Eating & Drinking in Santiago, Chile

Santiago is full of delicious food and great places to drink. One of my favourite things about this city is the food.

From sit down fine cuisine, to food stands, there is something for everyone.

Must try food

1. Completos – a Chilean style hot dog which has a whole range of toppings. My favourite is also my favourite sandwich fillings – italiano (avocado, tomato & mayonnaise)
2. Chilean sandwiches – okay, it may sound boring, but you have not had a sandwich until you’ve eaten a Chilean sandwich! Try a churrasco italiano (thinly sliced beef, avocado, mayonnaise & tomato), you won’t regret it
3. Empanadas – the oven baked pino (mince beef + other fillings), the fried cheese (queso) & fried cheese with scallops (ostiones)are my favourites and must tries
4. Stews and soups – the seafood stew paila marina, the hearty stew cazuela with potatoes and meat + more
5. Ceviche – fresh fish cured in citrus juice
6. Chorillana – fries, meat, onions and fried eggs on top. Fried goodness to share
7. Lomo a lo pobre – a large steak, fries and fried egg on top
8. Pebre – a side served at every restaurant with bread. Chilli, tomato, coriander and onion chopped finely and mixed together
9. Sopaipillas – fried dough usually sold in street stalls that can be eaten sweet or savoury. People often cover it with ketchup, mustard and chilli sauce. To play it safe with your stomach try buy them from restaurants/bakeries
10. Fresh bread – Chileans know how to make great bread. Stop at a bakery and buy fresh marraqueta, hallulla or dobladitas (different types of bread)

Drinks to try

1. Chilean wine – a wine tour is worth your dollar. If you don’t have time, almost any red wine in a supermarket in Santiago is absolutely top quality. Casillero del Diablo, 120, Exportación…and the list goes on
2. Schop – for those beer lovers out there, Chile has great beer and it’s cheap too. A schop is the restaurant’s tap beer. I recommend Kross, Kuntsmann, Austral beer and the restaurant HBH
3. Pisco sour – pisco is made in both Chile & Peru. Pisco sour is a mix of the alcohol pisco, lemon juice, egg white & sugar
4. Mango Sour – or other fruity mixes that are a different take on Pisco sour. Basically a pisco sour with mango added
5. Terremoto – the Chilean drink popular when celebrating the national holiday Fiestas Patrias. Made with white wine, pineapple ice cream & grenadine. Watch out, it tastes so delicious you won’t even notice the alcohol. Which is why it’s called an earthquake in Spanish, you feel like your world is moving after a few

My Favourite Restaurants

1. La Picá de Clinton – a place that is for locals. Once Bill Clinton drank half a coca cola in this restaurant…which led to a whole rebrand. The restaurant was renamed to La Picá de Clinton and his face is all over the menu. Clinton’s coke bottle is also on display in a glass box. It has great sandwiches and other typical Chilean food
2. La Terraza – another super Chilean restaurant serving up traditional Chilean food. The portion sizes are super generous, beer cold and sandwiches + completos to really crave for
3. José Ramón 277 – unlike the first two options, this place has bilingual waiters usually and is more attractive in decor. It serves up Chilean cuisine and beer. It’s a bit more expensive, but in a beautiful suburb of Santiago and great quality. Plus large sizes, one sandwich can feed two people
4. Los Pincheira – one of my guilty pleasures in Santiago. This hole in a wall eatery is definitely locals only. It serves up great chips, hot dogs and sandwiches for your greasy eating pleasure. Super great prices, and open late. No place to sit, but take it away to your hotel or a nearby park to enjoy
5. Mestizo – a restaurant for the fine diners, and more modern Chilean cuisine. Beautifully decorated and situated in the picturesque Parque Bicentenario. The food here is amazing, treat yourself and eat a meal here
6. El Pollo Caballo – great prices, great quality. Family-run business and delicious traditional Chilean food
7. Fuente Suiza – another sandwich, empanadas, beer and traditional Chilean food restaurant
8. HBH – for the beer lovers! They brew their own beer here and sell it for great prices. The ‘ambar’ beer is absolutely delicious
9. Bar Nacional – another super Chilean place to eat. There are often great deals on and the decor is of another time
10. Fuente Alemana – a standing room only restaurant in the centre of Santiago selling up sandwiches and hot dogs fast, on the go. Business men come here for lunch to have a quick fix before heading back to work
11. Copec – unconventional, I know. Copec is a petrol station, but the big ones called ‘prontos’ serve good breakfast, great sandwiches with slow cooked beef + more. Great for those road trippers amongst us