Blooming Blooming the Chilean capital of is a city on the rise.Here are five reasons to visit. and unheralded food and art scenes, foodandart and unheralded With setting, adramatic great wines, Valley Santiago deChile Text Mark Johanson 50

Getty Images

Getty Images 51 Santiago de

antiago is a city of seven million Below the statue lies a plaza packed with people, all sandwiched together vendors selling mote con huesillo (a sweet drink in a sun-drenched valley between of peach juice and husked wheat). I do as the the towering Andes Mountains locals do and slurp the unexpected combination and the rolling Chilean Coastal as I lean over the edge of San Cristóbal to take Range. Whenever you’re lost, as in the view. To the west lies the old Santiago, SI often am here (despite relocating from the home to the historic Plaza de Armas, stately US four years ago), all you need to know is that Neoclassical government buildings and the east lies towards the Andes, the highest working-class apartment blocks. The city gets It’s become a mountains in the world outside Asia. Santiago progressively newer (and socioeconomically and its bashful citizens have long sat in the richer) the further east I look towards the Andes, hub of innovation, shadows of these mountains looming above, where glass-encased towers – including the but I’ve witnessed in recent years how my tallest building in Latin America, Gran Torre with a growing adopted home has rapidly emerged from a Santiago – embody the modern face Santiago decades-long slumber to become a hub of wants to show to the world. entrepreneurial innovation with a burgeoning start-up scene, I forgo the cable car on the way down a growing entrepreneurial spirit and trendy and opt instead to drop into the bohemian new areas to match. As the capital of South Bellavista neighbourhood via San Cristóbal’s spirit America’s most prosperous country, Santiago 93-year-old funicular. The rickety carriage boasts many elements its neighbours lack, sputters its way downhill at a 45-degree including modern infrastructure and a incline. As soon as it clinks into the station comprehensive public transportation network. at the bottom, I’m off to explore Santiago’s It also regularly ranks as the safest city on the booming arts scene. continent. Add in new infusions of art, culture and gastronomy, and you can begin to see why Santiago is winning over visitors. 2 Burgeoning art hub The facades of Bellavista’s bustling bars and restaurants are all covered in elaborate street 1 Better parks, better views murals; some made in protest of the government, When I first visited Santiago as a tourist others to praise local heroes like poet and seven years ago, my long-time Chilean friend diplomat . This colourful graffiti Carla Andrade told me: “There’s no better has long been the face of Chilean art, at least Previous pages: viewpoint of the city than the one atop Cerro for tourists. But where Chile really shines is sunrise over the Andes and San Cristóbal.” We huffed up this hill together with its performing arts. Santiago (left); a proud under a blazing afternoon sun. It’s a sweaty “In Chile, there is a great freedom for artists owner of a specialist wine 4km hike that’s no longer necessary thanks to create,” explains Felipe Bascuñán, brand store in Santiago (right). to the city’s revamped cable car system, which manager at Municipal de Santiago, the city’s Right page, clockwise debuted in late 2016. Its cabins (47 in total) now ornate Neoclassical opera house. As we explore from top left: glide above the massive 7.22km2 Santiago its marbled lobby, I learn of forthcoming plans the city’s central square, Metropolitan Park all the way to the top. to make this the most eco-friendly heritage Plaza de Armas, boasts a As I ride up San Cristóbal on another building in , as well as the refreshing mix of both old and new architecture, with sunny afternoon in 2018, the skyscrapers of staging of a brand new opera, El Cristo de Elqui the historic Metropolitan the city’s glittering business district fade into – based on the novels of the Chilean writer Cathedral of Santiago on the background like a glass castle smashed Hernán Rivera Letelier – which Bascuñán the left; fresh produce at up against the snow-capped Andes. All the says is a must-see. one of the many lively markets; the town is a while, the open arms of a 22m Virgin Mary A few blocks away, Centro Cultural Gabriela true delight for street- statue beckon me forward until, at long last, Mistral (GAM) also has big plans for 2018. It art aficionados. I depart from the cabin at her base. currently shows cutting-edge contemporary > Getty Images Jamie (top), Beck (bottom left and right)

