As you walk in, you might forget to breath as their beautiful art and bright colors that surround…read morethe cultural art "platform" are jaw dropping. Everything about CIAN or "Feria Chic" makes them unique and interesting. CIAN is not only an art gallery but also a space for local clothing and jewelry designers to display their work as well as Chilean gourmet products. CIAN is open Monday through Saturday and is constantly changing its available work and exhibits. This is open for all local artists and you can event rent out the space for events. Whats more, is they have a small but great cafe inside. You are able to enjoy your coffee in an idyllic atmosphere. Plus, the owner of the cafe is a recent transplant from India and although he doesn't speak much Spanish, he is very helpful in trying to explain about his delicious, yet simple menu. Apart from serving the normal coffee drinks, he serves what he has coined "Bollywood Snacks" including Chai Tea (REAL Chai tea from India) Lassis, Halwa, Badji and chapatis. Right now he has these all-vegetarian options but he is planning on opening up the selection in a few months time. Overall, a beautifully artistic and hip place to have your next coffee date (I guarantee you will be leaving with more than just a coffee).

One of the rare museums that's actually free…read more We went as I was very curious to learn about a dark time in Chile's history: Pinochet's regime. Spent probably a couple of hours there. They offer free Wi-Fi and a downloadable app that essentially gives you an audio tour. When we went, one of the three floors was closed, as was part of an exhibit on the first floor. Nevertheless, with the amount of information found at the museum, it may be for the best. The subject matter is rough. There are signs everywhere warning adults to accompany children, and considering that there are objects from children back in the day, unaware of when they would, if ever, see their parents again I can understand why. A somber and humbling experience, be prepared to think and maybe even walk away sooner than you think. This isn't for the faint of heart. Pinochet's regime was no joke, and to this day, Chile is still trying to rise above it.

This was the best (and most unique) museum I visited during my trip to Santiago. Be forewarned that…read moreit is a very heavy museum and many Chileans that I observed while visiting were noticeably upset and moved by the subject material. It reminded me of the holocaust museum in Washington DC. I feel fortunate that I was able to visit and I had nothing else on my agenda for the afternoon. A Spanish speaker can easily spend a full day exploring all of the exhibits here and watching all of the content that is available. The do have an audio guide that is available in English and other languages. I also found myself using Google Translate to help with many of the signs and exhibits. Do not miss this stop while you are in Santiago. It is easily accessible from the metro and completely free to enter. Highly recommended!

The owners of the food truck, Soul Kitchen, have done it again with one of the best coffee options…read morein Santiago: Café 100. Cafe 100, named for its location in the Matucana 100 Cultural Center, just opened July 11th and is the reason you should get your butt out of your chair and head to Quinta Normal. The owners have taken the flavors and style that have made them famous for their food truck and have added gourmet coffee to the mix. They have switched it up a bit from their spicy tacos to gourmet sandwiches and mixed green salads - seriously yum! However, no need to worry, they have no plans to get rid of the tacos but will only be using the food truck for events and will be focusing 100 percent on the Cafe for now. All of their ingredients are fresh and local, making for delicious dishes with flavors that pop. What's best, is that they have just planted a vegetable garden in the same area, so they can start using their own vegetables in each dish! I recommend trying their delicious sandwich of grilled vegetables with red pepper paste, pesto and mayo between Pan Vitta whole wheat bread - yum! Accompany it with one of their drip coffees made with freshly ground Peruvian coffee (this is a place to take coffee snobs). I can only see Cafe 100 getting better as they get their kitchen fully put together and get settled in - I am excited to see what they will be bringing to Quinta Normal in the coming months! Tip: I hear they will be opening up brunch in August!