When Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, lands in Rio de Janeiro at the end of November, it will be accompanied by a series of unique culinary collaborations for local and travelling gourmets to savour. The upcoming edition of the 50 Best Signature Sessions will feature global culinary talent including Andoni Luis Aduriz from Mugaritz and Santiago Lastra from Kol, hosted at some of Rio’s hottest restaurants.
Ahead of the awards ceremony revealing the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 on 28 November, discover the full line-up of dining events and find out how to secure a seat at these exclusive tables
The events at a glance:
Naturalie Bistrô x El Chato x Nelita
When: Dinner, Saturday 25th November
Where: Naturalie Bistrô, R. Visc. de Caravelas, 5 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22271-021, Brazil
Who: Dynamic Brazilian chef Nathalie Passos – who opened Naturalie Bistrô, her vegetarian restaurant, when she was only 22 – will combine her considerable talent and skills with vegetables with those of two visiting chefs. The first is Bogotá’s Alvaro Clavijo, whose modern Colombian restaurant, El Chato, is receiving increasing acclaim: it was voted The Best Restaurant in Colombia in 2022 and even landed spot No.33 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023. Passos will also be joined at the pass by chef Tássia Magalhães, another of Brazil’s most promising female chefs and the young talent behind refined Italian-inspired eatery Nelita in São Paulo, which debuted at No.39 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022.
What else: The chefs will apply their skills to an exclusive vegetarian menu that is set to release maximum flavour from each carefully selected ingredient. The sharing-style meal, accessibly priced at R$600 excluding drinks, will take in snacks, a main, sides and a dessert designed by the talented trio. Cocktails mixed by El Chato bartender Andrea Blanco and a special wine list curated by Nelita’s sommelier, Danyel Steinle, will be available as extras.
Book: by email via reservas@naturaliebistro.com.br
Oteque x Kjolle x Kol
When: Dinner, Sunday 26th November
Where: Oteque, Rua Conde de Irajá, 581 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22271-020, Brazil
Who: One of Rio de Janeiro’s hottest culinary destinations, Oteque has made a name for itself thanks to chef Alberto Landgraf’s seafood-focused seasonal menu that melds local produce with international inspiration from his Japanese and German roots. For this one-time-only gastronomic experience, he will share his kitchen with two more culinary powerhouses. Pía León – The World’s Best Female Chef 2021, who helms of Lima’s acclaimed Kjolle, and one half of the team behind Central, named No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 – will lend her colourful and thoughtful touch to the unique menu. At the pass there will also be Mexican chef Santiago Lastra, who has found success in London with Kol, the contemporary eatery that earned spot No.23 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023.
What else: The seafood-focused, seven-course feast is set to be uniquely Latin American, featuring influences from Brazil, Peru and Mexico – starting with Oteque’s best snacks followed by signature dishes by both visiting chefs, from León’s sea urchin to Lastra’s shrimp tacos. It is priced at R$3,000 including a bespoke wine pairing. Service not included.
Book: by email via info@oteque.com or by phone via +55 2134865758
LATE ADDITION: Thomas Troisgros x Tomás Kalika x Tomás Bermúdez @ Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana 
When: Sunset (17:00-22:00), Sunday 26th November
Where: Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, Avenida Atlantica 4240 - Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22070-002, Brazil
Who: Brazilian chef Thomas Troisgros – the fourth generation of the Troisgros culinary dynasty and at the helm of two new restaurants in Rio, Toto and Oseille – will join forces with host hotel Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana’s chef Jerôme Dardillac to welcome two gastronomic powerhouses from across Latin America. At the helm of the ever-popular Mishiguene in Buenos Aires (No.15 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022), chef Tomás Kalika will bring some of the ‘crazy’ spirit and Middle Eastern touches that have turned his restaurant into a must-visit. From Mexico’s iconic La Docena (No.42 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022), where highest-quality seafood from oysters to squid reigns supreme, chef Tomás Bermúdez will contribute his own comforting and uber-flavourful culinary philosophy.
What else: The unique evening will unfold by the infinity pool at Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana. While the sun sets and magic hour sets in over the stunning views on Copacabana Beach, each of the chefs will serve their own iconic dishes from ultra-premium food stations, while the bar slings out cocktails aplenty. Expect live musical entertainment and plenty of other surprises, all included in the R$1,000 entry ticket.
Book: online via sympla.com.br/50-best-signature-session-no-fairmont-rio
Lasai x Mugaritz x Boragó
When: Dinner, Wednesday 29th November
Where: Lasai Eventos - Rua Conde de Irajá, 191 - Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22271-020, Brazil
Who: Although Lasai has long been one of Rio’s most iconic fine dining institutions, chef Rafa Costa e Silva has never stopped innovating and his contemporary menu still delights guests from all over the world. For this unique collaboration, Costa will welcome his mentor from his formative years in Spain – Icon Award 2023 winner Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz in San Sebastian, the genre-defying restaurant whose relevance and endurance on the global stage remain unquestionable. Another Mugaritz alumnus who has gone on to found his own successful venture will also join: Rodolfo Guzmán of Boragó in Santiago, the hyper-sustainable and ultra-creative dining spot in Chile than ranks at No.10 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022.
What else: The dinner will be a celebration of the chefs’ enduring friendship and their shared admiration of the principles of Basque cuisine. Each will contribute a few dishes to a sensational tasting menu available for R$2,950 including drinks pairing (food allergies not catered).
Book: online only via lasai.com.br
Sud, O Pássaro Verde x A Casa do Porco x Narda Comedor
When: Dinner, Wednesday 29th November
Where: Sud, O Pássaro Verde, R. Visc. de Carandaí, 35 - Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22460-020, Brazil
Who: One of Brazil’s most dedicated cooks, Roberta Sudbrack won the Latin America’s Best Female Chef Award in 2015 – her dedication to researching and preserving the ancestral culinary traditions of her country is second to none. This exclusive dining experience hosted at her restaurant, Sud, O Pássaro Verde, will see two more winners of the same award joining her in the kitchen. Janaína Torres Rueda – the latest recipient, crowned in October 2023 – will bring her own deep knowledge of Brazilian cuisine and unmatched energy. Chef and healthy eating advocate Narda Lepes from Buenos Aires eatery Narda Comedor (herself Latin America’s Best Female Chef 2020) will complete the trio, applying the skills that have made her restaurant famous to a menu created especially for the evening.
What else: Set to be a celebration of unbridled female culinary talent, the six-course menu will be a team effort in keeping with Sud, O Pássaro Verde’s ethos: food that is light, fun and uncompromising. For R$690 (including service, excluding drinks), diners will have the chance to taste organic, small-producer ingredients and traditional techniques, including clay oven cooking, in an experience set to be full of freshness, joy and flavour. And with Inés de los Santos from CoChinChina – the Buenos Aires establishment voted No.26 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2023 – shaking the cocktails, the good times are set to keep flowing until late.
Book: on WhatsApp via +55 21973836725 or by phone via +55 2131140464
The list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be announced on Tuesday 28th November from Rio de Janeiro. To stay up to date with the latest news, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube, and sign up to our newsletter.
