Antiques -- I love to peruse the antiques stalls at Anticuarios Mapocho, located at Mapocho and Brasil streets (open daily 10am-late afternoon). The market is within the confines of one huge red warehouse on the other side of the Panamericana, so a taxi here is about $4 (£2) from the Plaza de Armas; or take the Metro to Santa Ana station, head west on Catedral Street for 3 blocks to Avenida Brasil, turn right, and walk north 8 blocks until you reach Mapocho Street.
A collection of antiques stores can be found clustered around Malaquias Concha and Caupolican streets, between Condell and Italia avenues. Considering that there are only a few shops, however, I recommend visiting only if you have a lot of time or are seeking an enjoyable walk; the neighborhood here is antique and a very pleasant place for a stroll. A pricey collection of antiques shops can be found at Calle Bucarest and Avenida Providencia, selling paintings, china, furniture, and nearly every knickknack imaginable. Lastly, the Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, on Lastarría Street at Rosal, has a small antiques fair (mostly china, purses, and jewelry) on Saturday and Sunday from about 9am to 5pm.
Arts & Crafts -- Artesanías de Chile, Av. Bellavista 0357 (tel. 2/777-9429; www.artesaniasdechile.cl), is the public face of the Chilean Crafts Foundation, which promotes and sells the work of local artisans the length of Chile. The store offers simply stunning arts and crafts and other handiwork, including intricate hand-woven textiles from the Aymara Indians, clay pottery from Pomaire, Mapuche silver jewelry, hand-woven baskets, and woodcarvings. Artesanías has a small stand within Patio Bellavista, and a branch in the new Centro Cultural with interpretative information and a small store.
Two stores specializing in artesania that is less traditional, with arts and crafts produced by contemporary artists, are Observatorio Lastarría at Lastarría 395 (no phone) and Ona Chile at Victoria Subercaseaux 295, across from Cerro Santa Lucía (tel. 2/632-1859; www.elobservatorio.cl). The Observatorio has books, clothing made from local fibers, and ceramics for the home, and the shop is part of a larger arts center and cafe that often features temporary exhibitions. Ona is a tiny store with a lot on offer, including woven shawls, ceramics, paintings, sculptures, and other art pieces, including many Patagonia and Ona Indian-themed pieces.
Books -- You'll find the largest selection of English-language books at the English Reader, Av. Los Leones 116 (tel. 2/334-7388), a bookstore with hundreds of new and used titles and a small selection of U.S. magazines. Librería Inglesa sells English-language literature, nonfiction, and children's books in shops at Av. Pedro de Valdivia 47 (tel. 2/231-6270); Paseo Huérfanos 669, Local 11 (tel. 2/632-5153); and Vitacura 5950 (tel. 2/219-2735). For the largest selection of books in Spanish, the Feria Chilena del Libro, Paseo Huérfanos 623 (tel. 2/345-8300), is your best bet, and it sells local and national maps. It has a smaller branch in Providencia at Santa Magdalena 50 (tel. 2/232-1422).
Food & Wine -- If you're in Bellavista, try to make a stop at the Emporio Nacional, Av. Bellavista 0360 (tel. 2/481-3820; www.emporionacional.cl). Built to resemble a late-1800s-era emporium, this shop is utterly charming, and it is the only shop in Santiago with specialty food products from all over Chile such as cured meats, jams, pickled vegetables, smoked salmon, dried nuts and fruits, and more, plus a boutique wine shop. Tip: Emporio Nacional is the perfect one-stop shop for picnic supplies. Visit this shop in tandem with the Artesanías de Chile (above).
Supermarkets offer a wide selection of more traditional wines at cheaper prices than specialty shops. For those hard-to-get wines you won't find back in the U.S., try El Mundo del Vino at Av. Isidora Goyenechea 2931 (tel. 2/584-1172; www.elmundodelvino.cl), open Monday through Wednesday 10:30am to 8:30pm, Thursday through Saturday 10am to 9pm, and Sunday 11am to 6pm. El Mundo del Vino has an extensive selection and knowledgeable staff, but my pick for wine stores is undoubtedly La Vinoteca (tel. 2/334-1987), located at Avenida Isidora Goyenechea 3520, and open Monday through Friday from 10am to 9pm, Saturday 10am to 8pm. La Vinoteca's sales team really know their stuff, and the shop specializes in boutique and hard-to-find wines. Also, La Vinoteca has a shop in the airport; if you buy a case here, they'll wrap it up so you can check it like luggage.
