilli butter sauce). Great pisco sours, too. Closed Sat lunch and Sun afternoon. Confitería Torres, corner of Alameda and Dieciocho, near Los Héroes (tel 698 6220). Open since 1879, this is the oldest restaurant in Santiago; don’t come here for the food (overpriced meat and fish) but for the dark, wood-panelled walls, the old, tarnished mirrors, the sagging chairs and the romantic atmosphere. At weekends there’s live tango from around 10.30pm. Closed Sun. Dominó, 1016 Agustinas (near the Plaza de Armas). The most popular sandwich bar in Santiago, distinguished by its fresh, good-quality fillings. Closed Sun. Don Simón, Pío Nono 262. Cheapest choice in Bellavista, offering cazuela for an amazing CH$900. All the other favourites are here as well, like pollo con papas fritas (chicken and chips), and lomo a lo pobre (steak and egg); prices go up after 8pm. Closed Sun afternoon. Donde Agusto, Mercado Central. Long-established and eternally popular seafood restaurant in the middle of the Mercado Central - Sunday lunch here is a real occasion, with all the bustle and atmosphere of a packed Parisian brasserie. El Huerto, Orrego Luco 054, Providencia. The best veggie restaurant in Santiago, with a mouth-watering range of seasonal dishes; its Greek salad and gazpacho are especially recommended in summer. Closed Sun. El Naturista, Moneda 846, near Estado. The original pioneer of vegetarian food in Santiago, this large, inexpensive restaurant attracts a huge, frenetic crowd at lunchtime; if there’s no room, try the stand-up bar on the ground floor. Closed Sat afternoon and Sun. El Villorio, San Antonio 676, north of Santo Domingo. Large restaurant serving excellent carnes asadas; if you’re really hungry go for La Kilo y Medio, one and a half kilos of meat on a plate. There’s a rather cheesy live music and dance show at weekends, from 11pm. Closed Sun afternoon. Eladio, Pío Nono 241, Bellavista. One of the best places in the city for a big hearty steak. Friendly, relaxed and eternally popular. Closed Sun afternoon. Food Garden, in galería on Huérfanos between Estado and San Antonio. Burgers, pizzas and other plastic food from a collection of outlets around a central eating area. Closed Sun. Fra Diavola, París 836, near Residencial Londres. Busy canteen sort of place offering superb-value fixed-price lunches with a daily-changing menu (usually Italian-influenced). Closed Sat and Sun. Gatopardo, Lastarria 192, opposite Biógrafo cinema. Very classy restaurant with a beautiful interior featuring lots of modern art and an atrium supported by eight tree trunks from the south of Chile. Good, imaginatively prepared food including a range of Bolivian specialities. Live jazz at weekends in winter. Closed Sat lunch and Sun. Izakaya Yoko, Merced 456, near corner with Mosqueto. Japanese canteen offering good, authentic food at unbeatable prices; try one of their enormous bowls of soup with noodles, or the superb sushi that melts in your mouth. Closed Sun. Kintaro, Monjitas 460. Another Japanese gem, with great-value fixed-price lunches. If you want to choose from the menu, they’ve got a bookful of photos to help you out. Closed Sun. La Bodeguita de Julio, Antonia López de Bello 0108, at corner with Constitución. Down-to-earth Cuban restaurant with live music and a real party atmosphere every Friday and Saturday night. Tues-Sat from 7pm. La Divina Comedia, Purísima 215. Friendly, reasonably priced Italian restaurant, extravagantly decorated with frescoes corresponding to whichever room you’re in: Hell, Heaven or Purgatory. The salmon carpaccio is well worth a try. Closed Sun. La Esquina al Jerez, Mallinkrodt 102. Giant hanging hams and posters of bullfighters make an evocative backdrop for some excellent Spanish food, including pulpo a la gallega (octopus) and cordero asado (roast lamb). Order the plate of mixed tapas (chorizo, tortilla, garlic mushrooms, serrano ham and cheese) and you won’t have room for anything else. Closed Sun pm. Les Assassins, Merced 297, near corner of Lastarria (tel 638 4280). Small, informal restaurant with lots of charm, serving traditional French food at reasonable prices. Very popular, so you’d be wise to reserve at weekends. Closed Sun. Mikado, Francisco Bilbao 1933 (tel 225 2947; take a taxi). Upmarket Japanese restaurant specializing in teppanyaki. Watch the food being chopped and sliced in front of you at lightning speed, and cooked on a hotplate at your table, usually with a bit of juggling thrown in for good measure. Expect to shell out for the experience. Mon-Sat from 7pm. Nam San Jung, Santa Rosa 24, near the Alameda. Humble Korean restaurant serving succulent, marinated meat dishes