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If you read my last post, you can see how fond I am of Chilean food. Fortunately for me, Santiago has a good variety of restaurants with international cuisine, the most prominent being Peruvian and sushi. Here’s a rundown of the places I’ve tried so far:
Barandiarán (Peruvian)
We visited the former location outside of Patio Bellavista and sat outside. We split the appetizers of fried yucca and papas huancaínas, and I had the Ceviche Barandiarán (crab, shrimp, assorted shellfish, assorted fish). For drinks, we both had a Pisco Sour Peruano (Hint: it’s better than the Chilean Pisco Sour). Everything was excellent, but service was lacking. Dinner for two, including drinks and splitting an appetizer, was reasonably priced. I would definitely go again to the new location on Manuel Montt in Providencia.
Viva la Vida (Sandwiches/Café)
On Constitución in Bellavista, this is a place that had lots of sandwiches and some breakfasts on the menu. I stopped in for a coffee and a quick sandwich. It wasn’t very quick, but the sandwich was tasty. I had the Señor Presidente, a ham sandwich with cheese, tomato, and avocado.
Uncle Fletch (Burgers)
A place in Bellavista that tries to be a typical American burger joint, and it does very well. They have about 10 specialty burgers with toppings like bacon, BBQ sauce, avocado, jalapeño and more, and a good selection of sides. I had the Big Texas burger with a side of fries. It was definitely big, with BBQ sauce, onions, and jalapeño. It was also one of the best burgers I’ve had outside of the US. I also tried polenta fries, but they came out cold and didn’t taste that great. I would definitely recommend this place.
Yama Sushi (Take a guess!)
This was literally my first meal in not only Santiago, but in all of Chile. I went with a Chilean friend who was showing me around on my first day. She recommended we eat sushi or Peruvian food, because “Chilean food isn’t that great”. I know, right? Great introduction to your country! But I appreciated the heads-up. Anyway, they had a special assortment for two including drinks. It was very good.
Jerusalem (Middle Eastern) (PERMANENTLY CLOSED)
I missed the tastes of the Middle East, so I stopped at this Palestinian-run restaurant outside Metro Manuel Montt near my apartment in Providencia. I had a beef shawarma and split a falafel and hummus plate with my friend. The shawarma was HUGE. Everything was amazing. The only downside was that they wouldn’t make me an Arabic coffee because they were “busy”.
Rincón Arabesco (Middle Eastern)
I stopped into an Arabic specialty shop in Barrio Patronato and they gave me a card for their restaurant a couple blocks away. The chef is Syrian, so I knew it couldn’t get more authentic than that. I split four plates with a friend – falafel, tabbouleh, fried kibbeh, and hummus. Everything tasted exactly like I remember in the Middle East. We finished off dinner with a mint tea. It was reasonably priced as well. One negative – they brought the fried kibbeh with MAYO!!! Typical Chilean. Next time, I’ll ask for yogurt.
Restaurants in Barrio El Golf
The main artery in Barrio El Golf, Avenida Isidora Goyenechea, is lined with several very good restaurants and cafés. I’ve eaten at three of them, Ica (Peruvian), Sushiban (take a guess), and Oporto (steak and fish). They aren’t cheap but all are very good.
Check out my other posts about a Turkish restaurant and the Santiago Greek Festival.
