Cafes of Santiago
With a very questionable wifi setup in our temporary housing, I was forced to venture out into the city to find suitable wifi to be able to work. Here's a list of my favorite cafes in Santiago with great wifi, good food and outstanding service:
CAFE EL FESTIN: Barrio Lastarria
Metro: Universidad Catolica
I came upon this cafe on a hot day in April in the midst of searching for apartments; I had about 10 min before my next appointment, and all I wanted was some fresh juice. When I walked into the cafe, it was almost empty, but the place was really well-designed and had a surprisingly big menu.
CAFE BERLIN: BARRIO LASTARRIA
Metro: Universidad Catolica
I found this cafe via Google Maps, and it did not disappoint at all - there was no one there on a weekday, but the guys and gals working were really polite and entertained my noobie questions about maracuya (passion fruit). I got a juice and sandwich for about $7.000 CLP, so certainly not the cheapest option but it had plenty of outlets, and was a quiet space to work. It even had lots of event postings on their wall, which I appreciated as someone who is new to the city.
CAFE CAFETIN: Las Condes
Metro: El Golf
I've been here a couple of times now to co-work with some friends and it's conveniently located a few blocks from the El Golf metro. They have an outdoor patio, awesome food (including soups), fresh juices and the chillest staff on the planet. On Thursday nights, they even have live music so the place quickly turns into a neighborhood hot spot. Definitely check it out if you need a break from working in your living room.
Co-working group that meets at Cafestin
SANTANDER WORK CAFE: Providencia / multiple locations
Metro: Manuel Montt
My tried and true cafe, and possibly my first love in Santiago, has to be the Santander work cafe. It's a free co-working space in multiple locations throughout the city. There was one a block away from our temp housing which is how I found it. Anyone can come in and use their cafe free of charge, they also have a built-in cafe with coffee and food as well as Santander ATMs for your money dispensing pleasure. The only catch is that you need a RUT (stands for Rol Único Tributario; it's Chile's taxpayer ID number), but you can usually just make it up since they don't validate it. It is hands down the best cafe in Santiago, and if you need a professional setting in which to work or meet colleagues, this is the place to do it.
& THE WINNER IS…
CAFE BERLIN
Barrio Lastarria, Santiago, Chile
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