La Terraza 1326 Restaurante Bistro — Restaurant in Castro

We visited this restaurant on two consecutive nights and had two very different experiences.

The first night was fantastic. We started with cocktails, and the Black Gin was excellent. We ordered two appetizers, as the server mentioned they were quite large. The Sea Salad was outstanding—crispy battered fish, octopus, and other seafood elements combined perfectly. The seafood platter was also beautifully presented and packed with fresh, local flavors. After those two generous dishes, we were too full for mains, so we finished with a red berry crumble, which was absolutely delicious. The ambiance was great, with a beautiful view of the water, making it a perfect spot for a romantic dinner. That night deserved 5 stars.

The second night, we came back excited to try the main courses, but the experience wasn’t the same. We started with the Black Gin again, but this time, it wasn’t as good—the blueberries were missing, and the balance felt off. We also tried another cocktail that was quite good.

For the appetizer, we shared a tuna tartare, which was just okay—not bad, but nothing memorable. Then came the mains. James had a meat dish with mashed potatoes—the meat was fine, but the potatoes were bland and lacked seasoning.

I ordered merluza with a lemon-garlic sauce, served over rice that was supposed to be made with octopus ink and black garlic. I had high expectations, but the dish was a disappointment. The fish had no flavor, the sauce was poured over the skin, making it soggy, and there was a whole unpeeled shrimp on top, covered in sauce, which made it messy to eat. The rice was brown instead of black. I don’t know if octopus ink in Chile is a different color, but to me, octopus ink means black. The dish didn’t taste bad, but it wasn’t what I expected, and overall, it was underwhelming.

The service was also too fast. While efficiency is usually a good thing, being rushed through dinner in 45 minutes in a restaurant like this takes away from the experience. We were so disappointed that we skipped dessert and left early.

The first night was an easy 5-star experience, but the second barely deserved 3 stars. That averages out to 4 stars, but it really depends on the night—you might have an amazing meal, or you might leave...

Honestly, we were disappointed based on the reviews. The tuna tatar was amazing and very flavorful, which rose our expectations for the entrees. We got the salmon and octopus dish and the seafood pasta. The salmon and octopus were very overcooked and the shellfish on the pasta was very fishy. Both dishes lacked flavor. The service was good, and the wine recommendation was great. The pisco sours were standard - nothing special. The music did not match the vibe of the restaurant. For the price, I was very...

Beautiful view, great service and delicious food and drinks. They also gave us a little appetizer free when we came in. All around a great experience and we ended up coming back twice...