Table service is usual in restaurants. Santiago has many international eateries.
National specialties: • Empanada (combination of meat, chicken or fish, with onions, eggs, raisins and olives inside a flour pastry).
• Fish and seafood, including clams, sole, sea bass and oysters, are very good, particularly in fishing villages on the coast.
• Cazuela de ave (soup with rice, vegetables, chicken and herbs).
• Bife a lo pobre (steak with french fries, onions and eggs).
• Parrillada (selection of meat grilled
over hot coals, often including delicacies such as intestines, udders and blood sausages).
National drinks:• Chile is famous for its wine.
• Pisco (a powerful liqueur distilled from grapes after wine pressing).
• Grapes are also used to make the sweet brown
chicha as well as
aguardiente (similar to brandy).
• Chilean beer brands are
Kuntsman, Crystal and Escudo.Legal drinking age: No minimum age for drinking; must be 18 to purchase alcohol.
Tipping: Restaurants and bars add 10% to the bill. However, waiting staff will expect a 10% cash tip in addition.
NightlifeWhile many restaurants and hotels offer entertainment, there are also a number of nightclubs. Santiago gets lively at the weekends, especially in the
zonas of Bellavista, Providencia and Nuñoa. Bands and acts frequently perform; listings sections can be found in Friday's
La Tercera and
El Mercurio. Things don't usually get going until around 2200 or 2300 in restaurants, and 0100 in clubs and bars. Visitors should be aware that the English word 'nightclub' means 'brothel' in Chile.
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.JPG "The Chilean Andes")
