Mestizo — Restaurant in Vitacura

Terrible experience, I do not recommend this restaurant at all. Look elsewhere. Rubaiyat, La Cabrera, Boragó are all much better options.

First, the service. We had a reservation for the previous day, but once we knew we wouldn't make it, we let the restaurant know for courtesy. Unfortunately, we were rewarded with a table in the smoking area (a token from the past, ironic for the supposedly progressive country). We arrived early (a few minutes after the restaurant opened for dinner) and asked to be seated in the non-smoking area. Despite an empty venue, they refused and offered to put us on a waiting list (despite us having kids that would be exposed to smoke) and blankets if it got too cold (temperatures around 40F with constant wind). We stayed for 2.5 hours freezing outside while at least two 6-seat tables remained vacant for the night. Waiters frequently forgot items we ordered (such as sparkling water or an egg as a side dish). The traditional question about food quality a few moments after serving was never asked. Bottom line: service I'll never forget for how bad it was.

Next, the food. We ordered two seafood risottos, a grilled octopus, the tuna, and a lomo. The risottos were at best mixed rice with very few seafood bites and awful seasoning, the tuna was good but cold, the octopus was sticky (overcooked), and the lomo was full of fat (improperly cut) and with terrible side dishes (rice was bland, it was not even cooked with garlic). Desserts were good, but that was it. The icing on the metaphorical cake is that everything was expensive (US$20 for a pound of beef - though it was more a half-pound - would get you much better food even in NY), especially when compared to options in Santiago.

Finally, the atmosphere. Very low light at the outside tables made looking at the dishes impossible and a smoking area is not needed in a restaurant that sits in a park. The view is ok, but very similar to your vanilla park (though very dark and lacking any activities) elsewhere in the world.

In summary, I'll actively tell people who go to Santiago to avoid this restaurant...

From the ambiance, the setting, the location to the food I would recommend this place HANDS DOWN! The views and the setting is just amazing. Sitting here on the park with a great view and great weather and great people I couldn't have been happier. I will warn you on Saturday morning for Lunch this place gets packed and the wait will be long. They don't open until 12:30PM so the lunch rush is there when they open. We had to wait over an hour, but the staff was so kind when we told them we had a wine tour to make and they were accommodating. See what we ordered below [cant find menu online so the names will not be exact]:

Cheese - the app that was melted cheese was amazing. It came with bread slices and it was delicious.

Risotto - the risotto was also AMAZING, probably one of my favorite dishes of the lunch. I believe it was a braised lamb, or some kind of meat and the meat was very on point.

Tuna Tartare - FAVORITE appetizer. The flavors were amazing and I just kept wanting more.

Ceviche Sampler - The three different types of ceviche came on this one and they were ALL great! The flavors were amazing and i didn't expect anything less.

Octopus - This was my least favorite appetizer as it came with potatoes and in a chorizo flavored oil. the dish was too greasy and the flavors weren't that great.

White Sangria - definitely the way to go. the drink was refreshing and had a taste of cucumber. It...

Gave this place a shot after reading the reviews. The location is great. We arrived without a reservation and was told we could get a seat outside shortly. However, after a few minutes, they told several of us waiting to line up and speak to a different hostess who was less friendly and told us we didn't have a chance. However, she was nice enough to give us a really good table with a view inside. I had high hopes for the food, however everything was mediocre and they don't know how to cook meat properly. We ordered the burger, which doesn't come with fries, and it came well done, almost like you'd get at McDonald's. We also ordered the mascorpone risotto with wagyu, however the wagyu was not tender at all and was also cooked well done. We gave it a shot but just couldn't eat it. We told them we didn't like it and asked for the check. They told us we were supposed to tell them and order something else, but at that point our hopes for the place diminished. They gave us a free tiramisu which was good, a bit sweet but I'm not a dessert person. We got the check, which included the barely eaten risotto, disappointing to say the least. We paid in full but would not go back or recommend. They need to hire a...