52 Santiago de Chile

theatre and dance within a striking copper- Schmidt says that Chile’s vast diversity of encased building with five stages, and in the climates, and 4,270km of coastline, make it second half of the year, it will unveil a new one of the world’s greatest natural pantries. 1,880-seat Grand Hall. Santiago has welcomed are said to consume 90kg of bread a number of other new venues in recent years, per person, per year, mostly in sandwiches. To including high-end CorpArtes, a sleek and get my fix, I grab a table at 17°56° the following moneyed space for touring acts, and edgy morning. The menu at this open-air eatery is NAVE, where artists-in-residence stage divided by latitude, with five different experimental performances. sandwiches representing separate regions of “While other Latin American countries Chile. I’m feeling nostalgic from my trip up to The arts tend to focus on traditional expressions of the a few months back, so I opt art, Chile champions innovation above all for Paralelo 17°, a sandwich inspired by Chile’s scene is in the else,” Bascuñán tells me, adding that far north, with quinoa-crusted fish, a tapenade “Santiago’s arts scene, as a whole, is in the of olives from the Azapa Valley and huacatay midst of a midst of a renaissance”. sauce on ciabatta bread. The crunchiness of the battered fish pairs perfectly with the saltiness renaissance of the olives and the bite of the sauce. 3 Rise of The final stop on my Providencia food tour To explore Santiago’s booming gastronomy is Piso Uno. Part tapas restaurant, part lounge scene, Bascuñán recommends I travel east to (with high ceilings, geometric chandeliers and Providencia, where he lives. Once a humdrum rotating DJs), it’s the latest venture from chef upper middle-class neighbourhood on the edge José Ozaki. He has a Chilean mother, Peruvian of Santiago Centro, the area has blossomed in father and Japanese grandparents. He tells me recent years into the city’s culinary core, with – as we guzzle handcrafted cocktails at the a flurry of new restaurant openings from the long white bar – that it was only natural that city’s top chefs. he would dedicate himself to cooking Nikkei One of its brightest stars, 99 Restaurante, (Japanese-Peruvian) cuisine “with a Chilean shot up the renowned list of Latin America’s twist”. His dishes – including tuna tataki in 50 Best Restaurants from number 46 – when ponzu sauce with a cream of rocoto peppers it debuted in 2015 – to number 14 in 2017 and crispy quinoa – mix the clean lines and thanks to its playful reinterpretation of salty flavours of Japan with the bounty of Chile Chilean classics like pastel de jaiba. While and the spices of . It’s a wild combination most restaurants in town offer this traditional to be sure, but each dish explodes like a flavour crab casserole in a ceramic bowl, 99 serves bomb in my mouth. it on an ice-lolly stick. I sit at one of the four wood-hewn tables inside, so I can watch chef Kurt Schmidt in the 4 Trendy shopping open kitchen as he preps tasting plates for a Santiago’s ‘It’ neighbourhood right now is nine-course meal. “I feel responsible to show definitely Barrio Italia, where historic one- people the marvellous products we have in level homes have found new lives as art Chile, from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia,” galleries, bookstores, hipster coffee shops the 35-year-old enthuses. “I want them to have and labyrinthine shopping arcades with made a journey across the country by the time indie boutiques the size of walk-in closets. they’ve finished their meal and to have tried “Little by little, this neighbourhood has Clockwise from top right: ingredients they’ve never encountered before.” positioned itself as a place for independent Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes; colourful buildings in These include tiny clams endemic to the designers and innovators who want to the Bellavista area; the patio southerly Chiloé Archipelago and an orange- demonstrate that Chile can make products

