In your hand there is a whimsical glass in the shape of a swan that is filled with a beautifully shaken cocktail of choice. Enjoy this while standing on the top of a building looking over the bustle of the Bellavista in Santiago. You have travelled back in time to enjoy a cocktail in the Prohibition Era, and after an exquisite 12 course tasting meal, a cocktail on the roof is an extended bliss of satisfaction of the luxuriously experience at Restaurante 040 in Santiago.

Chef Barroso’s restaurant, Restaurante 040, in his own words “is the first fine dining restaurant to offer food that must be eaten with your hands” and the concept “will contribute to a completely new gastronomic experience for the public”. This highlights the uniqueness of the restaurant, which is only reaffirmed in the way that Barroso presents each of his intricate dishes in techniques that truly break tradition – on beds of hay, on wooden panels or even in a shiny seashell. The dining experience in Restaurante 040, is simultaneously a fantastic dinner, but also a surprising experience that rises above guests’ expectations of a traditional romantic meal, to an unforgettable night. A night that ends with a cocktail in hand on the restaurant’s rooftop, in the secret Room Number 9 bar.

Sergio Barroso, Head Chef at Restaurante 040, came to Chile in 2012. He had previously worked in elite European restaurants such as Denis Martin in Switzerland, and spent time working alongside the Adria brothers – the Spanish chefs of the famous elBulli restaurant in Costa Brava. After his time with the brothers, Barroso mastered his avant-garde techniques. Ferran Adria had explained to him that these experimental methods are like the snipping away of a bunch of grapes, representing the removing of the different layers of the industry, to be left with a single grape, as avant-garde skills form the basis for most culinary expertise. Barroso then moved to Chile to open his restaurant Alegre in Santiago, and then stayed as he grew attached to the superior local ingredients and flavours. Since then, he has been working in Restaurante 040, which opened in 2015. The restaurant has certainly found its feet, and its reputation flourished to reach the 50 best Latin American restaurants.

Situated on the Antonia Lopez de Bello, this restaurant is tucked away in the Tinto Boutique hotel in the Bellavista neighbourhood. Stepping inside the restaurant, guests will be welcomed in by friendly, kind staff, to see the delicate layout of shining white chairs and tables; the red bottomed seats contrast the simplicity of the white colouring, and make the setting feel more romantic and chic. Walking into the restaurant, it is rather like crossing boundaries from Latin America to a stylish, sophisticated café in Paris, providing a wonderfully surprising, idyllic ambiance for the meal.

The hanging ceiling lights illuminate the tables and provide a relaxed, gentle vibrance in the restaurant, that welcomes and relaxes guests. The aesthetic white walls, with modern architectural designs adding an artistic life to the room, harmonise with the bold colours of maroon from the chairs and the navy blue on a few walls of the restaurant. The balance between light and dark is perfect, and brings the elegant romance into the room with beautiful subtlety.

The location of the restaurant, in the Bellavista region – renowned for its vibrantly multicoloured houses and abstractly painted walls – make Restaurante 040 feel like a calming breath of relaxation amongst the buzzing excitement of the streets all around.

The ambiance of the restaurant is accompanied wonderfully by the intricate tasting dishes the restaurant serves. From a 6 course to a 12-course tasting menu, guests can enjoy an evening of tapas, or a journey through Barroso’s talented demonstration of Latin American cuisine.

An example of what guests can expect in the tasting menu begins with a pork-stuffed, egg-yolk dumpling, alongside a cup of seafood and chicken broth. The sharp smokiness of the broth is enhanced by the salty savouriness of the dumpling, allowing this starting dish to awaken the tastebuds, ready for the line of flavoursome dishes to come. Other starting dishes may include the fried banana – stuffed with seafood ceviche and guacamole, and the bite of the lime, onion, chilli and pepper. These ingredients harmonise with the sweetness of the banana and the creaminess of the guacamole to create an abstract, but blissful rush of flavour. Exploring the different ways to incorporate seafood into his dishes, Barroso also prepares a dish of a marinated turnip that is stuffed with seabass and tomato risotto and drizzled with beet juice. This course is bursting with aromatic spice, as the seabass is seasoned with chilli and combines well with the rich tomato risotto, and the sweet parsnip.

As the tasting journey carries on, guests will then be able to enjoy a unique pastry dish, where cream puff pastry is stuffed with crab and coconut from Thailand, that is blended into a creamy filling. The sprinkled fish eggs on the top act as a perfect ‘cherry on top’ to this course, ensuring it stands out as one of the more sophisticated and high-end tastes on the menu. Barroso has also mastered an eggshell stuffed with octopus, beans and pickle, giving each bite a salty and sweet crunch, to become a surprising, but delicious tang for the guests. For a slightly sweeter taste, the caramelised tomato, stuffed with whitefish alongside mixed leaves and capers, is a unique dish to try: the crunch of the skin of the tomato then softens with the fish inside, and the sweetness and is balanced well with the sharpness of the capers.

Towards the end of the menu, guests will be able to taste the cannoli with margarita foam: the sweetened ricotta mixed with citrus zests is enhanced by the kick of flavour in the margarita foam to create a flavoursome but light dessert to start. The final dessert is often the restaurant’s unusual donuts, made from rich and creamy cheesecake, with a wonderfully light texture, and a drizzling of grapefruit vinegar. Speckles of berry compote decorate the top and make this dessert a sweet and fruity bliss of creamy, rich texture.

The finale to this delicious meal is every bit as unique as the fabulous dishes. It takes place on the roof of the building, with the view of the bright, colourful Bellavista below you. The Room Number 9 cocktail bar is a wonderful place to have a disgestif when you feel delightfully full after tasting Barroso’s famed cuisine. In the bar, the layout and design capture a glimpse of the Prohibition Era, with a speakeasy ambiance, and low, warm lighting created by table candles, hanging lanterns and warm, standing heaters. The red-bricked wall brings a degree of cosiness and warmth to the bar, while the stunning, open view of Santiago makes it feel freeing and exciting, as you watch over the world going by below.

The bar has a large variety of cocktails to ensure every guest can enjoy a number of the classics, to their slightly more niche favourites. Some of these are even served in birdcage containers and seahorse or swan shaped glasses which makes this cocktail bar feel truly unique. It is an enjoyable end to what becomes a very memorable night.

There are a number of tasting menus to be found in Latin American restaurants, and each bring different fascinating flavours and styles to the table. At Restaurante 040, each of these flavours are mastered by the talent of Chef Barroso to ensure that the guests leave feeling wonderfully full and overwhelmed by the bursting spices and tastes. It is a tasting menu that guarantees amazing, unique dishes, and its cocktail bar, Room Number 9, that allows guests to overlook Bellavista in all its vibrant, colourful beauty. It is truly an amazing experience that completes your meal at Restaurante 040.