I will be travelling to Santiago next week (late March) for business and will have free time during the late afternoons and evenings. I have been to Santiago before but only long enough to visit Concha y Toro, Santa Rita estate and the Maipu River valley. I am seeking suggestions for cultural activities and restaurants for nice dining in the city (doesn't have to be expensive, but food quality must be good or have a setting/atmosphere that is unique/memorable). Thanks in advance for any and all recommendations.

Update to my original post: I will be staying at the Hotel Atton in the Las Condes neighborhood.

I've just returned from Santiago - following is a link to our blog with some restaurant suggestions and pix.....the restaurant Agua is near Los Condes, and Astrid and Gaston anb Bar Liguria are in Providencia.....

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/l.../santiago.html

There's another Santiago page as well......look for the link on the left margin.

We also enjoyed the Bellavista neighbourhood and had good seafood bar food at Azul Profundo.

Elizabeth_S's suggestions are excellent. I'll add a couple on Calle Victorino Lastarria downtown. This street is just off the Alameda by the Universidad Catolica metro stop. It is a delightful street with an atmosphere all its own. You will find three good restaurants there: the Gatopardo, mediterranean cooking, the only real decor is 8 huge tree trunks from the south of Chile holding up the roof; "R" homemade pasta with interesting sauces, cozy decor with various antique bits and pieces dotted around, and Les Assasins on Merced at the top of Lastarria, French cooking.

The other, expensive, option is to go to the Enoteca/Camino Real restaurant on the top of Cerro San Cristobal for a very special atmosphere and views of the city.

If you are in town on a Thursday or Friday night, go to the Liguria on Luis Thayer Ojeda in Providencia for a drink before dinner. The food is of the abundant variety but the buzz is unique.

We are reading up for our trip which is several months away.
I suggest to anyone who is traveling in S.A. to read Elizabeth's Blog and her wonderful journaling about her travels. AND THE FOOD! The pics are fantastic.

I enjoyed reading about the Mare Australis (sp?) so much that we are going to try to incorporate that into our trip.

And the Santiago section is great as well.

(A special thanks and Bravo to Elizabeth!)

I will second the kudos for Elizabeth's blog. I know some of the places she writes about very well. This is a blog by a traveller and not a tourist. The photos (despite the dying camera!) are excellent and give a true sense of each place.