Dinner with friends: Ambrosia Bistro.
The chef has gotten a number of awards, including top 50 restaurants in South America, and she is considered a food star in this part of the world. They are also known for their wine list….so you know it had to be on my list of possibilities while in Santiago.
It was summer and the alfresco area looked nice so, why not. Only issue was its close proximity to a fairly busy street which did impact the experience a bit, particularly if you were facing the oncoming traffic! Otherwise one can sit inside although the space is not large.
How to describe the food…..Chilean with a flare or nouveau….I guess. So, come prepared for somewhat unusual offerings….at least for the North American palate and interesting presentations.
First up were para picar….small plates, and we chose a number just to get a better taste of the place. They ranged from the typical….a beautifully flavored house made burrata to sweetbreads to sea urchin to thinly sliced duck pastrami with pickled mustard seeds…my favorite and delicious.
For mains, most went with the aged beef for which they are best known….and for good reason…perfectly prepared. Also had was the beef tongue and a ragu plated on polenta…the best of the non beef choices. The polenta was absolutely creamy and the ragu, perfect.
Desserts were no “different”….nouveau…..with a shout out to the chocolate with yeast ice cream. Outstanding presentation (see the pic) paired with a unique and tasty ice cream.
Wines were exclusively Chilean with choices from throughout the wine regions and across the varietals grown in the country.
Service was excellent and very helpful with the Spanish only menu.
