12 Best Nightlife in Santiago, Chile

Hidden on a side street downtown, you might be forgiven for thinking that La Chiminea was just a hole in the wall. Besides towering plates of French fries and happy-hour specials, this place has an undying love of all things Chilean, especially cueca. Come here with nothing but a competitive spirit and a hanky, a dance essential. Classes run Monday and Thursday at 8 pm and cost 2,500 pesos.

At the base of Cerro Santa Lucía, partially in a former convenience store, Catedrál is one of three establishments run by the same owners, all connected but with separate entrances. Live music and a heated-in-winter upstairs terrace make the Catedrál's bar popular among the 30-plus crowd (no happy hour). Upmarket Ópera restaurant serves dishes from far-flung places, such as trout wrapped in phyllo, veal, pork, and other nicely presented oven-cooked meats. Around the corner, on the street Mercéd is the café with Belgian sandwiches, large portions of cake, soup, and most importantly, the creamiest ice cream in Santiago.

Identifiable by the leering devil on the sign, El Diablito is one of the only divey places left in Lastarria/Bellas Artes, whose decor sports spurs, stirrups, and other metal items. If you want to see what this area felt like about 10 years ago, before gentrification, this is a good spot to try. It's popular for drinks after work or late at night.

This classic of Barrio Yungay predates the current immigration of hipsters and the revitalization of the neighborhood. For nearly 70 years, the kitchens have turned out Chilean specialties such as the heavy-hitting chorrillana, a plate of French fries covered in stewed onions and sausage, and topped with a fried egg. They also teach classes in the stompiest style of Chile's national dance, the cueca brava. Classes are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and cost 4,000 pesos. Given the timing, it's best to dance first, then eat.

A secret meeting place during the Pinochet regime, El Rincón de las Canallas still requires a password to get in (it's Chile libre, meaning "free Chile"). The walls are painted with political statements such as "Somos todos inocentes" ("We are all innocent"). It's a two-story affair, with loads of graffiti and business cards on the walls and ceiling.

This spacious gay resto-bar welcomes everyone and is open every night except Sunday. From your table, you may spot models and other members of the "farandula" (Chilean celebrities) who frequent the place. Lunch is well priced, with dishes such as eggplant lasagna or ají de gallina (Peruvian chicken stew) available for around 9,000 pesos. It functions as a bar-restaurant until 2 am, but may close earlier on quieter nights like Monday or Tuesday.

If you're itching to dance salsa or merengue plus enjoy food and a show, come to this club Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night. It starts with an all-you-can-eat buffet of Cuban specialties, and at midnight, there's a 40-minute show with sensual professional dancers. Only after that does the dance floor open to the public.

Located within Patio Bellavista, La Casa en el Aire is a great place to catch live bands. There's also a larger venue with a terrace at Antonia López de Bello 0125. If your Spanish is good, you can listen to storytelling and stand-up, too, or even perform. There's a happy hour daily from 4 to 9.

This brightly colored house in Bellavista is a great place to take in local music with a down-to-earth and generally young, local crowd. Peñas are traditional watering holes where la nueva canción chilena, a kind of Latin American resistance folk music, was first popularized. Due to their historically political nature, peñas became clandestine during the dictatorship.

This gay-friendly small club gets full quickly, but salsa dancers say it's the best in Santiago. Classes for beginners to advanced are 3,000 pesos and run Wednesday through Friday from 8. Come alone or with a partner. Pisco cocktails from 3,500 pesos. 

Three floors of fun await at Sarita Colonia, the only Peruvian drag bar and restaurant in Chile. Named after a Peruvian saint for the poor, Sarita Colonia is brimming with kitsch religious artifacts and is one of the most fun places in Bellavista for a night out. Order a ceviche or the Peruvian classic lomo saltado. The bar serves delicious pisco sours.