As I wrote about in my last three posts, I jsut finished a quick jaunt through Santiago - made even quicker by a 13-hour delay at the start due to weather in New Jersey. Luckily for me, the weather and in reality the city as a whole, was quite perfect once we reached. This completes a trio of trips over the past three years to three great South American capitals, in Lima (2022, then rewent in 2023), Buenos Aires (2023) and Santiago. Such I do often with trips is to write about them A to Z style - in this case adding the total days across the three trips to similar in length to trips I've made in past where I've done A to Z lists about a single trip (Spain/Portugal in 2021, Korea in 2022, Japan in 2023). Anyway, here we go.
The Andes Mountains, the beautifully regal mountain range that hugs South America's West Coast is the imposing backdrop in many ways to both Santiago and Lima. Now, it is in the literal sense for Santiago, with the city being in a high valley in the Andes, with images of mountains hanging over you at all times. For Lima, you can't see the Andes, but you can feel their presence in the weird climate of a place that is cloudy nearly all the time, but never rains. That impossibly odd climate is because of the Andes, in some degree. One of the reasons these are two of the best cities to visit weather wise lies due to that Mountain range.
B. is for Bohemian Bellavista and Barranco
All three cities have great neighborhoods full of life, culture and amazing vibes. No two better, in my opinion that the twin bohemia-focused neighborhoods of Bellavista in Santiago and Barranco in Lima. There are some great similarities - from little artsy boutiques, to great craft breweries, to some great night spots, to great street art, and mainly just amazing vibes seeping through the walls. Like everything in Lima relative to Santiago, Barranco is grittier, but both are truly excellent spaces to spend evenings and nights.
C. is for Carnaval
The world rise in fancy cocktail bars has made its way down to the Southern South America Capitals. Maybe not Santiago as much, but in Buenos Aires and Lima, certainly so. Carnaval is very much, well, a carnival of color, fun, excess and joy. It matches whimsy and tasty so well, with a crowd that is more into having a good time in a dimly lit, loud, DJ heavy spot. It combines the best aspects of the "fun" of South America, with the refinement of one of the best cocktail bars in the world.
D. is for Don Julio Parilla
I'm not the biggest steak guy. But even I can't pass up what is consistently named as the best steakhouse in the world. Don Julio Parilla, a steakhouse so good it gets mentioned way up the Top 50 Restaurants list in spots normally reserved for tasting menus. And you go there, get past the throngs of people crowding it from 6pm to 1am, and you realize why. Immediately as you enter their giant grill with truly huge, thick, cuts of steak, just bewow you. Beyond that, their appetiziers (gourmet sausages), sides (ember-fried potatoes) and incredible wine, all accompany that incredible steak. Worth the wait, worth the hype, worth it all.
E. is for Eva Peron
Her grave is the main attraction in the Cemetery in Recoleta. Although that grave is super staid and laid back, at least compared to the pieces of sculpture good enough for art museums that are all over the rest of the world's fanciest graveyard (so I claim, at least). Her memory lives on in Argentina, and her dictator husband's legacy lives on too. I won't go into the darker stuff, but in a good way, it lives on with the lovely bistro Peron Peron, which had great food, greater kitschy decor with everything Peronista, and of course the greatest element of all, the playing of the Peronist March every 00:10 on the hour. By the thrid time we heard it, we were basically signing along.
F. is for Funicular y Teleferico
The two modes of transport up and down Santiago's San Cristobal Hill are a beautiful getaway in the middle of the city. Santiago is spectacularly green, despite sitting in the valley of the Andes, and nothing is a better testament to this hill where the path up and down will lead through periods of palm trees, and evergreen forests, with incredible views and lush greenery on the way. The stops also are great to make it into an entire multi-hour event, to the San Cristobal monument and church, to the multiple cable car (Teleferico) stops on the way down.
G. is for Gran Avenida
Another cheat here, but at least keeping it within the same language this time. Avenida 9 de Julio, the large, ten lane thoroughfare that cuts right through the bleeding heart of Buenos Aires, replete with its own Washington Monument like building, Teatro Colon and so much more. At this moment, you feel you escape South America and transport yourself right to Europe and North America. It is truly a grand avenue, truly a shining light for the city that extends in every direction around it.
H. is for Human Rights Museum
So, here's one where we'll use the English translation. Too many great aspects of the three cities coalesced within the same letter. The Museo de Memorias y Derechos is a beautiful three story work of art tied to explaining the darkness of the tyranny of the Military Junta that controlled Chile from 1973-1988, and the slow burning rise of freedom fighters, rebels and democracy that took hold in the late 1980s and has continued to turn Chile into the most stable and upwardly moving South American economy. The way it painstakingly talks about the events of September 11th, 1973, down to the incredible grassroots fight by the people to overturn Pinochet's dictatorship in teh 1988 election. It was a beautiful testament to a dark period of history.
