Castillo Forestal

French cuisine in Santiago is about as difficult to find as a hot dog in Paris. But the menu at Castillo Forestal is as French as a croissant and a cup of insanely strong coffee.

It’s classic French and the dishes retain their classic French names. That’s a pleasant change of pace for Latin America. Only one problem . . . At least one sauce indicated on the menu was not the sauce that was actually served with the dish. I suppose the chef thought his primarily Spanish-speaking patrons wouldn’t know the difference and employed a little “poetic license” in the kitchen, despite having described the sauce in great detail on the menu.

On the menu, there’s a pâté, a terrine, escargot, Boeufe Bourguignon, and many more classics. There are a few items that venture off into other directions, mostly in the direction of Italy. I suppose that’s okay since it’s only a two-hour flight from Paris to Italy.

The restaurant earned its name because of being situated in an old building in the center of Parque Forestal across from the Museo de Belles Artes, with an architectural style giving it the appearance of a castle (“castillo” in Spanish).

The main floor dining area is not much to look at in terms of décor. The open-air rooftop terrace is a bit more pleasant, with twinkling lights strung around the poles supporting the overhead canvas that provides shade from the sun but not much protection otherwise. Rain would clearly limit the seating to the indoor dining area downstairs.

Each table is adorned with a small candle.

One of two appetizers, the camembert cheese, accompanied by honey and crushed nuts was spot-on.

The pâté was interesting. Usually a pâté is a whipped creamy texture. What we were served was a bit more rustic, with a chunky texture. I preferred it to the more typical creamy preparation. This appetizer was also a success. We were off to a great start.

The restaurant’s “catch of the day”, described on the menu as the Poisson du Marché Sauce Vierge (a sauce created in the 1970’s by Michel Guérard, which simply consists of olive oil, juice of a lemon, chopped tomatoes and herbs), served with carrots, broccoli and butter beans suffered from a couple of errors of execution. The sauce accompanying the dish appeared to be a puree of carrots rather than the sauce indicated on the menu, although I suppose it’s possible that the chef pureed the classic ingredients and added something such as the carrot to give the puree some color. Either way, it was not the classic sauce described on the menu.

The Conge Provençale was served with roasted tomatoes, squash and onions in a light walnut oil sauce.

The fish dishes were properly prepared. The fish was not overcooked. The sauces and accompaniments were all quite delicious. But regrettably, both fish dishes were served barely warmer than tepid. Fish served at room temperature is not appetizing. Simply stated, the dishes sat at the pass longer than permissible.

The Boeuf Bourguignon had been slightly overcooked rendering the beef a bit “mushy”. And something was just not quite right about the accompanying gravy. Typically, the dish is served in the braising liquid without modification, or the liquid is reduced to a thick consistency with butter added to give it a shiny glaze. This sauce was a thick and murky, and the taste just slightly too acidic.

I shared the French classic dessert, crème brûlée. Straight by the book. Which is okay. At least the chefs didn’t ruin a classic by making unneeded modifications.

We’ve been to Castillo Forestal for breakfast as well. It is one of the best spots for breakfast in the city. And they offer a prix fixe menu that’s reasonably priced.

Castillo Forestal is definitely worth a visit at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lunch and dinner provide an opportunity to experience French cuisine at less than you’d pay at most local restaurants.

Overall, the experience for dinner was pleasant, but lacking a bit of the flair that makes a good restaurant a great one. The décor is somewhat boring, although the rooftop terrace is pleasant when the weather is good. The service was very good, but not perfect. And the same can be said for execution of all the dishes. Merely doing classic French cuisine in Santiago is unique without doing anything beyond what is typically “French”. Hence, the favorable rating for creativity. Making reservations, with an immediate confirmation, was a snap using third-party reservation system, Restorando.com. And the restaurant posts the menu with prices in Spanish on their informative website. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Spanish, which limits its effectiveness for non-Spanish-speaking visitors to the city. The internet worked flawlessly.

Castillo Forestal is the best choice in the city for classic French cuisine in a hybrid-casual ambiance that falls just short of upscale. Looking to enjoy your French food in Bermuda short? We have a solution for that. Merci, in Mercado San Telmo, offers a limited, but expertly executed menu that speaks fluent French.