Starnberg: German Food in Santiago, Chile

Upon a visit to Santiago, fans of Bavarian food will be happy to see an abundance of bars and restaurants that mimic the appearance of some of the traditional restaurants in Bavaria itself. The numbers seem even larger when you factor in all the bars using what one assumes is a traditional German-Gothic font in their signage.

But for the most part, these other restaurants fall short in the quality of food and ambiance offering some German influenced sandwiches.

But at Starnberg, you get the real deal.

Located just north of Las Condes, Stargberg, like many Santiago restaurants sits with a backdrop of the snow capped Andes mountains. If one didn't know they were in Chile, they could be easily fooled to think they were in Starnberg, Germany with an view of the Alps.

What makes Starnberg so appealing is the variety in the menu but done so in an easy way as to not be overwhelming. For example, entree options are broken down by type of meat. But you're not locked into a recommended accompaniment or even sauce. Just turn the page to the side dishes and make your selection, then on to the sauces to find the perfect match. The helpful staff will gladly recommend a pairing for you, but only when asked: they don't force anything down your throat!

Like with Aqui Esta Coco, which I wrote about last week, Starberg was worth a second trip.

For the first visit, our meal selections were the Pernil dorado (roasted pork shoulder), with spazle and a creamy muchroom gravy,"Starnberg". We also had the Lomito Starnberg, pork loin with mashed potatoes in the same Starnberg sauce.

Lomito Starnberg

Pernil dorado (roasted pork shoulder), with spazle and a creamy muchroom gravy named "Starnberg"

For my second visit, I got the Muncher bratwurst with chopped pernil dorado, spatzle and the Starnberg sauce.  

Muncher bratwurst with chopped pernil dorado, spatzle and the Starnberg sauce.

Kostritzer at Starnberg, Santiago, Chile

Starnberg, streetview

Starnberg, front room

Needless to say, if you are in Santiago, with all it's great food options, you should certainly give Starnberg a try.

To learn more about this restaurant, check out their great online menu at Starnberg.cl. This might be my favorite online menu. Easy navigation and an image of each food item without having to click 3-4 deep to see a specific plate. Here's a sample from a screenshot: