Barrio Bellavista sits at the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal on the north bank of the Mapocho River, and it is the city's primary nightlife and restaurant district. The streets around Pío Nono and Constitución fill up with terrace restaurants, pubs, and clubs on weekend nights, running a spectrum from backpacker joints to upmarket restaurants where a serious meal will cost you properly. La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's Santiago house-museum, is here.
The neighbourhood has a distinctly bohemian character — not curated bohemia, but the real variety that develops over decades in a place where students, artists, and night-owl professionals have all converged. During the day it is quieter, and the wall murals and independent galleries are worth a wander. The funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal departs from just north of the neighbourhood.