9:43 AM
Matt Peloquin
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| Bife de Ancho con hueso from Happening in Santiago, Chile |
When looking to experience one of the better steakhouses in Santiago, Chile, one should consider a trip to Happening. The two-floor restaurant has a strong reputation for serving some of the best steaks in the city while providing a generally good ambiance.
I've visited Happening a few times over the years, first back in 2012 and a few times over the past 8 months. The food has remained consistent over time with some small variations to the menu. I have noticed that the capacity tends to be filled half of what it was in 2012, when the restaurant was packed on a Friday or Saturday evening. There isn't as much a need for a weekend reservation these days. But this does not take away from the quality of the food.
When you enter Happening and sit down at your table, the wait staff is always prepared with the food and wine menus in hand. Upon sitting, they immediately make a recommendation for a starter, and propose an Argentinian grilled chorizo. It's refreshing to see the staff up-selling with an offer that is so fitting for an Argentinian restaurant. It was also refreshing that the wine list is available on their website, which is fairly uncommon.
The staff is equally as helpful when it comes to the wine selections. I ordered a bottle of a specific Malbec. The waiter returned and apologized that they did not have the bottle I ordered, but instead brought another bottle. Instead of using it as an opportunity to up-sell to a more expensive bottle, the waiter instead brought a less priced bottle because it was closer in taste to the specific bottle I had ordered.
As for the food itself, you can't go wrong with their beef offerings.
On my last visit, I ordered the bife de ancho con hueso, or a tomahawk steak (pictured above) along with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. The quality of the beef was superb and it was an enjoyable meal.
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| Ojo de bife de Angus pampeano, reducción de vino tinto, con cake de aligot y escabeche de hongos from Happening in Santiago, Chile |
During a previous visit, I've tried some of the house specialties such as the Ojo de bife de Angus pampeano, in a red wine reduction, with aligot cakes and mushrooms. When I'm at a steakhouse, especially an Argentinian restaurant, I tend to order a standard grilled beef meal. But I made the exception at Happening and it did not disappoint. The wine reduction and mushrooms paired perfectly with the ojo de bife and the cheesy aligot (potato and cheese mixture) cakes.
If you're one a steakhouse tour of Santiago, Chile, stop by Happening and give it a shot as it will not likely disappoint.
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| Ojo de bife from Happening in Santiago, Chile |
Happening Restaurant Review Grades:
Atmosphere: B
Menu: B
Food: B+
Wine List: A
Happening in Santiago, Chile - Menu:
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Happening in Santiago, Chile - Wine List:
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