Confitería Torres
Alameda 1570
Cuisines: American
About
Saved from the wrecker's ball, Confitería Torres, Santiago's oldest restaurant, first opened its doors in 1879, and has been splendidly reborn as a contemporary eatery serving a sophisticated crowd. This restaurant was the haunt of intellectuals, writers, politicians, and poets for decades, including former president Barros Luco (for whom the eponymous melted cheese and slab of steak sandwich served throughout Chile is named) and poets Rubén Darío and Vincente Huidrobo. More recently Plácido Domingo developed quite a taste for the pisco sour here. The Chilean couple who invested in this project rescued the original Art Deco-style oak bar, reset the great clock that had stopped years ago, and refurbished the original Queen Anne chairs and tables. Cherry-red booths and smart white tablecloths have spruced up what was once a rather fatigued ambience. The chef rescued traditional recipes from high society during the late 1800s and gives them a modern flair, turning out dishes such as beef marinated in cilantro, and conger eel with a barnacle sauce -- simple but tasty. On Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant has live tango music; in the afternoon, the restaurant is a good bet for tea and cakes. Confitería Torres recently inaugurated a restaurant/cafe within the Centro Cultural, offering the same menu but in a more masculine, modish ambience, with leather booths and a sun-filled nonsmoking area. It's an attractive place for lunch, but for the real deal, visit their locale on Avenida Alameda.
