Sarita Colonia sits on Loreto, at the corner of Bellavista in the Recoleta district, a Peruvian bar and restaurant that The World's 50 Best Discovery guide lists among the city's most distinctive rooms. The space carries a rooftop terrace and a colour scheme that no other bar in the neighbourhood tries to copy.
Who would love it: drinkers who want a strong pisco sour inside a room built for photographs. Who would hate it: anyone after a quiet minimal cocktail counter, since the look here is loud and the kitchen runs alongside the bar.
The room is the first thing people describe. Purple walls, a large chandelier, neon, skulls, mirrors and small Virgin Mary statues fill the space, a Catholic kitsch theme that ties to the folk figure the bar is named for.
The drinks lean Peruvian. The pisco sour is the house standard, and Tripadvisor reviewers point to the Sour de Macerados, a build that mixes red fruit, mandarin huesillo, lemongrass tea, mango and passion fruit into the base.
The food sits close to the bar. Sarita Colonia runs a full Peruvian kitchen alongside the drinks, so the room works as much for a long dinner as for a round of sours before moving on.
The terrace is the seat to ask for. An extensive rooftop sits above the main room, which makes it the spot to aim for on a warm Santiago evening rather than the busier ground floor.
The schedule rewards a check before arriving. The bar closes on Mondays and on Sunday evenings, so a weekday or Saturday visit is the reliable window for the full room and terrace.
The history gives it weight. Mesa247 and local guides trace Sarita Colonia to the year 2000 in Bellavista, which places it among the longer running rooms in a neighbourhood that turns over fast.
The crowd mixes neighbourhood regulars, art crowd and visitors drawn by the look. That keeps the mood social and busy, especially once the terrace fills later in the evening.
Sarita Colonia suits a Peruvian dinner, a sour with friends, or a first night out in Bellavista. Compare the wine list at La Providencia in Santiago and the bartender programme at El Sindicato in Santiago, then read the guide to the best cocktail bars in Santiago and browse more rooms in Barrio Bellavista.
Sources: The World's 50 Best Discovery guide to Santiago; Tripadvisor reviews of Sarita Colonia; mesa 24/7 Guide listing; Resy reservation page (2025).
