Santiago is a hot city but the way they serve coffee is even hotter

THERE are a zillion things to do in sexy Santiago, the capital of Chile, but the way they serve coffee each day is a little unusual — and very revealing.

Supplied Editorial

ON A very chilly winter morning in Santiago, in fact it’s still dark at 8am, a whole lot of suited and rugged-up Chileans are making their way to work.

Like most big cities there are a zillion cafes feeding and watering the masses but in the safety of Santiago (it is one of South America’s ‘safest’ cities) there are a cafes with doors that constantly swing in and out. Some of these cafes also go beyond the call of cappuccino duty. With the snow-capped Andes mountains in the background and a city shrouded with graffiti, street art and cigarette smoke, morning is the time for a quick, pre-office caffeine fix. But apart from the exotic sights, surrounds and scents of South America, the Chilean capital features a very special kind of cafe. At a cafe con piernas, you order long black, espresso, macchiato or a good ole cappuccino. But with your order, you also get a little added bonus. Legs. Yes. Legs. Santiago has become famous for lots of things — but cafes aptly called ‘coffee with legs’ — have become part and parcel of a visit to sexy Santiago. They own them and they love them. It’s kinds like the Chilean equivalent to Hooters and they seem to be as ubiquitous as Gloria Jeans. Simply, whether male or female you walk into your fave cafe and your preferred coffee is served to you by a woman in a tight fitted dress, often in fluoro, in black or a bright colour. And they are short. Very short. and worn with killer high heels. Hence the ‘coffee with legs’ tag. For those not au fait with Spanish, cafe con piernas sounds quite exotic. More like a chic little boutique or a cool little bar. To be honest, there isn’t anything incredibly remarkable about these establishments. They just look like normal little cafe holes-in-the-wall except they are mainly full of men. Although I did quietly pop in very early one morning to Cafe Haiti and no-one, yes, no-one blinked an eye. Let’s face it, who would want to chat to a non-Spanish speaking chick in a heavy coat, flat boots and a cap on my head when you have voluptuous and perky girls baring their pins as they serve customers their morning caffeine hit? The origin of ���coffee with legs’ goes back to the 80s when the Pinochet dictatorship was making life hard and miserable for Chiliens. In 1973, when there was a presidential coup and the dictator took the reigns, many Chileans felt defeated, deflated and depressed, So, some disgruntled Chilean (blokes) created what they thought could be a ‘release’ from the drone of everyday life. Considering the country is mostly Catholic it was probably an interesting move to make when the result could have potentially put the founders in prison or in exile. Nevertheless, they took off. and continue too. Kookily, I didn’t find my quick experience sleazy or pervy. Well, I did choose one of the more ‘staid’ cafes (there are ‘degrees’ of cafe con pernas) There didn’t seem much difference to their attire as there is to what some girls may wear working in a cafe on the Gold Coast or on Bondi Beach in the height of summer. I went to a counter and ordered my an espresso (by the way, this is a food-free zone) then I perched myself at the bar and waited for my waitress to bring it over. Not long after — I was there early so rush hour hadn’t started — my espresso was delivered with a smile, a ‘muchas gracias’ and I gave her a tip of 1000 Chilean pesos (that’s around $2 which was about the cost of the coffee) and off she went. As for the coffee, I gave it a 8/10. I did notice some of the girls chatting to what looked like regulars but I noticed no overt sleaze at all. It was an experience, sure. Kind of like coffee shop meets Gold Coast glam. Cafe con pernas may not be everyone’s cup of coffee, but it is certainly something Santiago and Chile can claim as its absolute own. And who doesn’t need some fun in their life? *Melissa Hoyer was in Santiago as a guest of Qantas, Chile Tourism and Accor hotels.