The highly-anticipated list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was revealed at a live awards ceremony at Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday 28th November.
This year’s ranking features restaurants in 23 cities across the region and includes eight new entries. Browse the list in 50 photos all the way down to No.1 to discover which venue has been crowned The Best Restaurant in Latin America 2023
No.50 Cosme – NEW ENTRY
Lima
cosme.com.pe
@cosme.pe 
Named after a popular neighbourhood in Lima, Cosme – led by chef James Berckemeyer – is a paradise for comfort food and a pioneer of sustainability since 2013. The vibrant space is decorated with 5,000 recycled plastic bottles hanging from the ceiling, while a colourful back wall was created with 13,345 bottle caps.
No.49 Mercado 24 – NEW ENTRY
Guatemala City
@mercado24gt 
Located in the fashionable Cuatro Grados Norte area of Guatemala City, this restaurant draws inspiration from the diverse range of ingredients available in the city's markets. Led by chef Pablo Díaz, this casual dining spot relies entirely on the day's fresh produce, resulting in a constantly changing menu.
No.48 La Docena (Polanco) – RE-ENTRY
Mexico City
ladocena.com.mx@ladocenaoysterbar 
Chef Tomás Bermúdez has created a casual and unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant that prioritises substance over style. The focus is on showcasing Mexico's aquatic bounty through refined cooking techniques allowing the ingredients to take centre stage, and resulting in a delicious menu that celebrates the diverse and flavourful seafood of the region.
No.47 Sikwa – NEW ENTRY
San José
sikwacostarica.com
@sikwa.cr
Sikwa is the result of chef Pablo Bonilla's travels and research around Costa Rica. The first eatery in its country to ever be voted into the list, the restaurant celebrates the diverse gastronomic heritage of its indigenous communities and interprets traditional ingredients and orally handed-down recipes.
No.46 Rafael
Lima
rafaelosterling.pe
@rafaelrestaurante
Rafael, the eponymous restaurant of lawyer-turned-chef Rafael Osterling, is located in the trendy neighbourhood of Miraflores, Lima. Its diverse tasting menu explores Peru's culinary heritage, Nikkei cuisine and Osterling's travel inspirations. Choices include ceviche, pizza, sashimi and grilled seafood.
No.45 Parador La Huella
José Ignacio
paradorlahuella.com
@lahuella.parador
Tucked into the sand dunes of Uruguay’s most exclusive summer resort, three friends raised Parador La Huella’s wooden hatches in 2002. Its prime coastal location and stellar seafood are just some of the reasons why this restaurant keeps its title of The Best Restaurant in Uruguay at Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023.
No.44 Humo Negro – NEW ENTRY
Bogotá
humonegrobog.com/en
@humonegro_bog
Chef Jaime Torregrosa’s restaurant is a relaxed spot where small sharing plates showcase Latin American, Nordic and Japanese flavours achieved through Colombian ingredients sourced from all over this biodiverse country.
No.43 Niño Gordo – NEW ENTRY
Buenos Aires
niñogordo.com.ar
@xniniogordox
Set in Buenos Aires’ lively Palermo Soho district, Niño Gordo's eclectic entrance gives way to technicolour red-hued decorations and Asian design motifs in the dining room. Here, chef Pedro Peña delivers a menu that marries traditional Argentine culinary techniques with the flavours of east and southeast Asia.
No.42 La Mar
Lima
lamarcebicheria.com/es/Lima
@lamarcebicherialima
La Mar brings the best from Peru’s Pacific waters to the table daily. The pioneering cevicheria, sat in the heart of Lima’s chic Miraflores neighbourhood, serves fresh lobster, juicy prawns, sea urchin, crab and much more, all accompanied by a selection of homemade sauces.
No.41 Crizia
Buenos Aires
crizia.com.ar
@crizia_restaurant
The husband-and-wife team formed of chef Gabriel Oggero and front-of-house director Geraldine Gastaldo pioneered a renewed appreciation for traditional fishing methods at Crizia. The menu is guided by the finest fish and shellfish and complemented by a dedicated oyster bar.
