valparaiso restaurants hotels things to do » gastronomy

ViaViacafe Valparaiso restaurant and hotel

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:36:50 +0000

We did not update the site for a while but we have a good excuse.

A couple of days ago we opened our own Belgian Bistro and Art Deco Hotel in Valparaiso.

If you want to try Belgian Waffles, a Duvel (Belgian Beer) or other Belgian and international classics with a little twist, drop by at ViaViaCafe Valparaiso We are open for friends and organize daily try-outs of the menu . Check out the page for the opening dates and to become a friend.

Traditional Tea at Cafe Con letras

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:56:09 +0000

Chileans traditionally have their tea, also known as onces, around 7pm. Cafe Con Letras is a cosy, quiet place to try a typical Chilean tea, including a sandwich, pie, coffee or tea. The place offers a dozen tables surrounded by bookstands, feel free to browse through them. In 2009, they won the prize for the best once patrimonial in Valparaiso for the second time. For CLP3.500 you have coffee or tea, homemade pie, crunchy sopaipillas and a sandwich. Our personal favourite at Cafe Con Letras is a steaming hot chocolate with an incredible kuchen de manzana, best described as a reversed apple crumble, outside at the tiny terrace.

You find Café con Letras on the corner of Almirante Montt where Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción meet. Check www.cafeconletras.cl

Valparaiso´s fish classics

admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:10:35 +0000

We added Porto Viejo to our all time Valparaiso restaurant favourites. Why? Because they serve the Chilean fish classics in a no nonsense way with fresh products. Because of the correct and fast service. And because they bring new quality in an old setting, the Barrio Puerto: Valparaiso´s most traditional area and UNESCO world heritage.

Check their page here.

Sunday lunch at Dimalow

admin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:55:15 +0000

On Sunday afternoon many restaurants are closed in Valparaiso, as in the rest of the world. This is no reason for an empty stomach because Valpo does have a gastronomic Sunday offer in Barrio Puerto, on the caletas and on Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre.

We tried Restaurant Dimalow´s fixed lunch for two Sundays in a row. Their CLP8.000 menu comes with a starter, main course and dessert. The refreshing quinoa with fried vegetables and the portobello quiche got us in the right mood for the main dish. I had a steak of quality meat on a flavoured puree with a perfect texture accomponied by a mildly creamy sauce of roasted peppers – a personal favourite- with some touches of basil flavoured oil. On the other side of the table the Corvina with a curried zuchini sauce was baked to perfection and accompanied by an original pebre de mote (spicy chopped tomatoes and onions with Chilean boiled corn). The chocolate mousse reminded me more of a panacota but did it’s dessert job and the cheesecake with red fruits was just right, crunchy pastry and not too sweet.

Contemporary and original cuisine, delicate sauces and an oustanding friendly and correct service make you want to spend a part of your precious Valpo time in Dimalow.

Dimalow, Passage Dimalow, Cerro Alegre. Valparaiso.

Le Chat Botté, barrio puerto’s newest restaurant

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:48:20 +0000

There is a newcomer in Barrio Puerto´s restaurant scene. Le chat botté invites you for a daily lunch at 12.30 and an after office starting from 19.00. We tried lunch last week and had a very good price-quality meal with a fresh juice for CLP3.500 (US$6). As the name of the restaurant suggests the food is French inspired. Although we did not find Marquis de Carabas in the kitchen, the vinaigrettes, sauces, gratin dauphinois, cous cous and kebabs indicate a French ánd Mediterranean background. The interior design, lighting and atmosphere are a complete style break with the surroundings and the street and deserve an applause (and visit).

Le Chat Botté. Cochrane 558. Valparaiso.

Rene and Carolina’s Valpo experiences

admin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:07:37 +0000

Rene and Carolina run the friendly Bed and Breakfast La Nona. They are very keen on taking their clients to the best spots and experiences in the region so that’s why I asked them what their ‘Valparaiso top 3′ is.

1. A visit to the Casablanca wine valley. Casablanca is known for its whites but is building a reputation on red wines. 25 vineyards at a short drive from Valparaiso.

2. Horseback riding in Ritoque. To Rene and Carolina this is the best way to connect with the natural beauty of Chile’s fifth region. Ritoque´s dunes, a soft sea breeze and a blue sky are the perfect setting for a ride on men´s second best friend.

3. Lunch at Deportistas. This family run restaurant, hidden in Valparaiso´s Cerro O´Higgins is only known by insiders. You can have chicken or fish but people come for the meat. The owners are proud to serve Uruguay´s best quality meat. Lunch at Deportistas is abundant, high quality and a social experience.

