Even though many coffee bean varieties are grown in South America, there was no big coffee culture in Chile until only a few decades ago. The hot drink of choice is definitely tea, especially yerba mate – an infusion drink made from cut and dried leaves of the mate shrub. Mate was already popular before the colonisation of South America. If coffee is served, you will often get it in small teacups, unlike larger serving sizes customary in Europe or America.
In the 50s, a particular coffee house style established itself in Chile, the Café con Piernas, 'coffee with legs'. In these coffee houses, waitresses work on platforms behind the bar in considerably short skirts. However, despite this questionable feature, these cafés are not uncomfortable or sleazy, but furnished elegantly and are located in the main pedestrian areas rather than in hidden side alleyways. No alcohol is served, instead, you will typically find great coffee from hefty espresso machines.