No.40 Le Chique
Cancún
karismahotels.com/dining/lechique
@lechiquerestaurant
Located in the picturesque Azul Beach Resort, Le Chique brings together science, flavours and a theatrical touch to create an unforgettable experience. Head chef Jonatan Gómez Luna has the reins of the kitchen where traditional Mexican dishes are reimagined to surprise guests with every bite.
No.39 Mil
Moray
milcentro.pe
@milcentro
Camouflaged within the stunning nature of the Sacred Valley near Cusco is the ambitious gastronomic project created by Virgilio Martínez and Pía León. The restaurant does not only serve creative and delicious food, but educates guests in the culinary traditions of the surrounding indigenous communities, while exploring local ingredients from ecosystems at different altitudes.
No.38 Alo’s – NEW ENTRY
Buenos Aires
@alosbistro
Refined kitchen techniques are applied to locally sourced and organic Argentine ingredients to create dishes where every flavour is masterfully layered. Chef Alejandro Feraud conveys a strong vision at Alo’s when it comes to creating honest haute cuisine with textures and flavours that make his dishes divine comfort food.
No.37 Alcade
Guadalajara
alcalde.com.mx
@restalcalde
Chef Francisco Ruano’s flagship offers a menu with worldwide influences but rooted in the Jalisco region. Local ingredients dominate across the board, with dishes such as green aguachile with prawn and apple, octopus with Japanese aubergine, habanero peppers and perilla rice.
No.36 Rosetta
Mexico City
rosetta.com.mx
@restauranterosetta
Moving from handmade pasta dishes to a deeper Mexican sensibility with reinterpretations of tamales and moles, Elena Reygadas always finds a way to surprise her guests. Her flagship, located in the popular neighbourhood of Roma, serves super-seasonal dishes that travel between the past, present and future of Mexican food.
No.35 Manu
Curitiba
restaurantemanu.com.br
@restaurantemanu
Manu was first named One To Watch in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018. Since then, chef-owner Manoella ‘Manu’ Buffara has only strengthened her culinary expertise, growing her reputation on the global stage and winning the title of Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2022. Now, after multiples efforts to make the planet a better place through her restaurant, Manu receives the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023.
No.34 Maní
São Paulo
manimanioca.com.br
@manimanioca
Named after an indigenous Brazilian god, Maní opened in 2006 to serve contemporary, artistic cuisine rooted in iconic Brazilian ingredients. Brazilian chef Helena Rizzo was joined in 2017 by Belgian chef Willem Vandeven – together they express their passion for the profound flavours of Brazilian cuisine in every dish.
No.33 Osso
Lima
osso.pe
@ossocarnes
Renzo Garibaldi combines a butcher’s shop with a restaurant in this Peruvian ode to meat. Osso is the place to go in Lima for all the best cuts, from perfectly cooked ribeye to flavoured sausages (think cheddar, rocotó pepper marmalade and limo chilli), with almost everything grilled over the barbecue.
No.32 Mishiguene
Buenos Aires
mishiguenerestaurant.com
@mishigueneba
Mishiguene, which means 'crazy' in Yiddish, pays tribute to Argentina's Jewish immigrant legacy by reimagining Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine with Latin American twists. Chef Tomás Kalika applies new techniques to old-world dishes using the best ingredients available.
No.31 Sud 777
Mexico City
sud777.com.mx
@edgarnunezm
After touring the globe and working in famous restaurants such as Noma and El Bulli, chef Edgar Núñez opened Sud 777 in 2008. The eatery represented a watershed in the gastronomic offer in the south of Mexico City, thanks to Núñez’s culinary proposal that includes prodigious techniques and vegetable-forward philosophy.
No.30 Julia
Buenos Aires
@julia.restaurante
Chef Julio Martín Baez launched Julia, a four-hands affair named after his daughter, in 2019. Today, the eight-person team works to create a more equitable culinary platform, not only in terms of ingredient origins, but also employee well-being. From No.50 last year, Julia has climbed 20 positions.