Hollandse Matthew Hoogte Williams-Ellis (top), (bottom right), Gabriel O’Rorke (bottom left) of Café de la Candelaria. white mushroom from the central forests. of the highest quality,” explains Javiera >

55 Avenida Los Leones 96 you slinkinto oneofthe booths. juicy, American-style burgers as country. Pair your beerswith is nolongerexclusively awine new beer barisasignthatChile a rare find in Santiago, but this Finding 20craftbeersontapis El Honesto Mike Avenida Peru 631 Facebook: drjekyllspeakeasy and theatrical curios. chandeliers, antique furnishings for alavishroom with the password andbeprepared cocktails. Check Facebook for 300 bottles from whichto craft mixology more boasts than of This hiddenlaboratory Dr Jekyll Places to drink Andrés deFuenzalida 48 1756cocinaybar.cl the Lakes District. and sweet potatoes from Atacama to wildboar desert altiplanic potatoes ofthe latitude, from thequinoaand shop isinspired by aChilean restaurant andsandwich Every item atthiscasual 17°56° Santa Magdalena 116 Facebook: pisounorestaurant the hippestspotsintown. slick new restobar isoneof customised cocktails, this inventive Nikkei tapasand With DJsspinningrecords, Piso Andrés deFuenzalida 99 99restaurante.com or nine-course dinner. or amore sophisticated six- for acasual three-course lunch journey across Chile. Come promiseseatery aculinary Every mealatthisintimate 99 Restaurante Places to eat Uno

winesandbarrels.com Colchagua valleys. in theMaipo, Casablanca or the small-scale wineproducers A day tour from Santiago to Wines andBarrels Avenida Condell 1438 Avenida 1439 Italia estacionitalia.cl bowls orChilean graphicnovels. shoes orsunglasses to ceramic souvenirs, from handcrafted Your one-stop-shop for creative Paseo Italia Estación Agustinas 794 municipal.cl opera andorchestra companies. building houses own its ballet, this ornate Neoclassical Chile’s mostprestigious venue, Municipal deSantiago O’Higgins 227 Avenida Bernardo Libertador gam.cl fairs inthecourtyardhere. exhibitions andregular craft art centre. You’ll also find rotating in thiscopper-encased cultural and theatre companies perform Chile’s topdance contemporary Mistral Centro Cultural Gabriela Things to do Eduardo Hyatt 527 casasurchile.com and personalised service. haven ofpeace, tranquillity guesthouse isaminimalist This beloved six-room CasaSur Charming Hotel Merced 84 lucianokhotel.com (with thecity’s firstlift). was once thetallestinSantiago housed ina1920sbuilding that boutiqueThis stylish hotel is Luciano K Merced 294 thesingular.com surrounding Lastarriaarea. explore therestaurants ofthe baror sour attheart-filled the rooftop pool,grabapisco enjoy sweeping views city from Stay inthishigh-endhotel and SingularThe Places to stay Santiago deChile

56 Hoops by Caviahue, where a British-Chilean a British-Chilean where Caviahue, by Hoops but uninspiring, and that’s unfortunate.” cheap). safe, and as of It’s thought nice (good, being for reputation a has wine Valley. “Chilean Maipo the of vines emerald to the way give Santiago of towers the as it explains is,” Moraga think they what not is operator. tour a Santiago-based Barrels, and Wines of Moraga help Gonzalo of the enlist I Tothem, quantity. find above quality favouring mould, the completely breaking are who edge Santiago’s on producers boutique of dozens are but there wineries, factory large from come country out the of way their make that wine Chilean of bottles Most 5 antiques. grandiose buffing while cigarettes puff coveralls in men where workshops, furniture and auto detailers with door-to-door lie here restaurants my of favourite Some charm. blue-collar its of much retains still 1893. at Despensa oils olive and wines beers, Chilean of shelves peruse and Chocolate, Óbolo factory, chocolate stop at a bean-to-bar I also Tejada). Danny (By shirts pattern-heavy and Deco) (Lynch textiles Patagonian Eyewear), (Fibra sunglasses (Rebeca), backpacks selling designers past I stroll as neighbourhood the across all evident is ethos ‘made-in-Chile’ A Chilean. to proud be that’s Santiago new the exemplifies Italia Barrio inspiration. for neighbourhood.” the of essence and history the maintain still but they galleries, commercial into converted and restored been “Old designs. Chilean and leather local using country the in made are men’s that shoes colourful sells a shop that Bacinari, of co-owner Gómez, and looked outward to the US and Europe and US to the outward looked and historic anything over bulldozed that a city To prove his point, Moraga takes me to me to takes Moraga To point, his prove wine Chilean that love to to prove “I visitors Italia Barrio gentrification, rapid its Despite was 2014 in to moved I first Santiago The New faces ofChilean wine casonas bueno, bonito y barato y barato bonito bueno, (large houses) have have houses) (large Santa Lucía Hill

