Editorial
Santiago drinks across two worlds, the country's serious wine and pisco on one side and a rough, century-old dive tradition on the other. The seven below cover both, mostly around Lastarria and the centre, with one rooftop for the view.
Tom Callahan rates them on the drink, the welcome, and whether the price is honest for what lands on the bar. Order local and you will not go wrong.
Siete Negronis does exactly what the name promises, seven takes on the Negroni from a twelve-metre bar stacked with over 370 bottles. It cracked the World's 50 Best Bars at number 69 back in 2019 and still pulls a serious cocktail crowd. The format is simple and the execution sharp. Tom rates it for anyone who likes their drinks bitter and their bars unfussy. Order the classic first, then work sideways.
Chipe Libre styles itself the Independent Republic of Pisco, a Lastarria mansion devoted to the spirit from both Chile and Peru. It pours around 100 pisco labels and some of Santiago's best pisco sours, plus a proper kitchen. Since 2014 it has been the place to learn the spirit without a lecture. Tom rates it for settling the Chile versus Peru pisco argument over a flight. Get the sour and a tasting board.
Liguria has run since 1990 and is the bohemian Santiago institution, a bar-restaurant of graffiti murals, loud nights, and generous Chilean plates. There are several branches, but each keeps the same scruffy charm and stays open to 2am. The drinks are honest and the portions large. Tom rates it for a long, loud dinner that turns into a session. Closed Sundays, so plan around it. Go hungry and thirsty.
Bocanariz is the wine drinker's stop in Lastarria, open since 2012 with one of Chile's most awarded lists, some 400 bottles deep. The flights are the smart move, a guided run through valleys and grapes you cannot easily taste at home. The kitchen matches the cellar. Tom rates it for learning Chilean wine properly rather than guessing. Book ahead and let the staff build you a flight.
La Piojera has poured since the 1920s and is the most Chilean bar in town, a rowdy, no-frills hall near the Mercado Central. The drink to order is the terremoto, a cheap, lethal mix of pipeno wine and pineapple ice cream that lives up to its name. It is loud, packed, and proudly rough around the edges. Tom rates it as essential, not refined. Go at lunch, drink one terremoto, respect the second.
The Clinic Bar takes its name and attitude from Chile's famous satirical magazine, all political cartoons and irreverence on the walls. It is a cheap, lively spot for cocktails and beer with live music on some nights. The crowd is young and the prices fair. Tom rates it for a loose, late one with a sense of humour. Check which branch is open before you set out, and go after dark.
Red2One sits on the 21st floor of the W Santiago, a rooftop with a clean sweep to the Andes and the city skyline. The pool deck is guests-only by day, but from 6pm it opens to everyone as a polished cocktail bar with DJs. The drinks are pricey, as rooftop drinks always are, but the view earns it. Tom files it under worth it once for sunset. Arrive early for a rail seat.
Bar Las Tejas reopened on the corner of Paseo Bulnes and Alonso de Ovalle after more than a century on San Diego Street, carrying its terremoto and chorrillana tradition to a smaller space with a tree shaded terrace. Order: a terremoto. Best time: late afternoon on the terrace.
The seven above are where Santiago actually drinks. Pisco sour institutions, awarded wine bars, a century-old terremoto hall, and one rooftop for the Andes view.
Tom Callahan covers pubs and proper drinking across the UK, Ireland, and beyond. He rates a bar on the drink, the welcome, and whether the price is honest.