Food

Curicó [1]’s dining scene is not quite so bleak as in past years; easily the area’s best is the vineyard restaurant at Vinícola Miguel Torres.

Al Café (Carmen 737, tel. 075/336091) should satisfy espresso addicts, but it also has green tea, good sandwiches, and desserts, in very agreeable surroundings. Pronto Plato (Carmen 792, tel. 075/328527) is an excellent picada with simple but nutritious and well-presented Chilean dishes, and even has some aspirations to style. The music, though, is a little loud.

The standards are the fire station’s Casino de Bomberos (Membrillar 690), a reliable choice in most Chilean cities, and the palatable but uninspiring chain Bavaria (Yungay 615, tel. 075/319972.

There are two Cantonese choices: Whai Hau (Yungay 853, tel. 075/326526) and Nueva Era (Argomedo 84, tel. 075/310480). The dining room at Hotel Turismo (Arturo Prat 301) is only so-so despite attractive surroundings.