The Lastarria district is labeled as intellectual. Here, a view of the its main street.

This is where famous personalities, intellectuals and artists came to live, making this district a recognized and renowned part of Santiago that has now become an urban oasis.

It is a place where everything happens simultaneously in its restaurants, cinemas, cafés, book stores, independent design stores, art and bars. All these elements make the Lastarria district a unique place in our capital, where tourists are immersed in the classical, of a Santiago that wants to show its best and that of its people.

You have to explore this cultural sub-world as, if we don’t see Lastarria Street, we will never know of its existence because, like a precious jewel, this is a hidden sector behind the agitated and noisy center of Santiago. The street runs off the Alameda avenue, at No.307, just behind the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center (which we also recommend, if you have the time).

Its architecture and style quickly tell you that you have arrived at the right place. The small balconies in the purest rococo style, the tables and sun-shades on the restaurants’ terraces, the paved floors that mix with walls of climber plants, large houses in red or medieval-style stone, students sitting or drawing in the streets, old and modern fairs; these all confirm that this sector has no reason to envy other world tourist centers.

Places not to be missed

Following the street, we reach the beautiful La Veracruz church, declared a historic monument in June 1983. It was built as a sign of friendship between Chile and Spain, to dignify and perpetuate the memory of Pedro de Valdivia, the founder of Santiago, as supposedly he lived in the area. This why it is worth a visit.

There is a replica of the Arc de Triumph engraved on its facade, following a neo-classical style typical of the time. Inside there is the relic of the cross and a colonial Christ on the high altar that date from the 17th Century, donated by King Charles V.

The El Biógrafo cinema is a classic of the district, not to be missed especially if you are a real cinema fan, as it was built in the late 1980s and is dedicated exclusively to amateur films and independent European and American art films.

If the intention is to “look at” Chile and know all its poetic and mythical heritage in just one place, you should go to the corner of Lastarria and Villavicencio streets as here is the “Lastarria Observatory”. A meeting place for observers (poets, musicians, photographers, painters, food lovers) where there is a diffusion of images and sensations that fill you with a passion for Chile, its country and its people.

Mulato Gil Square at Lastarria District.

Along the same Lastarria Street, we come across the Mulato Gil Square, created in 1982 and now full of fashionable cafés and restaurants, where visitors, apart from enjoying our food can also enjoy a cultural evening, because here also in the Museum of the Visual Arts, MAVI, where for just 1,000 pesos for adults and 500 pesos for children, with entrance free on Sundays, you can experience a pleasant time. In the entrance is a giant mural by Matta which can be seen by those just passing by.

Between Rosal and Merced streets, from Thursday to Saturday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., there is the antiques and books fair, where books and the strangest objects from earlier centuries combine together to offer quality for visitors and passers-by. Founded in 1992, it began with just two stalls; today there are eleven stalls, where the owners form part of a potent group that cares for the district’s interests.

Flavors and aromas

The old buildings and colonial mansions are the perfect scenario for the different restaurants in the sector, which show the best of their cooking and inject aromas and flavors into the Lastarria air. Restaurants can also be found with a broad supply of Concha y Toro wines in a gastronomic circuit characterized by its varied cuisine.

Ópera restaurant: should you choose to enjoy a quiet evening, with a sophisticated menu, the best recommendation is the Ópera. Located in one of the best conserved places in downtown Santiago, this opened in April 2006 to become, according to the barriolastarria.com portal, “one of the most desirable projects for lovers of good food”, a classy restaurant, the Ópera and the Catedral restaurant-bar, are located in a mansion full of history which has been declared a national monument.

Recommended: Opera Restaurant at Lastarria District in Santiago de Chile.

According to Juan Domingo De La Sotta, sommelier of the Ópera, the style of cuisine differs from others in the Lastarria district “because it combines a good chef with top-quality ingredients, making the final result a very good product. The Opera also has an atmosphere marked by its design, very good service and well-equipped premises with a focus on French cooking in the hands of the outstanding chef, Mathieu Michel.

The entrance is at Merced Street 395 and, according to Juan Domingo, you can enjoy the dish that has appeared for the longest time on its menu, a classic, which is “Gallina Trufa”, a smooth and tender farm-bred hen under a bed of truffles. Paired by an Amelia Chardonnay 2009, they provide a special occasion and a sensational touch and are very special for sharing with your partner.

Although a meal for two can cost an average of some 20 thousand pesos per person, if you stroll through the district, the Opera café offers tasty sandwiches that are served straightaway to your table or delicious ice-creams with flavors like Passion Fruit or Bitter Chocolate.

Catedral Bar: located to one side, offers live music, and you can enjoy drinks and the best Concha y Toro wines with your friends. Here, the sommelier Juan Domingo recommends their grilled cuts of entrails, which combine perfectly with a Marques de Casa Concha Syrah, or the Belgian stew with fried potatoes, a classic Belgian dish, which is perfectly paired with a Marques de Casa Concha Merlot.

Japanese food: however, there is no counting for taste. For those who prefer something simpler and with a Japanese touch, we find at Monjitas Street 460, the restaurant Kintaro. Attended by its owner, Kazumasa Suzuki, it offers its customers the best traditional Eastern dishes, being the best sushi restaurant in the center of Santiago.

With over 15 years experience, the owner says that “it is the most healthy and tasty food”. He not only specializes in rolls but also offers a wide range of typical hot and cold Japanese dishes. On entering the restaurant, you feel you are in that country. As soon as you sit down at your table, they offer you wet towels to prepare for the meal, sticks, oriental music and ad-hoc decoration, plus the possibility of drinking Sake (a typical Japanese drink) from among several different brands.

The star sushi for Kazumasa Suzuki is Hiroshima Maki, which consists of tempura prawns, “masago”, avocado, covered in avocado, whose pairing with Casillero del Diablo, Chardonnay 2008, makes it highly recommendable.

Finally, it just remains to be said that the Lastarria district, in the heart of Santiago, offers a wide range of infinite eating possibilities that provide a different to enjoy entertainment, culture and food to enjoy with the family, friends or simply in good company. Now you choose.

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