No.29 Pangea
Monterrey
grupopangea.com
@restaurantepangea
Pangea, the creation of chef Guillermo González Beristáin, opened in 1998 and became the flagship institution for the chef's future restaurant group. It has long set the tone for contemporary Mexican cuisine, fusing French culinary techniques with local ingredients. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, Pangea receives the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award 2023.
No.28 Arca
Tulum
arcatulum.com
@arcatulum
Arca elevates the gastronomic experience commonly found on touristic beaches throughout Mexico by adding elegance to popular meals and establishing a sustainable environment. The restaurant, helmed by chef José Luis Hinostroza, reimagines Mexican street food, resulting in delicacies such as violet aguachile, or a cured kampachi fish with hibiscus and plum sauce.
No.27 X.O. – NEW ENTRY
Medellín
xomedellin.co
@x.o.me
The trio behind X.O. joined creative forces for a conceptual project in 2020 after 13 years of experience cooking and travelling around Colombia for the Grupo Carmen restaurant business. The outcome is a gourmet dining institution that collaborates with small farmers and purveyors to highlight delicacies from Colombia's diverse pantry.
No.26 Gran Dabbang
Buenos Aires
@dabbang_
Influenced by chef Mariano Ramón’s travels around Asia, Gran Dabbang serves a simple menu that combines Indian, Thai and Arab influences with the best of Latin America. Guests will fly from one continent to another with dishes such as wood-fired roti bread with homemade spiced butter, lentil makhana with smoked butter and cream, and wood-fired pacú, a South American freshwater fish.
No.25 Cantina del Tigre – NEW ENTRY
Panama City
cantinadeltigre.com
@cantinadeltigre
Debuting at No.25 on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 and winning the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles, Cantina del Tigre certainly knows how to make an entrance. Opened in 2022, chef Fulvio Miranda eatery serves a range of traditional, but reimagined Panamanian dishes with a special focus on ceviche.
No.24 Sublime
Guatemala City
sublimerestaurante.com
@sublimerestaurantegt
Sublime captures the spirit of Guatemala through a tasting menu created by chef Sergio Daz and anthropologist Jocelyn Degollado, with an understanding and respect for how cuisine intersects with the country's iconic events. The project is crowned The Best Restaurant in Guatemala 2023.
No.23 Gustu
La Paz
gustu.bo
@gusturestaurant
Ascending 22 position from last year, the eatery led by chef Marsia Taha is once again named The Best Restaurant in Bolivia. With Taha’s exclusive use of endemic produce, Gustu has become a forerunner of the Bolivian culinary revival, taking guests on a trip through the country's incredibly biodiverse landscape in just a few mouthfuls.
No.22 Evvai
São Paulo
evvai.com.br
@evvai_sp
Luiz Filipe Souza founded Evvai in So Paulo's affluent Jardins district in 2017 after working in Italian restaurants such as Fasano and Piselli in São Paulo, and Reale in Castel di Sangro, Italy. The restaurant serves a five-to-nine-course tasting menu, as well as à la carte Italian-style nibbles, antipasti, pasta, meat and seafood.
No.21 Nelita
São Paulo
@nelita.restaurant
Tássia Magalhes and her women-led crew work their magic behind a gorgeous pistachio-green façade in São Paulo's Pinheiros area. While pasta is the centre of the show, other dishes are given equal attention, as is a fantastic assortment of cocktails and wines exhibited in a magnificent glass case over the dining room.
No.20 Oteque
Rio de Janeiro
oteque.com
@albertolandgraf
Opened in 2018 by Brazilian chef Alberto Landgraf, whose roots are Japanese and German, Oteque encompasses an open-plan kitchen and dining room, a small chef’s table seating six and a cocktail bar. Landgraf uses the skills he honed in Japan and London to create a technique-led menu where seafood is the protagonist.
No.19 Villa Torél
Ensenada
villatorel.com
@alfredovillanuevau
Chef Alfredo Villanueva established Villa Torél in 2019. It is a restaurant with no fine dining pretentions, instead focusing on a short, well-thought-out meal served in a wonderful setting, with the utmost respect for the producers and surrounding Valle de Guadalupe food projects.
