El Drugstore Restaurant

By Sandra Scott

Wandering the cobbled streets of the historic district of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, one senses that the past is tangibly present.

One of the most unique restaurants lining the tree-covered plazas is El Drugstore, easily recognizable by the yellow 1950s Morris car permanently parked under the trees. El Drugstore is located on a corner across from the Iglesia Matriz, near Plaza de Armas. The restaurant is a resting spot for several vintage automobiles. Along a side street sit a 1920s Ford and an antique Citroën, which sprouts trees through its decomposing shell. The Ford is set up as a private “dining” car with a small café table decked with a bright red tablecloth—its door has been removed for easy access. Both the Morris and the Ford still have their original motors.

The interior of the restaurant is a bit funky and reminiscent of San Francisco’s Haight-Asbury district. It is a riot of color with bright blue, red, and yellow walls covered with eclectic posters and tables donning polka-dot cloths. Weather permitting, most guests choose to dine or share a bottle of wine under the trees. For dinner, beef barbecued on a traditional Uruguayan grill is a favorite. During lunch and dinner they offer live music, often a lady reprising Sinatra and other old-time American songs. El Drugstore is a place to enjoy the tranquility of Colonia on any afternoon or evening.