Bouncing around Barrio Bellavista

Standing atop San Cristobal hill, the Virgin Mary stretching herself out over t he city below, I start drawing up a grocery list of must-do’s in the area at its southern foot – Santiago’s Bellavista neighbourhood: explore San Cristobal hill, visit Pablo Neruda’s house, check out the arts and crafts market and lapis lazuli shops on Pio Nono Street, have lunch somewhere on Constitución Street, then drinks at Patio Bellavista.

Or, should that be lunch at Patio Bellavista and drinks on Constitución? Or maybe, lunch on Antonia Lopez de Bello and drinks on Pio Nono? The options seem endless.
One of the Chilean capital’s oldest neighbourhoods, Barrio Bellavista has a long-standing reputation as Santiago’s bohemian dive.

The characters strolling along its sidewalks are as colourful as the buildings lining them, and Bellavista’s plethora of restaurants, bars, clubs and theatres make it a Mecca for Santiago’s alternative culture, and a treasure chest for visitors.
Although one can easily wile away the day people-watching from a sidewalk table, a first day in Bellavista would simply be wasted without a visit to San Cristobal hill and La Chascona, the Santiago residence of poet Pablo Neruda.

Rising 869 metres above the city, San Cristobal hill gives a great perspective over sprawling Santiago, accompanied by a beautiful Andes backdrop.

A fun ride up an 81-year-old funicular railway leads to the 730-hectare Parque Metropolitano atop San Cristóbal hill, a recreation area with picnic grounds, swimming pools, walking trails, a botanical garden and a restaurant. Go early, though, as the city’s smog soon spoils the view and queues for the funicular can get annoyingly long after midday.

The funicular also passes by a rather disappointing city zoo, where animals are kept in debatable conditions.

The Bellavista residence of one of Chile’s Noble-Prize-winning poets, Pablo Neruda, cannot be missed.
Named La Chascona, which loosely translates as ‘she with the messy hairdo,’ the house is a tribute to Matilda Urrutia, Neruda’s former mistress, whom he later married.
Now a museum, La Chascona is a fascinating look at this multi-talented and deeply eccentric character. The collections on display provide wonderful insight into Neruda’s obsessions with his wife as well as the ocean.

Neruda was a compulsive collector of bric-a-brac and designed the house himself. A walk through its labyrinthine corridors and rooms is an endlessly entertaining journey through the life and mind of one of Chile’s most famous artists.
After a day of exploration, deciding on a place to eat in Bellavista is an adventure on its own. The neighbourhood is packed with a variety of restaurants, coffee shops and cafés, serving an equally varied range of Chilean and world cuisine.
Singling out a specific place is impossible. Visitors should simply stroll the streets, scan the menus and decide ad lib. Take note: some of Bellavista’s quaintest eateries are hidden in remarkably unassuming side streets.

If, however, it’s been a long day of walking already, head for Patio Bellavista, Constitución Street or Antonia Lopez de Bello, all lined with a wide selection of restaurants.

Santiago by night

After a slight siesta, I make my way back to Bellavista around 8:30pm, admittedly a bit early on most Santiaguinos’ clocks, to get a taste of the evening atmosphere in the laid back lounges, miscellaneous bars and restaurants.

Crossing the bridge over the Mapocho River onto Pio Nono Street, I think it an ominous sign of things to come when music suddenly blasts me from the University de Chile’s Law Faculty on the corner.

The smell of beer reaches right across the street, drunken students lurch dangerously between cars, and I’m suddenly glad I left my camera at home.

Seeking refuge, I pop into Patio Bellavista to see what the twilight brings here, and am pleasantly surprised by a relaxing, early-evening din in its bars and restaurants.
Patio Bellavista leans more towards bars than restaurants, but the square does offer one or two worthwhile options for the hungry.

Those brave enough to line the stomach with something spicy before a big night out can head to the Arabic-themed El Antojo de Gauguin for a very reasonable U$5-pita or schwarma.
Restaurant Barandiaran, on the other side of the square, sells typical Peruvian cuisine, with ‘ceviche’ (fish cooked in lemon juice with fresh herbs) boasted as the house speciality.
Bars in Patio Bellavista range from the Hard Rock-ish Backstage, incorporating jazz, blues, American celebs and, yes, rock into its theme effect, to the slightly arty, dreamily-eamily-named La Casa en el Aire.

As it turns out, La Casa en el Aire (together with its sister branch on Andres Bello Street in the same neighbourhood) has its feet solidly on the ground with a well-structured monthly program of live local musicians, tango and bossa nova nights, movie screenings and talks on current events and issues for Spanish speakers.

If going on a bender, don’t miss their tequila shots at a ridiculous U$5. Aspirin not included.
Rest assured, however, evenings in Patio Bellavista are very laid-back, with couples and families strolling and sitting around leisurely, enjoying a pleasant buzz of conversation around candle-lit tables.

The shock of seeing future judges stumbling around in the streets gradually, thankfully, begins to fade. To think, their grandfathers brought us Prohibition…
Santiago is currently enjoying the fruits of a wave of microbreweries popping up over the central and southern countryside, and visitors would do well sampling a glass or two of Chile’s home-brewed beer.

Of course, there are established local brands like Kuntsmann, Royal Guard and Austral, but Patio Bellavista’s Delirium Tremens provides the particular pleasure of sampling a local beer, brewed by the owner himself who, incidentally, is eager to share the process in slightly broken English.

Two shops down, Backstage has some interesting microbrewery beers on its menu as well.
According to the locals, people of all classes mix in Bellavista, a notable achievement for class-conscious Santiago. This is most notable further down Pio Nono, towards San Cristobal Hill, where lies a row of ‘shoperias,’ or traditional bars, serving frosty drafts by the litre around plastic tables and chairs.

No frills here, but the beer is cheap and the atmosphere is great. An hour or two here, listening to the local chatter and the blaring reggaeton, shows yet another colourful side to this fascinating Santiago neighbourhood.