Café Forestal takes its name from the long park that runs along the Mapocho riverbank between the Lastarria and Bellas Artes neighbourhoods — the same park that connects the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes at its eastern end to the Mercado Central at its western. The café occupies a colonial terrace building on the park's southern edge: the terrace tables look toward the plane trees and the river beyond. The interior is consistent with the architecture — high ceilings, tile floors, and a bar that has occupied its corner position long enough to look settled. Morning light here is particular: the plane trees filter the Andean sun to something more diffuse and liveable than the rest of the city. It is the best kind of Santiago café — one that exists because the neighbourhood needs it, not because a trend requires it.
Parque Forestal, Santiago, Chile