I. is for Italia
This is not a drill people. There is a Barrio deep in Santiago named Italia. Are there Italians there? No, not really. What there is there are rows and rows of boutiques, craft shops, trendy bars, coffee shops, art adn craft fairs, and so much life. On the weekends, they close off the main blocks and make it into a never ending street and art collective fair. You never feel less in South America, in a very good way, than you are when stroll through Barrio Italia.
J. is for Jaime Pessaque
As I've already written about and for sure will continue to focus on, there's a lot of convenience in how I'm going about this. In this case, to talk about the best restaurants in these cities, I'm going to flip between the restaurants name in some cases, and the chef in others. Here, we have Jaime Pessaque, the genius behind Mayta. Lima is such a tough market to break into the Worlds Top-50 fine dining game, what with the mainstays in maido and Central. Well, Chef Passaque created a masterpiece in Mayta - another spot showcasing the beauty of Peru's amazing culinary roots and ingredients. From dishes around serving Guanaco, to various preparation of Huacatay, to so much else, Mayta is a place just cresting to the top.
K. is for Katedrals
Ok, this is probably my biggest cheat, literally changing a letter. But in my defense, "K" is an exceedingly rare letter in the Spanish language. Anyway, each city has a Cathedral in its city center (though in Lima's case, it's the city's old city center). All three are similar in their understated regality. None scream of the oppressive excess that seeps through each white marble column of Europe. No, this was trying to replicate grandeur with more homely ingredients, artists and paintings. Not to say their simple places. No, this is probably the perfect balance between simplicity and excess. And each hold some importance, to Francisco Pizarro's grave in Lima, to Jose de San Martin in Buenos Aires. All three are fairly Catholic countries (not Catholic enough that Don Julio Parillo was open and throbbing on Good Friday...), and their grandest testament to Catholicism is well placed.
L. is for Larcomar
Lima's Miraflores, as we'll get to, is a suepr well built up neighborhood leaning on the coast, and nothing speaks to this better than their glistening, multi story open air mall literally built into the coastal cliffs itself in the Larcomar. The views of the long stretches of coastline, with the Malecon walk extending in both directions is lovely. So too are the endless food options, open-art arts and crafts fairs (including a memorable craft beer one on my first trip to Lima in 2016). It was a cosntant first stop on in the day, to get some fresh air, get some grub, take some photos and move outward across the Lima downtown in any direction.
M. is for Maido
Maido will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was the first proper tasting menu restaurant I ever went to, in October 2016 on a trip with two friends. It was an eye opening experience, seeing that food can get so creative, so good. And yes it was expensive (though still less then than it is now). I've since gone twice more, both for dinners, and the restaurant never ceases to amaze. It is Japanese in style, but I've slowly noticed on each trip back that while the basis remains Japanese nikkei cuisine, it has more and more local Peruvian ingredients. Some elements remain, like a course with a perfectly crafted nigiri, or mochi petit fours, but others are so wildly varied each time we go back. Maido is a magical place both for being my entry way into this level of cuisine, and my familiar first stop each time I go back to Lima.
N. is for
O. is for Observatory Deck
South America is a land of tall mountains, with its regal Andes that I talked about back in the "A" section. However, it is very much not the land of tall buildings. The Grand Torre tower in Santiago at 300 meters is the tallest, but it is beautiful, standing regally above the skyline of the rest of Sanhattan (Santiago's financial district). Its observatory deck is one of the best I've been to as well - no pomp and circumstance - just giant window panes and great signage on things you can see from every angle. The best part - the clear view of the Andes in teh background.
P. is for Palermo
I've talked about many neighborhoods so far, mostly those in Lima and Santiago, but there's some great ones within Buenos Aires too. Recoleta is the most famous, but far from the best in terms of culture, style, artwork and vibes. For me, Palermo is the best for that. Beautiful tree lined streets, street grafitti lined buildings (in a good way), and bars spilling out to the streets. Lovely to walk through in the day, even lovelier in the night. It's hard to miss Palermo, but so easy to love.
Q. is for Quecha
Buenos Aires from teh start screamed being a European style city masquerading in South America. Santiago is a nice happy medium between Europe and South America. Lima is the opposite, and its greater connection to its pre-Spaniard roots, most notably the Quecha people, is so pronounced. From the pottery, to the clothwork, to so much else, Quecha history is so present and lived in Lima. I'm probably being a bit too harsh on Santiago and its connection to keeping the Mapuche people's heritage alive, but it isn't as pronounced as Lima's connection to the Quecha's.
