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Nightlife
Most of Santiago's popular after-hour venues are located outside the downtown area. The Bellavista district is regarded as the city's artistic quarter and is home to many of its more popular bars, restaurants and discos. Its main drag is the Calle Pio Nono, a lively but tacky strip through the heart of the area, and the street of choice for large gangs of local youths out on the town. Less hectic and more comfortable bars can be found on Calle Constitucin - the next street across. Bellavista is widely regarded as having gone downhill in recent years and it is fair to say the district no longer deserves its reputation as the epicentre of Santiago bohemia, having succumbed to the commercialisation of its image. It is still worth a visit, however, at least for the experience of watching young Santiago at play. A redeeming feature of the area is its eccentric street theatre, which often continues until dawn.
Another lively area of theme pubs, clubs, restaurants and live music venues is the area around Avenida Suecia in Providencia, popular with city workers, tourists and ex-pats alike. Meanwhile, the tidy middle-class district of Nuoa is gaining in popularity as a place for a night out among young sophisticates and students disaffected by the kitsch of Bellavista. The best bars offering a much quieter scene are to be found around the Plaza Nuoa. More upmarket venues can be found in the El Bosque Norte and Las Condes areas of the city. Santiago's jetset and people in the know head to Paseo San Damin, off Avenida Las Condes.
Chile's legal drinking age is 18 years - a rule strictly adhered to in most establishments. There are no licensing hours in operation and most establishments stay open until around 0700. A reasonable-sized beer costs at least Ch$1000 but is more likely to cost double this figure. Admission to nightclubs runs from free to very expensive but the norm tends to be between Ch$3,000 and Ch$15,000. Dress code is generally casual, although there are smarter places.
Bars: Boomerang Pub, Calle General Holley 2285, is a loud and lively Oz-style bar in Providencia that offers live music and dancing on most nights. Just down the road is a trendy new bar called Lakshmi, Avenida Suecia 0132. A long-established institution among homesick Brits is the Phonebox Pub, Avenida Providencia 1652 (website: www.phoneboxpub.com), where Chilean lager is served in pint glasses. The exclusive area of Las Condes has many fashionable places, including Barab, Avenida Las Condes 8962, and Zitrik Pub, Avenida Las Condes 7701. Kapot Bar, Avenida Irarrzaval 689, is one the latest hotspots in Nuoa with cocktails and dancing ‘til dawn. In the city centre try La Chiminea, Pasaje Principe de Gales 90, a Bohemian favourite since the 1950s.
Casinos: The only serious gambling facilities are to be found in the millionaires' playground of Via del Mar. The best-known such establishment is the Casino Via del Mar, Avenida San Martin 199 (tel: (32) 500 600; website: www.casino.cl). This establishment operates a formal dress code and a minimum age of 18 years. Foreign visitors are required to show their passports to be admitted.
Clubs: One of city's current favourites is Organiko (website: www.organiko.cl), Avenida Manuel Montt 442, which plays a mix of electronica, house and trance in a modern minimalist setting. Subterraneo (website: www.subterraneo.cl), Paseo Orrego Luco 46, is another trendy club in Providencia featuring some of the city’s finest DJs. Blondie, Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins (Alameda) 2879 (website: www.blondie.cl), has become something of a Santiago institution, offering various themed nights covering ‘old wave’ favourites and modern indie. Those looking for more of a Latin experience should head to one of the salsotecas, such as Arriba de la Bola (website: www.arribadelabola.cl) on Calle General Holley 171, for live music and dancing to salsa, merengue and other Latin American rhythms, like cumbia.
Live Music: Most bars or pubs offer music of some description, including the Boomerang Pub, Calle General Holley 2285, which has live acts most nights. Il Habana, Calle Bucarest 85, has a nightly live salsa show with a Cuban band and after-dinner dancing. Jazz fans should make the pilgrimage to the Santiago Jazz Club (website: www.clubdejazz.cl), Avenida Jos Pedro Alessandri 85, in Nuoa, for international artists and local jam sessions. In Bellavista, try the Spanish-influenced Tablao, Calle Constitucin 110, where tableside shows sometimes feature flamenco guitar and dancing. Visiting superstars usually play their gigs at the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), Avenida Grecia 2001, or the Teatro Municipal, Calle Agustinas 749.
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Nightlife