No.18 Metzi
São Paulo
metzi.com.br
@metzirestaurant
Brazilian chef Luana Sabino and Mexican chef Eduardo Nava Ortiz moved to São Paulo in late 2019 and opened Metzi without expecting that a global pandemic would threaten to sabotage their plans. Their delicious mix of Brazilian ingredients and Mexican techniques secures them a spot in the list for a second year in a row.
No.17 El Preferido de Palermo
Buenos Aires
@elpreferidodepalermo
In a large 20th-century house where one of the first restaurants in the neighbourhood of Palermo was founded, restaurateur Pablo Rivero (of Don Julio fame) and chef Guido Tassi set to work. The kitchen focuses on the classic dishes of Buenos Aires, which were influenced by Italian and Spanish immigrants.
No.16 Celele
Cartagena
celelerestaurante.com
@celele_restaurante
Chef Jaime Rodríguez conceived the concept for Celele during a trip around the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Diners can choose from the à la carte menu, but for the full experience a 10-course tasting menu explores everything the Caribbean coast has to offer, accompanied by thoughtful drinks flights of regional craft beers, cocktails, fermented spirits and wines.
No.15 Pujol
Mexico City
pujol.com.mx
@pujolrestaurant
Pujol has been a stalwart on Mexico's restaurant scene for over two decades, appearing on both The World's 50 Best Restaurants and Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants lists. Chef Enrique Olvera is credited with putting Mexico on the culinary map by highlighting Mexican culinary culture, from the work of local farmers to uncommon products grown in remote places.
No.14 Lasai
Rio de Janeiro
lasai.com.br
@restaurantelasai 
Lasai, which means 'tranquillity' in the Basque language, combines chef Rafael Costa e Silva's world-class cooking with knowledgeable but kind service, all in a gorgeous dining room in Rio's vibrant Botafogo neighbourhood.
No.13 Mérito
Lima
meritorestaurante.com
@meritorest 
Combining the surrounding produce with flashes and memories of his country of origin, chef Juan Luis Martínez unites the cuisines of Venezuela and Peru at Mérito. The result is unique and mouth-watering combinations such as the yuca root quesadilla filled with goat cheese; the loche squash with the catch of the day; the scallops tiradito with tumbo tiger milk; or the glazed pork belly.
No.12 Quintonil
Mexico City
quintonil.com
@rest_quintonil
Climbing 31 positions since 2022 to win the Highest Climber Award 2023, sponsored by Alaska Seafood, the restaurant led by chef Jorge Vallejo is all about freshness and flavour. The multi-course tasting menu that changes according to the seasons can include delightful creations such as moorish crab with green pípian sauce, sunflower seeds and blue corn toast.
No.11 Nuema
Quito
nuema.ec
@nuema_restaurante 
Husband-and-wife team Alejandro Chamorro and Pía Salazar present Ecuador’s biodiversity through the finest techniques in a dizzying display of avant-garde gastronomy. Angular and unusual shapes, bright colours and profound flavours are found in every dish at this eatery named The Best Restaurant in Ecuador.
No.10 Mayta
Lima
maytalima.com
@jaime_pesaque_restaurants 
Chef Jaime Pesaque's flagship, Mayta, focuses on contemporary Peruvian cuisine, with each dish a masterclass in presentation. Plates are as vibrant and vivid as they are flavourful, with dishes, such as the grilled sweetbreads with arracacha (a Peruvian root vegetable), tumbo (a close relative of passion fruit), and demi-glace.
No.9 Boragó
Santiago
borago.cl
@rgborago
Chef Rodolfo Guzmán opened Boragó 16 years ago and his exhaustive investigation into native Chilean ingredients positioned him as a pioneer in the local gastronomic scene, ratified once again after his eatery is named The Best Restaurant in Chile 2023. Hyper seasonality leads the creative tasting menu that features flowers, seafood and vegetables presented in truly stunning forms.
No.8 Leo
Bogotá
restauranteleo.com
@leorestaurantcol
The flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Leonor Espinosa features little-known Colombian delicacies and celebrates local communities and gastronomic traditions. Since June 2021, it has been housed in the upscale district of Chapinero and has had two dining rooms under one roof: the first showing the innovation of renowned chef Espinosa, and the second handled by her daughter and sommelier Laura Hernández Espinosa.