More information at info@bblanona.com

Ambar Martini Lounge

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 01:05:46 +0000

Before recommending this brand new martini lounge in Valparaiso, I should tell you that the owners are good friends of mine. But I must say that the martinis and cocktails I had in Ambar are among the best I’ve ever had. Alexis’ drinks are inventive or classic with the professional touch, well balanced and al gusto del cliente (at your request). Ambar’s bartender plays with a whole range of essences, herbs, infusions and tastes. David, the chef, prepares and serves his tapas with great care and an excellent eye for presentation. Their flavours take you on a gastronomic mini-journey around the world: Mediterranean meatballs in a delicate tomato sauce, Mexican quesadillas, Moroccan style chimichanga and home made crunchy crostinis. The design of the bar and patio are unique in Valparaiso. Colours, shapes and lights are intimate and young witout being too trendy. David and Alexis prefere electronic music and regulary organize theme nights.

Ambar. Urriola 464 Cerro Alegre, Valparaiso.

In Valpo the mafia eats light

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:51:19 +0000

In Valparaiso the mafia doesn’t live on spaghetti with meatballs (as they do in the movies but not in Italy) but on sandwiches and salads. ‘La mafia come bien’ is a cheerful sandwich, salad and pasta place near Plaza Victoria. We paid CLP2.200 for a well presented and colourful tuna salad, no dressing just straight up, and had a tasty egg-ham-cheese sandwich for CLP1.600 and we enjoyed the fresh, cold and above-all not too sweet fruit juices. My ‘cafe cortado’ tasted as a cortado should but was not hot enough. Service is informal but friendly, the music loud, cheerful and jazzy and the bar and decor simple but young and attractive. A new feel good place for healthy snackers.

La Mafia come bien. Edwards 614 (near Plaza Victoria). Click here for our google map .

Update 17feb09: ‘the mafia’ seems to have disapeared. Legal problems? :-)

Restaurante Montealegre

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:16:43 +0000

Casa Higueras, a ‘nostalgia chic’ hotel as they describe themselve accurately, is the home of Restaurante Montealegre. The restaurant’s terrace with its amazing view on Cerro Cordillera and the port is inviting, but the interior restaurant design is an eye-catcher as well. Tastful, warm and sophisticated without being ‘too posh’ is how we would describe the restaurant.

We were offered a subtle ceviche appetizer to get in the mood and we chose Caldillo del Congrio del Puerto (congrio in a fish stock) and Sopa de Osobucco y Merlot as starters. The mildly but perfectly fried congrio was served with a soft and tasty broth, while the osobucco soup had a stronger but balanced taste, topped off with a delicious merlot aroma. The only minor setback were the almost raw potatoes in the Caldillo. As a main dish we had a veal steak, perfectely fried to the desired point, with an original asparagus and almond risotto. We also had lightly fried congrio with a sweet fruit sauce, a strange but surprisingly sublime combination. For dessert, after making the very difficult choice, we went for the orange ice cream with mango and papaya, a refreshing and not overly sweet finish to a perfect meal. The dishes are all creative in composition as well as in presentation, and the setting is amazing. So what about the price? The hotel is very ‘high end’ but the restaurant is surprisingly accessible. Price-quality here is unbeatable: main courses are around CLP 7.000 and starters around CLP 4.000 . Everything was taken care of into detail and the service was excellent. I recomend all future waiters to learn the business here. And the same for young cooks with gourmet ambitions !

Restaurant MonteAlegre (hotel Casa Higueras), calle Higuera 133, Cerro alegre

www.casahigueras.cl

Kuukai, where Chile meets Japan

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:29:50 +0000

Sushi is booming In Chile. It isn’t surprising that a port and seafood town like Valparaiso has its Sushi places too . I tried Kuukai about one year ago for the first time and today I was there for lunch. When you walk in, your attention is immediately drawn to the fresh sushi ingredients in the vitrine. The Japanese owner, the minimalistic Eastern but warm design and the Sushiman behind the counter almost guarantee an authentic sushi experience.

And yes, lunch started off with a mini tastefull salad, followed by a Dashi (Japanese stock) based soup with spinach and spring onion. For the main course I was tempted by the Geta-uno, a 14 piece Sushi mix with California and Masago Roll, Hosomaki (algue leaves on the outside), 2 Nigiri ‘del chef’ and the typical sweet omelet. Presentation and freshness told me I was eating the ‘real’ stuff (as we know it outside Japan). The variety of the mix and the perfect match with my beer, made me very happy. I payed CLP4.800 for the Geta-uno with starters and CLP1.000 for my beer. I will have my next Sushi-experience very soon in Kuukai.

Kuukai, Calle Molina 328 (in front of Plaza Victoria)