R. is for Rodolfo Guzman
Sr. Guzman is the mastermind behind Borago. I'll talk about Central in a bit, and I had heard of Borago being seen as the "Central of Chile", and it is startling how accurate that is. Borago was mindblowing, from the conception of the dishes, to the varied ingredients they use for it, from all over the weird climates that Chile has within its borders. Some of my favorites were the various genius interpretations and plays on seafood, the ridiculous monkfish and lobster dish, and of course that slender cut of Patagonian Lamb, spit-roasted all day. So simple, so expertly fatty and tasty. It was a perfect few bites, representing the larger perfection that was Borago as a whole.
S. is for Sanguche's
I'm going to continue to cheat here by looping in the Choripan - Argentina's great hot dog type sandwhich - with the more traditional Sanguche so common in Santiago. Both are so positively great in their simplicity, and the way that more and more places are experimenting, with wackier ingredients, combinations, and growing what were sandwiches for workmen into mini pieces of art. And of course it is a fairly cheap meal, at least relative to how good you can eat elsewhere within both cities.
T. is for Tres Monos
Tres Monos is arguably the most reputed cocktail bar in all of South America, and much like the also reputed Lima cocktail classic Carnaval, what I loved most about Tres Monos was how it so well mixed the mixology of Europe and Asia, with the vibes and style of Latin America. Not to say it was all Mezcal focused and the like, but it had a certain acidity and spiciness about it. My favorite part of the place was how just chill the vibe was. Large couches, long communal bar tables. There was no pretense, no exclusivity (other than the lengthy line), and no over the top ness. Just an incredibly fun place to monkey around.
U. is for Under
I've often talked about my love for EDM/Techno clubs, which far outpaces my general love for that type of music (which I never really listen to outside of such clubs). Well, so far that is one thing say Asia has better, but Under in Buenos Aires is another story. Dark in a good way. Large in a good way. Three bars, all with ample bartenders. Two stages. Fun when half-full, even more fun when totally full. Few tables and tiers for special people - jsut a place for the everyman and everywoman who wants to have an amazing, headbanging time from midnight to 7am - true Buenos Aires hours.
V. is for Virgilio Martinez
My last chef/restaurant letter is about the world reknowned genius behind Lima's Central - which was named the Best Restaurant in the World by the Top-50 folks in 2023. It is much deserved, holding its lofty Top-10 ranking for a solid decade now. I've gone twice, and it was incredible both times, while having just two overlapping dishes of its 14 course menu, one of which its "Cacao bean in 8 ways" dessert. The other dishes are ludicrous - art pieces in design and an inventiveness of botany and gastronomy in concoction. I've never been more just agape hearing descriptions of how they made their dishes. I'm sure the great restuarants of Europe are as artistic and brilliant, but I really can't think of anything bar my first meal at Gaggan, that will ever come close to this. So much anticipation, from Chef's Table, to seeing it rise up the rankings, and so well paid off in 2022 and 2023.
W. is for Water Park of Lima
Another one where I'll go with the English spelling rather than the Spanish one, just to get my way and add it. The "Circuita Magica del Agua" in Lima is a wonderful park right smack dab in the middle of the city, with tons of truly beautiful water fountains, water spouts, water tunnels and a bunch of other creative uses of water. It's even more special at dusk, where they have lit colors added to the fountains, and light shows set to music, and it is a grand old time. What is even nicer is, as you can imagine, the place is often just a park for locals having a great time. Tourists can have a great time too of course.
X. is for X-Rated Art
The Larco Museum is a great museum in general, but one of the best parts is the Erotic Art Gallery, on the ground floor on one side of the green, beautiful patio at the museum's base. It isn't porn in a classic sense. These aren't French paintings. These are hundreds of year old water jugs, plates, bowls, spades and other usable artifacts that all happen to have erotica sculpted and moulded in - be it phallic imagery or straight on people going at it. It isn't for the faint of heart, but when you walk through you realize the titillating name draws you in, but the haunting pottery under the haunting light, keeps you enrapt.
Y. is for
Z. is for Zero Regrets
I had never gone to South America until October 2016, when two of my friends and I took a trip to Peru. We loved it then, and then I loved it some more after visiting Patagonia in 2017/18. It took me then four years to go back - on a quick four-day lark of a birthday trip in 2022 back to Lima. That begat Buenos Aires adn now Santiago. Many people ask me often how weird it is that I go to different continents, 10+ hrs of flying time away, for four days. I respond by saying that the trips to South America are at the very least more practical than similar length trips to Cape Town. Our beautiful sister Continent on our half of the world has so much to offer, with the cherry on top of the lack of jet lag and time zone acclimation when you get there. Yes, it takes a while to get to Lima, Buenos Aires and Santiago, but when you get there you see such amazing places, such great local culture, cities developing on their own and getting better on each visit. South America is a magical place. The magic is in no way limited to just these three cities or the urban capitals, but those main cities are still so great.
