It’s still frigid in the western hemisphere at the moment, but there are swimsuit tan lines and sunburns running rampant on the streets of Santiago, Chile. It’s still summer down here in the southern hemisphere, and the city residents are cycling in and out town per their vacation schedules. While people are jaunting off to the beach (just an hour and a half from the capital city), there’s plenty to keep you in sunny Santiago proper. “Santiago is unique because of its location at the foot of the Andes Mountains,” says acclaimed architect of the Hotel Magnolia and Tierra Patagonia, Cazú Zegers. “It is a destination in itself and travelers should stay at least a night or two, and experience the gastronomic boom the city is currently undergoing.” Wrapped in those Andes Mountains, Santiago is a verdant metropolis with lots of trees and little parks popping up throughout its neighborhoods like Bellavista, the city’s so-called bohemian enclave where you’ll find youths sharing pitcher upon pitcher of pisco sours. Pisco, by the way, is not just a Peruvian claim to fame—Chile is another major producer of the brandy. It’s also a killer wine destination, and the world’s largest exporter of incredible mussels raised on pristine water from Antarctica. Being in a country with a 2,653 mile coastline, you’re in for a bounty of amazing seafood. We looked to Zegers for advice on how to uncover the beauties of Santiago like a local.
Take the day to explore Zeger’s favorite neighborhoods (and go with comfortable shoes). “You can do an entertaining circuit between Bellavista, Lastarria and Barrio Italia, starting at the museum and former home of poet and Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda,” she says, “then head over to Santa Lucia hill for a 360-degree view of the center of the city.” Santiago charms visitors easily with its abundance of live music, street art, hidden garden patios, churro vans, couples holding hands and enjoying ice cream cones. To round out your day, go to Barrio Italia to take in the area’s architecture and design stores.
If you want to dine like a Chilean, don’t venture out for dinner until 9 P.M. Once it’s time to eat, head to Ambrosía. “It is a pleasure to go to Ambrosía, headed by the renowned chef Carolina Bazán, who also owns this restaurant and has managed to turn it into one of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America,” Zegers says. “It is part of the new gastronomic circuit of Santiago and they only use local and seasonal products, with a signature touch. It balances sophistication with an intimate atmosphere, and it has a pleasant interior patio, and always fresh products.” While the meal is best begun with a pisco sour as an aperitif, one must move on to Chilean wine with the food; Ambrosía offers a mix of older wineries and newer, more "niche" operations, so you can get a good sense of Chile's wine culture without leaving your table.
The later dinner start should give you an indication that Chilean nightlife kicks off later, too. “If the idea is to dance, then head to clubs, which open after 1 A.M.,” Zegers says. “But there are options for all tastes, especially in summer when the capital is filled with culture with film, jazz and theater festivals.” A standard night out includes starting at a bar, and unsurprisingly Santiago is home to plenty of good ones, like Siete Negronis, a negroni-focused cocktail spot that made The World's 50 Best Bars list in 2017. “A classic is the Bar Liguria, which also just opened a spectacular new headquarters on Merced Street that fills all 4 floors of a remodeled old mansion,” says Zegers, who goes for Pichuncho, “a drink that was fashionable here in the mid-twentieth century that has pisco, vermouth, and a slice of lemon. You have to drink it very cold,” she says. When your pisco hangover hits the next day, Zegers recommends Chile’s most popular hangover cure: Mariscal, a hot soup that has mussels, clams and other shellfish. “That can lift anyone out of a hangover,” she says. “This dish is very popular after large celebrations, such as the Fiestas Patrias in September and New Year’s.”
For your home base, Zegers recommends staying in Lastarria. “It has attractive hotels and is entertaining both day and night for its bars, museums, parks, restaurants and theaters, as well as street artists, and it is very well located, very close to the historic center of the city, Bellavista and the Cerro Santa Lucia and San Cristobal parks.”
