Stumbled upon Bocanariz in an online search for bars/wine in Santiago. The Guardian named it one of the top 10 bars in the city and Wine Spectator magazine deemed it to have one of the best wine menus in the world.
I’ll tell tonight’s story in photo essay form š
Bocanariz’s menu boasts close to 400 Chilean wines. They also have awesome themed decor – on the right wall is a series of wine openers/corkscrews of all shapes and sizes.Clever wall art and informative map placematsFriendly menus in English and Spanish – they really know how to make customers feel welcome.The glorious tasting menu!From the sea to the plains: Locos con salsa verde – like an abalone ceviche. Galleta de pastelera con choclo carne mechada – tender beef with a sweet marinade/seasoning between smashed corn. Queso de cabra maduro & membrillo sobre tostada – aged goat cheese, jam, on toast.Wine parings for each appetizer – a sauvignon blanc, a cab, and a blend. Apps served in a shell of an mollusk native to Chile, a leaf/wood cross section, and stone, respectively.Spareribs in a red wine sauce atop a sweet potato puree with bits of fried onion; Pumpkin ravioli with ginger and a roasted pepper sauceDeeelicious entrees!
Molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and candied nuts. Paired with Pajarete wine based in a Spanish wine tradition, but uniquely from Chile as the grapes are only grown here.The tasting menu even came with a choice of espresso, latte, or americano. And it came with a fancy, individually wrapped chocolate covered peanut dusted in cocoa.Back room, wine cellar and all.“Wine, and share with friends” – great advice! Thermometer, using the scale of wine choice.
The best pairing had to be the locos con salsa verde and white wine pair in the starter, it just went together so smoothly (the first word I could think of to describe it was “harmonious”). The red wine that went with the beef app in the middle was my favorite wine by itself. The final appetizer pairing was the one where the complimentary flavors were most notableāthe wine brought out the nutty, strong flavors of the goat cheese.
The entreesĀ paired perfectly with their respective wines, were packed with flavor, and were generous in portion size. Jon’s favorite wine was the red from Concha y Toro vineyard in the entree course.
Gotta say, this chocolate dessert rivals the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever had (from MILK in Los Angeles). We found the Pajarete wine a bit too sweet when drinkingĀ itĀ alone, but pairing it with the chocolate dessert made it a perfect end to an exceptional meal.
Yes! I took a photo of the menu to remember the wines.
We each had our own tasting menu with the same appetizers & dessert (since there were not options for those) and different entrees (and shared them) to taste as many things as possible!
Pari'
Man, I’m not even all that into wine but this line-up looks delicious and the presentation is unique yet not too uptight. YUM!
Incredibly yum!
EVERYthing was so well done, I was very impressed =D
Wow looks delish!
Definitely one of the most memorable meals so far!
What a wonderful evening – did you keep track of what wines you enjoyed? And as an aside – those portions were huge. Were you sharing?
Yes! I took a photo of the menu to remember the wines.
We each had our own tasting menu with the same appetizers & dessert (since there were not options for those) and different entrees (and shared them) to taste as many things as possible!
Man, I’m not even all that into wine but this line-up looks delicious and the presentation is unique yet not too uptight. YUM!