which slowly cook in front of you on a small gas stove at your table. Presided over by the delightful Sra Lee who, with a little prompting, will sing you Korean songs on her karaoke machine. Parillón, Merced 734, between Mac Iver and San Antonio. One of a dying breed of dusty old bar-restaurants serving really traditional Chilean food - riñon al jerez (kidneys in sherry sauce), arrollado (rolled pork), lengua maya (tongue with mayonnaise) and guatitas (tripe). No frills but plenty of atmosphere. Closed Sun. Puro Chile, Maipú 636, between Compañía and Huérfanos, three blocks east of Quinta Normal. Really funky restaurant full of hip, good-looking types. It’s in an old building with a modern, very imaginative interior divided into three sections: a bar for drinking, a restaurant, and a ceviche bar. At weekends they lay out a range of top-quality wines you can buy by the glass. Closed Sun. Venezzia, Pío Nono 200. Once a favourite haunt of the poet Pablo Neruda, this old-fashioned local picada serves traditional Chilean dishes at low prices, with a friendly, family atmosphere. Nightlife
Santiago is no Buenos Aires or Río. It is not a seven-nights-a-week party town, and compared to other Latin capitals can seem rather tame. That said, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays get pretty lively to compensate for the lack of activity during the week, and huge, buzzing crowds pour into the streets and bars of the nightlife zonas. These fall into three main areas: Bellavista, characterized by its small, informal restaurants and cafés, many of which put on live music after 11pm, usually guitar music, boleros or Latin Heaven, Recoleta 345, a few blocks north of the Mapocho, just west of Bellavista. Scaffolding-like stairs and balconies, a smallish dance floor and good sound and lights. Very trendy. CH$4000. La Casa en el Aire, Antonia López de Bello 0125. Named after Neruda’s poem Voy a hacerte una casa en el aire, this bar-café is one of the nicest places in Bellavista to enjoy a drink and a chat; mellow live music at weekends, with occasional poetry recitals thrown in. La Fábrica, Asunción 426. Trendy, central pub-venue, with a small dance floor and regular live music taking in everything from metal to folk. Around CH$6000 for concerts. La Maestra Vida, Pío Nono 380, Bellavista. Small, crowded salsateca with a friendly atmosphere - no need to feel shy about practising your salsa here. CH$2500. Libro-Café Mediterráneo, Purísima 161, Bellavista. Laid-back café with soft music and lighting, books scattered about for your perusal, and a relaxed clientele. Hugely popular at weekends. Manifesto, Dardignac 0175. Futuristic bar with lots of wrought iron, uncomfortable seats, a breathtaking selection of foreign beers, and a tendancy to be either very full or very empty. Oz, Chucre Manzur 5, off Antonio López de Bello. Ridiculously popular and expensive in equal measure, this is the place to go and strut your stuff in Santiago right now. Plays a mixture of techno, rock and pop. CH$8000. Tomm, Bellavista 098, at corner with Constitución. Loud, invariably packed pub-venue, one of the best places to see established national bands. CH$3000 at weekends. Providencia, packed with slick, American-style bars that pull in a huge crowd of professional types, including lots of expats and foreign visitors Boomerang, Holley 2285. Loud music, expensive cocktails and lots of gringos. Very fashionable. Boston Pub, Holley 2291. Often has live music mid-week as well as weekends - usually classic American and British covers like Simon and Garfunkel and the Beatles. Brannigan’s, Suecia 035. One of the more restrained bars in Providencia, where the music’s rarely loud enough to rule out conversation. Good atmosphere. Electric Cowboy, Guardia Vieja 35. Lively Tex-Mex saloon stocking an excellent range of spirits, including Irish and Scottish whiskies and Caribbean rums. Live blues and country at weekends. Mister Ed, Suecia 0152. Noted for putting on good live music at weekends, often well-known national bands. Get here before 10pm or there’ll be no room left. Mid-week it’s a relaxing place to come for a drink. Wunderbar, Holley 92. This metallic, minimalist bar really breaks the Providencia mould, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when it turns into a techno dance floor packed with a trance-like crowd. Only serves beer. Free entry. Nuñoa, the heart of Santiago’s "underground" scene, where the bars and cafés lining the main square are filled with nonchalant students in ripped black jeans and leather jackets. Batuta, Jorge Washington 52, Plaza Nuñoa. Dark room with a bar and a dance floor; no trendy decor but