>

Stocksy A ‘made-in-Chile’ ‘made-in-Chile’ A ethos is evident evident is ethos everywhere 

Alamy (bottom left and right), 500px/Qatsi Fisher (top) 93-year-old funicular. Central; San Cristóbal Hill’s seafood stallatMercado the Supreme Court ofChile; from top right: page, clockwise Left 5 Centro Cultural GabrielaMistral 3 Estación Funicular PioNono 6 4 NAVE cultural centre GranTorre Santiago 7 1 10 8 Piso Uno restobar San Cristóbal Hill 2 9 Barrio Italiaarea Hotel Luciano K Plaza deArmas 99Restaurante

and more natural finish. The vines here are are here vines The finish. natural more and a fresher them gives technique this note that I cellar, wine stone-hewn the in them I taste As amphoras. clay in wines its of most ages but it methods, farming organic using wines biodynamic makes only not vineyard family artisan This favourite. my personal It’s also day.the of winery experimental and most final Valley, the is Cachapoal nearby the of foothills design. the as wine the for much as bottles, two I buy patrons. infamous most brothel’s to the homage pay labels bottle and brothel, site a of 1930s the on lies winery The Clandestino. El restaurant, on-site at the grill the from straight I eat sausages and steaks the with perfectly pair which Sauvignons, Cabernet and heavy-hitting floral in specialises winery boutique This trees. eucalyptus of a ring behind hidden vineyard a 100,000m Escondida, Viña and Valley subtle. and soft is 2016 the while a long finish, with and complex 2010earthy the I find year. each of conditions climatic unique the reflect vintages how the to see barrels) oak in aging (still 2017 vintages and 2016 the it with compare and 2010 from bottle a rare taste we as VIP true a like I feel estate. Talagante their of yard front the in grown vines 626 the from blend Bordeaux limited-production extremely an couple produces Viña Tipaume, in the sun-kissed Andean Andean sun-kissed the in Tipaume, Viña Colchagua venerable to the it’s off Next, 6 Santiago deChile 59 2

2

5

3 . onklm.com flight your Book Schiphol. Amsterdam Airport from Benítez Airport Merino Comodorode Chile’s Arturo non-stop flights to Santiago KLM operates sixweekly ✈ story this Book surprises. fantastic of full is ahead road the it’s that anything, proved has Santiago new the of tour my brief if and air, the in is Change year. next today it is city same it the won’t and be ago, years seven visited I first city same the unexpected. to the conventional the from shift paradigm a true represents – businesses newer Santiago’s of many – like Tipaume Viña Malbec. and Viognier Christi, Lacryma Merlot, Sauvignon, Cabernet by followed production, of bulk the forming Carménère, grape, signature Chile’s with co-fermented, and co-planted ungrafted, all Forward-thinking Santiago is certainly not not certainly is Santiago Forward-thinking 1 10 8 9 7 4

n

Jasmijn Evans/Art Associates