I did not have time to read up about food in Chile. What a nice surprise then to have experienced some fabulous sea food, at reasonable prices (compared to UK). I asked the hotel concierge for recommendations and they directed me to two excellent seafood restaurants, one Chilean and one Peruvian.
Another great experience was dining at Astrid y Gaston, a restaurant serving quality Peruvian food and I was told, has outlets in various countries in Latin America.
But I must not forget the cafe next to the office where I went for lunch. It was a place that sells sandwiches, cakes, soups, hot food in small cartons, juices and drinks, and pizzas. Reading the shelf labels was a good way for me to learn some basic Spanish. On the second day I suffered from altitude sickness and was only able to manage a juice and a soup. The young staff there were delightful.
 |
| A chef at Acqui esta Coco, a fabulous seafood restaurant |
 |
| Octopus carpaccio, yummy |
 |
| Seafood medley, delicious |
 |
| Picarones, a Peruvian doughnut |
 |
| The restaurant place mat, featuring the owner diving off a boat |
 |
| Cancha, Andean corn nuts |
 |
| Amuse bouche, octopus samosa |
 |
| Seafood on a bed of squash with Peruvian salsa |
 |
| Seared tuna with quinoa wrapped in banana leaf |
 |
| Caprioli cafe, Santiago |
 |
| Welcome freebie from hotel |
