TRATTORIA EL CALABRÉS, BARRIO BELLAVISTA, SANTIAGO

El Calabrés, a must in Santiago de Chile.


Fusing the old italian traditions, with the new culinary trends, I found myself 6 years ago at the Trattoria El Calabrés. Its owners, the Cimino family and Angelo, their very young chef, who worked in France with one of the most important chefs at that time, Christian Etienne, although Angelo recognizes that the best school that he could have was the Cimino’s kitchen, and was from that kitchen that he rescued his grandfather’s handwritten cookbook. You can see the cookbook proudly and carefully disposed that restaurant’s entrance.






The restaurant is located at an old house in Ernesto Pinto Lagarrigue street, this trattoria is blessed by the good taste of its owners who have been responsible for making an extremely cozy and familiar place, italian music is played on its right volumen and you can see a collection of pictures over the walls, that will surely make you stop to watch. The absolutely personalized attention from the chef, who goes table to table greeting the guests, suggesting products from his simple but absolutely solid menú, making the waiting much more enjoyable. All the dishes are prepared at the momento, giving a fresh seductive touch. All pastas are made in their kitchen as well as the pizza doughs, and the extra crispy bacciata bread, one of the most important products in the trattoria, according to Angelo.






After 6 years of operation, El Calabrés continues to surprise ... this time I tried a Provencal Rabbit Panssoti, and it was simply superb. The taste of the rabbit felt soft and very flavored with rosemary in a 4 cheese sauce with impeccable texture and very convincing to the palate.






I also tried Ravioli a la Bolognese and Gnocchis with great potatoes. Bolognese sauce was added with capers that gave it an exquisite flavor. But the really different thing was the Gnocchis a la Romana. A preparation made on the basis of semolina and milk, presented in the form of flan and with a covering of sauce and cheese gratin phenomenal. A whole discovery.






The Calabrés seal is, without any doubt, the use of eggplants, bell peppers and roasted tomatoes, which we can encounter in many of their dishes, like that Caviar de Berenjena (delicious!), the Ciminos told that they are releasing shortly the “marinade eggplants”, something we all like to taste.


The menu also offer the Solomillo a la Puttanesca and the Lemoned Chicken Supreme, for those who want to try some meat.


As usual, I ordered a Tiramisú as dessert , but this time I decided to follow the chef’s advice, so I tried a Panacotta Arabica, and really, you can’t go to El Calabrés and not trying it, absolutely recommended.





The dish prices go from CLP $4.500 to CLP $8.300, this prices are completely justified by the quality of all preparations, and if it was no enough, you can enjoy great Merlots from the San Jose de Apalta y Aromos vinyard.


I am still liking El Calabrés… the chef’s personalized attention and his bold but incredibly warm preparations are the best extra to the place. 100% recommended.


Average Consumption by person: CLP $15.000


Address: Ernesto Pinto Lagarrigue, 257

Claudia