a great, grungey atmosphere. Hosts established and new bands (usually Fridays). Saturday works as a disco. Don’t dress smart. CH$3000. Café de la Isla, Irarrázaval 3465. Popular place for chilling out with a drink to a background of Caribbean and Latin rhythms. Café Nuñoa, J D Cañas 1675. Art gallery-cum-café in a beautiful old house - a good place to relax and chat into the early hours of the morning. Delicious pancakes served, too. Club de Jazz, Avenida José Pedro Alessandri 85, one block south of the plaza. Comfortable, relaxed and friendly with loads of atmosphere and an invariably excellent line-up of Chilean and international jazz musicians (live music Thurs, Friday and Sat). CH$3000. Las Lanzas, Humberto Trucco 25, Plaza Nuñoa. This traditional old bar-restaurant, with its tables spilling onto the pavement, is the classic drinking spot in Nuñoa. It’s also a good place to eat, offering a range of fish dishes at very low prices. The drinks are cheap too. Laberinto, Vicuña Mackenna 915, near Irarrázaval. Very stylish, very contemporary club spread over various levels, galleries and passages of an old converted warehouse. Plays a mixture of house, indie and rock to cool young things in jeans. CH$7000. Accommodation
There’s plenty of accommodation in Santiago to suit most budgets, though really cheap places are thin on the ground and tend to be pretty squalid. Most of the city’s low-price rooms are small, simple and sparsely furnished, often without a window but usually fairly clean. Moving up a notch or two you’ll find more comfort in many of the small, moderately priced hotels, though you need to choose carefully as some of them can be dismal. Upmarket hotels are abundant, especially in Providencia, ranging from good-value independent outfits to luxurious international chains. All hotel prices are given in Chilean pesos and refer to the cheapest double room available in high season. Hostel rates are given per person. City Hotel, Compañía 1063 (tel 695 4526, fax 695 6775). Old, once-grand hotel just off the Plaza de Armas, past its heyday but retaining a certain romantic charm. Some rooms have parquet floors and old leather armchairs; those at the back are quietest. CH$20,000-30,000. Hotel Carrera, Teatinos 180 (tel 698 2011, fax 672 1083). Imposing five-star hotel overlooking the Palacio de la Moneda, with a flash rooftop pool and restaurant, but disappointing rooms. Non-guests can use the bar, worth it for the fantastic views, especially as the sun’s going down. Over CH$60,000. Hotel Forresta, Victoria Subercaseaux 353 (tel & fax 639 6262). Excellent hotel with bright, fresh rooms, smart bathrooms and lovely views onto the trees of Santa Lucia. There’s also a piano bar on the top floor. CH$12,000-20,000. Hotel Libertador, avenida Bernardo O’Higgins 853 (tel 639 4211, fax 633 7128). Large Seventies-style hotel opposite the Iglesia San Francisco, with spacious, comfortable rooms, all with TV and bath. Also has a rooftop terrace with sun lounges and a plunge pool. CH$20,000-30,000. Hotel Metrópoli, Sótero del Río 465 (tel 672 3987, fax 695 2196). Clean, spacious rooms, with lots of natural light but in need of a lick of paint. The best thing about this place is its constant supply of hot water and amazingly powerful showers. Located in a quiet alley off Catedral. CH$12,000-20,000. Hotel Orly, Pedro de Valdivia 027 (tel 231 8947, fax 252 0051). Small hotel (23 rooms) in an old, recently remodelled building. Friendly, personal service and excellent breakfasts. A good choice in this price range. CH$30,000-40,000. Hotel París, París 813 (tel & fax 639 4037). Popular budget hotel, tucked behind the Iglesia San Francisco. Most rooms have private bath, and there’s a little outdoor patio where you can take breakfast. The friendly and trustworthy dueña runs a discreet "by the hour" business in some of her rooms. Good place to meet other travellers. CH$8000-12,000. Hotel París Nuevo, París 813 (tel and fax 639 4037). New addition to the original hotel next door, with smart, comfortable rooms and immaculate bathrooms. Best-value hotel in Santiago in this price range, and a good choice for a couple of nights’ comfort at the start or end of your trip. CH$12,000-20,000. Hotel Santiago Park Plaza, Ricardo Lyon 207 (tel 233 6363, fax 233 6668). Luxurious, old fashioned hotel, with a sumptuous lobby, elegant decor and attentive staff. Over CH$60,000. Hotel Tokyo, Almirante Barroso 160 (tel 698 4500). Small, spotless hotel full of Japanese art and interesting furniture. Its large garden makes a peaceful retreat from Santiago’s noise, especially in summer when you can lounge on the deck chairs. CH$12,000-20,000.