A tiny corner of Palermo with vintage candy jars on the shelves, homemade food at lunch, and gin tonics that Tripadvisor reviewers call spectacular.
CandyBar sits on the corner of Durazno and Santiago de Chile in Palermo, the old quarter south of Centro, and takes its name literally: vintage candy jars line the shelves above the bar. Tripadvisor ranks it 33rd of more than 950 Montevideo restaurants on the strength of a tiny menu done well.
By day it works as a neighborhood lunch spot with homemade cooking; by night the gin tonics take over. Sundays bring a brunch service from noon to 4pm that locals book their week around.
Who would hate it? Anyone who needs space. The room is small, and that is the point.
Mismatched tables, groovy hanging lights, and those candy jars give the room its retro grain. Reviewers on Tripadvisor describe a cool little bar with really nice staff and very good value. A handful of outdoor tables catch the corner light on warm evenings.
The gin tonic is the house order, called spectacular by Tripadvisor reviewers, with mains running under about USD 12. The kitchen leans healthy and homemade at lunch, and the tortilla de papas is the dish regulars name first. Sunday brunch runs noon to four and sells the room out; Mondays the bar rests.
Lunch brings office workers and neighbors; evenings turn over to couples and small groups working through the gin list. The Facebook page carries a 96 percent recommendation rate across more than 270 reviews, the profile of a bar locals protect.
The Palermo corner that does everything a neighborhood bar should: short menu, strong gin tonics, and a Sunday brunch worth planning around. Go early, the room is tiny.
