Rio de Janeiro was again the venue of the event “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants”which returned for the second consecutive year to Brazil. Since its creation in 2013, this event has established itself as one of the most important events in the world gastronomy.
The awards ceremony was at National Historical Museum of Río de Janeiro. The list of “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants”, as always, was prepared based on the votes of a select group of culinary experts from the regionbelonging to the “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy”. Danniella Camilo presented the ranking to those present.
The organization has an Academy made up of 300 gastronomy experts of Latin America, divided into five regions: Mexico, Central America, South America (North), South America (South) and Brazil. Each member casts ten votes based on recent culinary experiences, at least four of which must be for restaurants outside their home country, ensuring a balanced and diverse perspective. In this case, an independent consultant supervised the voting process to guarantee the transparency and credibility of the results.
The “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards ceremony not only included the announcement of the 50 best restaurants, but also the presentation of several special awards. The restaurant Lunarfrom Mexico, won the award Sustainable Restaurant Award for their commitment and holistic approach to sustainability. In the pastry sector, the award Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef Award went to Camila Fiol, from Chile. The award Latin America’s Best Sommelier went to Laura Hernández Espinosa, from Colombia. He Latin America’s Best Female Chef Award went to Marsia Taha Mohamed, from Bolivia. He Woodford Reserve Icon Award went to Harry Sasson, from BogotáColombia.
This year’s program also featured culinary talks called “50BestTalks,” which took place on November 25 and were dedicated to promoting discussion on key topics in gastronomy. In the “50 Best Signature Sessions”, prominent chefs from previous editions collaborated with restaurants in Rio de Janeiro, providing an opportunity for knowledge exchange and collaboration between different generations of chefs.
Daniel Grave, director regional de 50 Best Restaurants y 50 Best Latam, explained to Infobae that the relevance of this list is not only for Latin America, but also globally. “It is the most important reference list in the world,” he noted, and specified that it includes both the 50 best restaurants of the region as a secondary list covering the position 51 al 100.
“Literally, we have 100 restaurants that somehow become visible, they put themselves on the radar,” he pointed out. The 50 Best list not only stands out for its prestige, but also for its integrity. Grave emphasized that restaurants do not apply to be part of the ranking, since the selection process is completely transparent and audited. “It is very transparent and very clear,” he assured. In addition, the jury is renewed annually by 25%, which guarantees the inclusion of new perspectives and opinions.
William Drewcontent director of “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants,” commented on Rio’s energy and passion for gastronomy: “Rio truly embodies the Latin American spirit,” he highlighted.
- Don Julio, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Maido, in Lima, Peru
- El Chato, in Bogotá, Colombia
- Kjolle, and Lima, Perú
- Boragó, in Santiago, Chile
- Celele, in Cartagena, Colombia
- Lasai, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Merit, in Lima, Peru
- Quintonil, in Mexico City
- Leo, in Bogotá, Colombia
- Nuema, in Quito, Ecuador
- Mayor, in Guadalajara, Mexico
- Mayta, in Lima, Peru
- Maito, in Panama
- Casa do Porco, in São Paulo, Brazil
- Tuju, in São Paulo, Brazil. The venue also won the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award for its work around hospitality.
- Wildlife, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
- Great Dabbang, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Rafael, in Lima Peru. The venue also won the Highest Climber Award, for the highest climb on the list.
- Evvai, in São Paulo, Brazil
- Oteque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Sublime, in Guatemala. The place also received the Chef’s Choice Awards.
- Villa Torél, Ensenada, Mexico
- Pujol, in Mexico City
- Siwka, San José, Costa Rica
- Nelita, in São Paulo, Brazil
- Metzi, in São Paulo, Brazil
- Cosme, in Lima, Peru
- Mishiguene, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- La Mar, in Lima, Peru
- The Favorite of Palermo, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Ark, in Tulum, Mexico
- Trescha, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The venue also won the award for best new addition on the list.
- Niño Gordo, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Maní, in São Paulo, Brazil
- Huniik, in Merida, Mexico
- Julia, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Gustu, near La Paz, Bolivia
- Market 24, in Guatemala
- Cantina del Tigre, in Panama
- Lo de Tere, in Punta del Este, Uruguay
- Manuel, in Barranquilla, Colombia
- Máximo Bistrot, in Mexico City
- Lamb, in Caracas, Venezuela
- Black Smoke, in Bogotá, Colombia
- Aramburu, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Sud 777, in Mexico City
- Rosetta, in Mexico City
- Mil, in Moray, Peru
- Kotori, in São Paulo, Brazil
