Boragó — Restaurant in Vitacura

Spectacular from Start to Finish – Unique Flavor Combinations, Stunningly Beautiful Presentation, Superb Service

After a refreshing gin-and-tonic cocktail, we began our gastronomic journey with a “Spring Skewer” dish that appeared to be a twig with small white flowers. The twig was made from dried plums, topped with edible flowers and sweet-savory gum-paste leaves.

In a presentation that was ingenious, the venison crudo had dried, fermented venison on two semicircles of pastry (placed in a small, single serving bowl, such that they formed virtually a perfect circle), topped with edible green leaves.

The seafood stew was mixed with tigre de leche. While this was not my favorite dish on the degustation menu, it was still full of flavor.

The next course was a is a ceviche of palometa fish, served under a bed of richly hued red, blue, and purple edible flowers and atop a homemade crispbread. There was an accompanying savory-flavored ice-and-lingonberry dish. Visually stunning and delightfully delicious, this dish was the first of a series of brightly colored courses to please both the eye and the palate.

Fourth on the menu was a cold rhubarb and copihue flower soup. The copihue is Chile's national flower. One of the most fascinating aspects of the meals was tasting flavors and ingredients that we had never encountered before, and the copihue was exceptionally good and balanced the rhubarb flavor nicely.

Presented on a plate of colorful flowers was a blend of chirimoya (also spelled cherimoya in North America) and nalca. The flesh of the chirimoya fruit is often described as a blend of pineapple and pear, the sweetness of which was offset by nalca, which is a large Chilean decorative plant, the fibers of its stalk being edible. We really enjoyed this unusual flavor combination.

Next, we had a razor clam cake with rock salad and kolof root broth. I have no idea of what sort of plant that kolof is, and even an online search turned up no examples or definitions; nonetheless, it was delicious.

The next two courses were served simultaneously since they shared a common ingredient: congor eel. One dish featured char-roasted eggplant was wrapped into the shape of a rose, served in a congor-eel sauce, while the other was the eel meat itself, which had been fire-roasted in banana-type leaves.

When the servers placed the next dish on our table, it initially appeared to be a brightly purplish-red plate, until they explained that the white plate was “painted” with plum sauce, with slices of duck that were covered with wilted plum leaves that had been fermented in miso brine. The duck itself had been aged in beeswax. Yet again, the chef produced a visual surprise with mouth-watering taste.

Through the restaurant window, we had been watching our part of next course – lamb - roast over the embers during the meal. A slice of lamb, with the skin nice and crispy from the charcoal fire was served with an edible amber leaf that had been fermented and preserved for three years. The lamb was roasted to perfection, and the leaf had an umami flavor profile that was delightful.

Cleverly called the “black sheep of the family,” the first dessert was flash-frozen blueberries surrounding a scoop of apple ice cream (if I remember the filling correctly), topped by a toasted marshmallow, so that the overall dessert resembled a somewhat abstract “sheep sculpture.”

The second and third desserts were served together. There was a strawberry ice brûlée, accompanied by plants from the Atacama Desert in Chile. The dessert really “fooled the eye” because the top was almost black in color, but the flavor was packed with a fruity brûlée. A “rose ice cream sandwich” was served alongside. The subtly rose-flavored ice cream was formed into a half circle and was topped by edible rose-colored leaves. With its intriguing presentation (particularly the black topping to the brûlée), I delighted to find that the flavors delivered impact, as well. What a clever and...

The food quality ranged from good to very good, and the presentation was quite creative. However, the handling of the gluten-free dietary requirement for one person was negligent. Given Borago's reputation (as it's on the 50 best list), this experience was incomparably bad and unlike anything we've encountered in fine dining restaurants worldwide.

We made reservations six weeks in advance and clearly stated that one of us required a gluten-free diet. A week before our reservation, we reaffirmed this requirement through communication via WhatsApp with the restaurant. We emphasized that it was due to celiac disease and indicated that it was acceptable if the food was prepared in the same kitchen, provided that they don’t serve anything containing gluten. Upon arrival at the restaurant, we were once again asked about dietary restrictions and reiterated the need to avoid gluten.

The issues started with the second course, which unexpectedly contained gluten-containing bread. Only when I inquired was it confirmed that the bread contained gluten. After again stressing my inability to consume gluten, I were promised a substitute without bread, which was never delivered. Throughout the evening, I was served two more courses that contained gluten, despite my repeated emphasis on the necessity of a gluten-free diet. Additionally, one course was omitted without offering an alternative, which is baffling, as the tartare could have easily been served without the gluten-containing cracker.

When we inquired about the bill, we were informed that they had simply forgotten to prepare gluten-free food. Such oversights can happen occasionally. However, it's crucial to highlight that serving gluten-containing food without proper communication (which I only discovered upon asking) poses a significant health risk to me. As a result, I cannot recommend Borago to anyone with celiac disease.

The handling of this intolerance was negligently executed, and we have never encountered such an experience in any fine dining establishment worldwide. We urge Borago to improve its management of food intolerances or make it clear that they cannot accommodate such dietary restrictions. Both approaches would be fair.

In the end they owned up to their mistake and we only had to pay for one of the tasting menus. However, we would have preferred to pay in full for a wonderful, tasty, and stress-free experience, which unfortunately...

If you’re after one of the most delicious, tasty meals you’ll ever have, this is not the place to go. If you’re after a number of elaborate and artistic ‘presentations’, which look amazing but are average in flavour, then this is the place to go. I appreciate the creativity, but feel they focus more on the look of each dish and forget to provide a delicious, well-rounded meal. It’s a shame because their intent is beautiful - aiming to utilise endemic ingredients from all around Chile and include them in each dish. Just the execution needs improving.

Most of the dishes were incredibly rich, too much so. I feel as if they try too hard and confuse cream and charcoal with flavour. Many of the dishes contain burnt or charred components - are they not aware of carcinogens? I didn’t want to be given cancer by an expensive dining experience.

I’ve been to a few of the supposed top 50 restaurants in the world and noticed a theme - you’re not getting the most delicious food you’ll ever taste. Instead you’re getting the most bizarre and exotic dishes you’ll ever see. But that doesn’t always equate to deliciousness and flavour, just unique dishes to take photos of and tell your friends about.

The meat in all the dishes was tough also, it was surprising and disappointing. From such a high class restaurant I was expecting tender, melt in the mouth meat which I’ve been served at most other top notch restaurants.

The staff are also on edge, you get a sense if they make a single mistake they’ll receive lashings later on. So that doesn’t provide a very relaxed atmosphere. I was trying to have a chat to a few of them in Spanish, but it’s as if they’re not allowed. Trained robots. All people really want is friendly and efficient service, am I right? Who cares if they make a mistake, we are all human after all.

I do love their ethos though - they source ingredients from all around Chile and aim to utilise them in all of their dishes. The highlight for me was the duck with purée from a berry found in Patagonia - what a unique flavour that was and it complimented the duck so well.

It was an interesting experience, but not one I’d want to repeat. I do love their creativity. Yet I’d prefer creative and well rounded dishes, as well as food that is so tasty and delicious that I’m dying to come back another time. Shouldn’t that be the criteria for a top 50 restaurant...