Lotus Neo Thai (Ortega y Gasset 1782, Barrio Chino, Buenos Aires) – a rarity in Argentina – a Thai restaurant. This is one place where diners feel like trading in their obligatory steak knives for chop sticks. Items such as chicken served with sweet and sour cucumber sauce; stir-fried prawns with shiitake mushrooms and baby […]
Little Rose (Armenia 1672, Palermo, Buenos Aires) – this Japanese restaurant makes its sushi with different types of fish (as opposed to those that only use salmon). Aside from that, its interior of black-paneled walls and dim lighting makes this Japanese restaurant stand out (from other sushi palaces that typically use minimalist décor). Great for […]
La Parolaccia (Alicia Moreau de Justo 276, Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires) – offering patrons a view of the water, this restaurant serves a wide variety of gourmet Italian dishes prepared with fresh pasta and sea food. Specialties found there include: Calamaretti Lyonesa (sauteed calamari in a fresh tomato base with onions, scallions, potatoes and herbs), […]
La Bourgogne (Ayacucho 2027, Recoleta, Buenos Aires) – located within the Alvear Palace Hotel, this is considered the best French restaurant in Buenos Aires, serving dishes such as the carré de veau, filet de boeuf, suprême de volaille, and poisson en coûte de sel. The service is also very good. Diners are warned that this […]
Rincón de las Canallas (Tarapacá 810, e/San Francisco, Santiago) – if you want to visit a bar that once required a password to get in, this would be the place. El Rincón de las Canallas (“Riffraff’s Corner”) was a one-time clandestine meeting place for anti-Pinochet activists during the 1980s. The bar’s located back then was […]
Le Boudoir Lounge and Bar (Constitucion 97, Bellavista, Santiago) – this trendy lounge bar, located in the upscale Bellavista district, and (as the venue’s name implies), as décor consistent with an old school 19th century Parisian boudoir (especially the naughty paintings on its walls). A mostly 20-something crowd hangs out here, and for those not […]
Too Much (various locations, Santiago) – this is another popular sushi restaurant (with a number of outlets throughout the city). Its menu lists a healthy variety of sushis, tempura, and hot dishes. It also generates a healthy take-out business.
Palacio Danubio Azul (Reyes Lavalle 3240, El Golf, Las Condes, Santiago) – despite the name (which suggests a culinary association with central Europe), the food actually served here is Chinese. In business for over 50 years, this is reputed to be the best Chinese restaurant not only in Santiago, but in all of Chile.
Tiramisu (Isidora Goyenechea 3141, Santiago) – this cozy-looking restaurant serves a wide range of pizzas from pepperoni-style chorizo pies, to Argentine-style tomato sauceless fugaze pizzas. That, as well as calzones, focaccias, and piadinas. No doubt, with a name like “tiramisu”, it also carries a variety of desserts – from tiramisu to gelatos.
Casa de Cena (Calle Almirante Simpson 20, Providencia, Santiago) – this is a family-owned bar and restaurant which is a step back in time to the old Chile (as opposed to the new-age “Sanhattan” (Santiago meets Manhattan)-type Yuppie hangout spots). Prices are reasonable (for drinks like Pisco, and home-cooked Chilean meals).