No.7 Kjolle
Lima
kjolle.com
@kjollerest
Kjolle is the one-of-a-kind creation of chef Pía León, one half of the husband-and-wife partnership behind Central, crowned The World’s Best Restaurant 2023. Kjolle, located in the same complex as its bigger brother, features the best local craftsmanship: everything from the tables to the dinnerware is supplied from small Peruvian enterprises. The menu is dominated by bright and colourful dishes that pay homage to the bountiful Peruvian larder.
No.6 Maito
Panama City
maitopanama.com
@maitopanama
Chef Mario Castrellón, winner of the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award 2023, was among the first to introduce the vision of a new Panamanian contemporary cuisine. Maito was the first venue from Central America to appear in the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurant list in 2016, and is a meeting point for its country's diversity of cultures, flavours and ingredients. There's little doubt why it was named The Best Restaurant in Panama 2023.
No.5 Fauna
Valle de Guadalupe
faunarestaurante.mx
@faunarestaurante
Joining the top five after winning the Highest New Entry Award 2022, Fauna is now named The Best Restaurant in Mexico 2023. The project is led by husband-and-wife chef team of David Castro Hussong Maribel Aldaco (crowned Latin America's Best Pastry Chef 2023, sponsored by República del Cacao). Surrounded by astonishing scenery, the couple creates daily-changing experimental menus using exclusively seasonal and local ingredients.
No.4 A Casa do Porco
São Paulo
acasadoporco.com.br
@acasadoporcobar
A carnivore's paradise, A Casa do Porco (translated as 'pig’s house') is the vision of chefs Jefferson Rueda and Janaína Torres Rueda, where pork, fire and all things butchery guide its lauded, singular gastronomic experience. This year, A Casa do Porco has once again been named The Best Restaurant in Brazil and Janaína Torres Rueda is voted as Latin America's Best Female Chef 2023.
No.3 Don Julio
Buenos Aires
parrilladonjulio.com
@donjulioparrilla
Don Julio began as a local parrilla, or steakhouse, in a 19th-century corner building. Today, the family-run business helmed by restaurateur and sommelier Pablo Rivero retains is title as The Best Restaurant in Argentina. Don Julio entertains a large local audience that keeps coming back for its superb steaks and expansive cellar. The service is meticulous, but Rivero keeps the restaurant casual by asking diners to write loving comments on empty bottles, which are subsequently added to the wall of wine fame.
No.2 El Chato
Bogotá
elchato.co
@elchato_rest
Chef Alvaro Clavijo keep things simple at his flagship, El Chato. Championing Colombian ingredients is the primary intention of the restaurant, with just a single tasting menu on the table. The day's offerings change at a moment’s notice to highlight the best produce available each morning. Dishes such as giant oysters with clarified tamarind broth, pears and sea lettuce, and crispy tapioca with pâté and wild blackberry span several international cuisines but are created using produce almost entirely from the Peruvian pantry.
No.1 Maido
Lima
maido.pe
@mitsuharu_maido
At Maido, chef Mitsuharu Tsumura combines the two renowned cuisines that form the foundation of his world – Peruvian and Japanese – into one restaurant to create the delectable union that is Nikkei. 'Maido!' is the jovial and timeless greeting from the chefs when diners approach the first-floor restaurant in trendy Miraflores that is also home to the Beronia Latin America's Best Sommelier 2023, Florencia Rey.
Tsumura, who trained in Osaka, applies his expertise in dishes like the nigiri a lo pobre and toro with Amazonian ponzu, both of which are specialities at Maido. The Tarragona tuna belly is rolled out on a trolley and then sliced, prepped and crisped with a blowtorch tableside. Clinching the No.1 spot for the fourth time, the last having been in 2019, Maido is named The Best Restaurant in Latin America 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
Now recap the list in video:
The list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was revealed on 28th November at a live awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Browse the website, join the community on Instagram, follow us on Facebook, visit us on X and subscribe to our YouTube channel and newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and announcements.
