With Nestlé dominating the coffee market in Chile with its flagship coffee product Nescafé, it is not surprising that it can be challenging to find a quality coffee spot in Santiago. This was a task I set for myself when I arrived in Santiago: to hunt down a place or two where I could get a decent cup of “proper” coffee, as my mother and I call it. Here are two cafés that fit the bill.
Enjoying a coffee at Colmado
Colmado Coffee & Bakery
Colmado Coffee & Bakery is by far my favourite. This tranquil, easy-going café is tucked away in a courtyard off the bustling street that runs through Lastarria and Bellas Artes. This trendy pit stop, with the distinct aroma of fresh coffee pouring from its doors, is somewhere I now love to spend lazy afternoons. People lunch there, have business meetings there, and even do work in there. With Wi-Fi availability, it’s a great place to stop and get a snack or a drink whilst you are working out what else to fit into a touristic day.
Now – THE COFFEE. You can order your regular café (coffee), a cortado (coffee with milk), cappuccino or latte which is made with silky smooth milk, offered as full or skimmed. You can also choose how you would like your coffee to be brewed, with the options of Dripper, AeroPress, Chemex or Siphon, a coffee lover’s dream. Frappuccinos, infused green teas and gorgeous freshly squeezed juices are also available. The drinks, coupled with the attentive, helpful service makes for a perfect place to relax after a day of sightseeing.
Brunch at Colmado
Food wise, it really does live up to its name ‘Colmado’, which means full in English, as they have homemade salads, fresh sandwiches, including both vegan and vegetarian options as well as mid-week lunch offers with plentiful portions. Keep an eye out for their Sunday paella (go early since they often sell out) and their weekend brunch, offered Friday-Sunday. And of course with having a Spanish chef, they use and sell a lot of Spanish products. You can get many of the products para llevar (to go), including freshly baked bread and harder to find cheeses and meats. The majority of these products are from Spain and Chile: olives, pickles, salami, pecorino, mozzarella, sheep’s milk cheese to name a few.
Groceries to go at Colmado
How to get there: Colmado is on Merced 346, which is virtually next door to Cerro Santa Lucia and on the outskirts of Barrio Lastarria. It is easily accessible by the Metro, just hop off at Universidad Católica or Bellas Artes.
OPENING HOURS:
Monday-Friday 9:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday-Sunday 10:00am – 9:00pm
FIX Café
This coffee place is another great option, yet on the contrary to Colmado, it definitely appeals to the business district it resides in. The entrance is just off Avenida Apoquindo, with only 3 bar seats on the inside and a few individual seats without tables outside.
You could easily go there for a bite to eat or a quick sandwich, but it has limited variety so it’s not somewhere to stop if you want a leisurely sit-down lunch.
Seating at FIX Café
FIX has its own brand of coffee, which it sells prepared, in beans or ground, along with vitamin drinks and winter/summer seasonal juices.
There are two large drippers that sit just behind the counter, which give off a lovely scent that fills the shop. When ordering, you can choose what type of milk you want to accompany your coffee, the choices include normal, skimmed or without lactose.
Drink menu for FIX Café
The Turistik Hop on – Hop off bus tour runs straight past the café, so if you are doing a tour one day and fancy hopping off for a coffee, this takeaway/short stay café really is the place to get your “fix”.
The opening hours very much coincide with the business hours of El Golf:
Monday-Friday 7:30am -6:30pm
Avenida Apoquindo 3411, Local 4
And with having lived in El Golf for a few months, I can confirm just how quiet it is of a weekend, which makes sense as to why the hours are as above.
I hope that these suggestions have helped aid any coffee frustration you may have picked up whilst residing in Chile, and you enjoy arguably some of the best coffee spots in Santiago as much as I do.
Things To Do Nearby:
If you need to cool off or are looking for something a bit sweeter after visiting Colmado, don’t miss nearby Emporio La Rosa which has arguably some of Santiago’s best ice cream. If you want to work off some of your coffee or ice cream, head to Cerro Santa Lucia for a beautiful view of the city. If shopping is more your style, check out the Centro Artesanal Santa Lucia. You can also add it in as a nice break during your explorations of Santiago Centro with our walking tour.
You can enjoy your FIX coffee while exploring the nearby outdoor sculpture museum of La Pastora, wandering over to check out Costanera Center shopping mall, or another sculpture exhibit by Palolo Valdes at Estacióon Escuela Militar.
To learn more about Chloe, read her bio!
This story was accurate when published. Please be sure to confirm all details directly with the sites in question before planning your trip.
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