Food in Chile Coffee ~ Pictures and Info

Espresso, instant, Cafe Haiti, coffee with legs

It was my brother who first told me about the food in Chile and coffee, especially the espresso for which he acquired a taste when living in Santiago. Hot, black, with lovely crema, Chile espresso was his ideal pick me up. Since this was before I had traveled to Chile myself, he never mentioned the Cafe Haiti shops that dot Santiago, nor did he mention the ' coffee with legs ' cafes. Perhaps, as a happily married man living with his family in Chile, he wasn't attracted to the coffee bars that are dubbed ' coffee with legs ', because the servers are scantily clad women, and if he knew the name Cafe Haiti, he didn't mention it. He did tell me about the food in Chile, though, recalling the wonderful traditional Chile foods -- cazuela, marraqueta, the fruits, and fresh seafood, especially in the Pacific seaside cities of Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso.

Coffee in Chile ~ Cafe Haiti Excellent espresso, cappuccinos and lattes

In Santiago, Cafe Haiti (website in Spanish) shops are as prevalent as Starbucks are in North America. I confess I never did go into a Cafe Haiti:

When I was near one, I didn't fancy a coffee, and when I did, the Cafe Haiti seemed to be patronized only by men, and I was hesitant to wander in alone.
.

But some McDonalds had coffee bars, serving proper coffee drinks along with the food, and I could get good coffee at my hotel. I stayed at the Fundador Hotel in Santiago, and though the hotel buffet breakfast served coffee in urns, the servers would bring me a cup of 'good cafe' or cafe espresso, or cappuccino to my table.

Instant coffee an unexpected breakfast cuppa in Patagonia

I was taken aback to find my morning cup of coffee at the hotel in Puerto Natales Patagonia was a do-it-yourself affair: Boiling hot water from an urn into a coffee cup, then add a packet of Nescafe brand instant coffee. In fact, my Latin American Spanish phrasebook says that I can order instant coffee by asking for "un nescafe". Not my ideal way to start my day, with or without food. Nescafe has a lot to answer for, IMHO :-)

How to order coffee in Chile
espresso -- un cafe espress
black coffee -- un cafe negro (oon caffay nay grow)
coffee with milk -- un cafe con leche (oon caffay con laychay)
coffee with cream -- un cafe con crema (oon caffay con craymah)
with sugar -- con azucar (con ah zoo car)

Coffee With Legs ~ Cafe Espresso

My guide and I were on our way to a seafood lunch in Santiago, near the Mercado Central, when she suddenly stopped, put her hand on my arm and asked, "Would you like to see coffee with legs?" Why not? I say. And with that, she led me across a narrow road to a low building with a door way hung with strands of beads.

Parting the beads, she stepped inside and I followed her into the coffee bar / cafe. The floor was rustic -- covered in sawdust, if memory serves. Along one wall to my left, a long bar spanned the length of the large room.

Several men stood at the bar, and a few were seated at the small tables in the room, drinking coffee delivered to them by an all-female wait staff. These lady servers were wearing fishnet stockings, short skirts, high heels, revealing clothing and / or topless, and showing lots of leg and skin; their outfits inspired the name ' coffee with legs.' Other than these female servers, my guide and I were the only other women in the cafe, and beat a hasty retreat.

More Traditional Chile Food ~ Click a Picture and go!

Typical chilean food called cazuela, made with beef or chicken.

Sign at the Santiago restaurant El Hoyo that serves traditional Chile foods.

A market in Santiago Chile with local fruit and vegetables piled high.

Local seafoods typical of Chile, served on a platter as a sampler.

Snow glaciers on volcano in southern Chile.

Image of napkins in a wine glass - index for chile foods pages

Got a question or a tip?

If you have any questions or would like to Comment on any page, please do so here. If you would like to be notified when your comment is online, please include your email name in your Comment.

Add A Comment

Code in the picture:
Title:
Your Name(*):
Email:
Notify me of any further comments to this thread:
Website:
Comment(*):

Menu: