Sergio Iván Díaz Pérez

Sublime, Guatemala

Guatemalan luminary marrying history and cooking

With more than 18 years of experience under his belt, Sergio Iván Díaz Pérez is one of the most loved chefs in Guatemala. Born in Quetzaltenango, a city located in the western highlands of the country, the chef showed interest in cooking from an early age, inspired by his mother and aunt. Growing up, he spent a lot of time in the restaurant where his mother worked, so it’s only natural he followed in her footsteps. His career started in Chile, where he studied Administration in Culinary Arts and Services at the Culinary Cooking School. He graduated in 2008, gaining the Tres Olivas award, the highest honour given by the school in recognition of the student with the highest grade.

Díaz honed his skills in Puerto Fuy and Ox Restaurant (now closed) in the Chilean capital. Then he worked alongside the American chef Grant Achatz in his three Michelin star restaurant Alinea, in the United States – one of only two restaurants in Chicago to have this distinction. Later, Díaz left the continent to start a new adventure in Barcelona, aiming to learn about creative cuisine. He joined El Cingle and worked with Catalan chef Montse Estruch.

After gaining a wealth of knowledge abroad, he returned to his country and joined the Fine Dining Group as executive chef of Ambia, a fusion eatery in Guatemala. In 2014, Díaz opened Distinto in the same house where he grew up in Quetzaltenango, honouring the memory of his mother, with whom he had always dreamed of owning a restaurant. Distinto is a casual space where guests can sample the city’s gastronomic delights.

With a sensitive heart for noble causes, the chef founded Fundación Coeli in 2018 to train young people with learning disabilities in cooking and art. With Coeli, Díaz wants to give these young people a platform to earn a living wage. The culinary side of the programme teaches them how to grow ingredients and cook, while the art programme teaches them how to make sculptures, draw and paint.  

Díaz gets inspired by the street food and proudly promotes Latin American ingredients. In his quest to satiate his desire to highlight the Guatemalan pantry and history, the chef created Sublime in 2019. At Sublime, Díaz joined forces with anthropologist Jocelyn Degollado, to portray Guatemala’s essence through a tasting menu where food intertwines with the country’s iconic events. The eatery joined the Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2022, and since then has owned the title of the Best Restaurant in Guatemala.

Chef Díaz is taking Guatemalan cuisine to new heights, promoting not only the produce that the fertile land has to offer, but also serving bites of history in every dish, helping to create a better present and future. His kind heart and unbeatable spirit are creating a positive impact inside and outside of Guatemala, leading him to be chosen by his peers as the winner of the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award 2024.

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