Astrid y Gastón came in at #1 and D.O.M. at #2 at the initial edition of the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurant List, even though D.O.M. ranked considerably higher on the World’s Best list a few months ago. Comparing those restaurants is difficult. Pujol was at #3 and Central at #4. In my opinion any of those four restaurants could be #1 on any given day. With the top ten there was little argument – some might say one restaurant should up or down a spot or two – but the rest of the list was where there were some oddities.

Pop-ups, Puertas Cerradas, and one-off joint dinners between chefs are trending right now in Santiago, Chile. Patrick Hieger reveals where to go.

Chiloé, in the southern half of Chile at the absolute end of the Pan-American Highway, is a stunningly beautiful, fiercely independent island chain hanging just off of Puerto Montt. It is a place where tales of mythological figures such as sirens and witches and ghost ships are woven into daily… Read More →

Carignan was brought to Chile from Argentina after the massive earthquake of Chillán in 1939 to blend with Pais grapes that were heavily impacted, but haven’t been heard of much since. Suddenly it is being rediscovered.

While the length of the Carretera Austral in Chile’s Northern Patagonia is nothing less than spectacular, the town of Caleta Tortel, the Patagonian Venice, captures the adventurous spirit and magic of the region better than any other place, yet is still relatively unknown and undiscovered. Sitting on the crème de menthe colored Rio Baker, the small lumber town clings to the hillsides and waterfront via hundreds of wooden walkways that span the entire length of the maze like town.

The chorrillana, Valparaiso, Chile’s contribution to junk food, could only have been invented somewhere like Casino Social J Cruz Martinez. The bar is the exact definition of a Chilean picada: a hole, dive bar, or greasy spoon.

Boragó has evolved into the Chilean restaurant, focusing on Chilean products and Chilean dishes, which I have long expected would be found here. Almost three thousand miles in length, Chile has a range of products – found in different latitudes and altitudes – that is unparalleled on this earth.

While ceviche was likely born in Peru and traveled up and down the Pacific coast of South America and into Central America, few realize that is actually quite common in the islands of the South Pacific. While preparations vary considerably from island to island, the flavors of the Pacific Rim are clearly evident. One in particular: coconut milk.

El Chiringuito was never meant to attract Chile’s elite. The seafood restaurant, attached to a small seafood market where local fishermen sell the day’s catch, sticks out on a rocky bluff on a once desolate cove where few summer vacationers ever ventured. Now, in town above the restaurant, there’s sushi… Read More →

Santiago, Chile has very suddenly become Latin America’s center of craft beer. Unlike the beer in the more-German influenced south of Chile, Santiago’s micro-brew scene has a much wider set of influences that extends to the UK and the Pacific coast of the United States. While there are no beer tours in Santiago per se, several of the city’s top breweries do open their doors to visitors.