If this review were just about the food, I would give Azul Profundo a 3.5. The appetizer empanadas were very good. The outside was delicately crisp, and the filling was cheesy and delicious. My octopus was quite good, not tough. The accompanying potatoes were beautifully browned, and the sauces nestled within were all tasty. The men raved about the local beer, Austral.
Now to the not so good, which drags this review waaaay down. Our waiter (very unfortunately we didn't get his name) made every effort to try to get us to spend as much as possible. The group ordered three beers. It was made very clear from the onset that three of the guys were drinking; the fourth was not. He served three, then started on a fourth. When we tried to stop him, he said he already opened the bottle, looking plaintively at the group. Ok, fine, the other three would divide it among themselves. Recognizing it was his mistake, he could have offered to give it to them, but ok.
While we were perusing the menu, he could have told us that they did not have calamari or tuna. No, he waited until we ordered them, then unapologetically stated they didn't have it.
I asked for a glass of water. He asked if I'd like mineral water or bottled water. No, thank you, just plain. My mistake, figuring he'd just bring a glass of water. He brought a bottle of water, which of course, cost extra. I should have known better.
The worst thing was when he brought the bill he announced that we had to pay cash in Chilean pesos. Being tourists and having been told that the restaurants in Santiago would accept credit cards and often even US dollars, we had to scramble to get together enough Chilean money to pay the bill (which could have been minus one beer and one bottled water!). When we protested about the mode of payment, the waiter said they usually take credit cards but that their machine was broken. In that case, he should have informed us of this at the outset.
We left feeling that an otherwise nice meal and kick-off of our Patagonian adventure was marred by having this server try his best to get us to spend as much as possible. No worries, we still enjoyed our evening and will have a great trip. We'll just be a bit wiser and more cautious.
P.S. I'm sticking with the 3 stars even though hubby (who is usually more generous with the stars than I) says taking everything into consideration, he'd give only 2. read more