El Chato, in Bogotá, is named No.1 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, spotlighting the region’s leading dining destinations.
El Chato crowned best in Latin America
The Latin American gastronomic community gathered in Antigua, Guatemala, for the 13th edition of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The awards ceremony took place on 2 December at Santo Domingo del Cerro. It celebrated the richness and diversity of the region’s cuisine and honored its most influential restaurants.
El Chato, in Bogotá, was voted The Best Restaurant in Latin America 2025 and The Best Restaurant in Colombia 2025. The restaurant climbed from No.3 in 2024 to the top position this year. In doing so, it gained international recognition for culinary excellence and its strong commitment to local producers and ingredients.
The restaurant is led by chef Álvaro Clavijo, whose vision has been to redefine Colombian cuisine. His goal with El Chato is to place the country firmly on the global gastronomic map. The restaurant offers an experience that goes beyond conventional fine dining.
Craig Hawtin-Butcher, Managing Director of 50 Best, praised the achievement. He highlighted El Chato’s role in putting Colombian cuisine at the center of the international stage and reflecting the energy and authenticity of Latin American gastronomy. He also reiterated 50 Best’s commitment to promoting the region’s vibrant culinary scene worldwide.
Buenos Aires, Lima and Santiago lead the scene
Buenos Aires maintained its status as a major culinary powerhouse, with eight restaurants on the list, one more than in 2024. Lima follows with seven entries, while Santiago appears with five restaurants. Together, these cities showcase the diversity and constant evolution of Latin American dining.
Among the top-ranked venues, Kjolle (No.2) in Lima was named The Best Restaurant in Peru. Don Julio (No.3) in Buenos Aires received the title of The Best Restaurant in Argentina. In Santiago, Boragó (No.6) was recognized as The Best Restaurant in Chile.
In Mexico City, Quintonil (No.7) was voted The Best Restaurant in Mexico. In São Paulo, Tuju (No.8) received the award for The Best Restaurant in Brazil. Furthermore, Maito (No.18), Sublime (No.19), Cordero (No.29) and Sikwa (No.43) were named the best restaurants in Panama, Guatemala, Venezuela and Costa Rica, respectively.
New entries and comebacks to the list
The 2025 ranking reflects the expansion and dynamism of the regional restaurant scene, with seven new entries. Santiago stands out with four debuts: Casa Las Cujas (No.14), Yum Cha (No.28), Demo Magnolia (No.31) and Karai by Mitsuharu (No.45). This reinforces the Chilean capital’s growing international recognition.
In La Paz, Arami entered the list at No.48 and was named The Best Restaurant in Bolivia. El Mercado (No.27) in Buenos Aires and Afluente (No.34) in Bogotá also made their first appearance. In addition, Diacá (No.37), Crizia (No.40) and Osso (No.44) returned to the ranking this year.
Casa Las Cujas received the Highest New Entry Award after debuting in 14th place. The Santiago restaurant is known for its ocean-focused cuisine that blends freshness, innovation and flavor in a relaxed setting. Cosme (No.9) in Lima earned the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Lee Kum Kee, after jumping 19 spots from No.28 in 2024.
Cosme’s culinary concept centers on comfort food, with fresh, seasonal products. The menu combines the familiarity of homemade flavors with contemporary techniques. As a result, the restaurant secured its place among the region’s leading dining destinations.
Chef awards and special recognitions
Chilean chef Rodolfo Guzmán, from Boragó (No.6) in Santiago, received the Icon Award for his outstanding contribution to regional gastronomy. He is celebrated for championing Chilean cuisine through seasonal, native ingredients used in innovative ways. His cooking draws on ancestral products from Indigenous communities and unique ingredients from across the country.
The Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by República del Cacao, went to Bianca Mirabili, of Evvai (No.20) in São Paulo. She is known for merging Italian cuisine with Brazilian touches. Her creations display strong technical mastery and a passion for biodiversity and cultural traditions.
Maximiliano Pérez received the Latin America’s Best Sommelier Award, sponsored by Vik. More than a wine expert, he acts as a curator and storyteller. Under his guidance, a wine list becomes a geographical and cultural journey through Argentina’s diverse terroirs.
Chef Tássia Magalhães was named Latin America’s Best Female Chef. The recognition celebrates her leadership of an all-female team in São Paulo. Her work uses the transformative power of gastronomy to challenge structures and empower women in the industry.
Alejandro Chamorro, recipient of the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award, leads Nuema in Quito, named The Best Restaurant in Ecuador. The restaurant offers seasonal tasting menus that reinterpret flavors from various Ecuadorian regions using local products and innovative techniques. Voted exclusively by the chefs on the list, this is the only peer-selected award, which gives it special significance.
The Sustainable Restaurant Award went to Oda (No.76) in Bogotá. The restaurant celebrates Colombian flavors using fresh ingredients from urban gardens and local producers. Located inside the G Lounge, it also offers indoor golf and a whiskey bar for a full-day experience.
Voting process and 50 Best Academy
The 50 Best organization plays a key role in promoting restaurants and culinary excellence worldwide. To ensure a fair and reliable voting process for Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, 50 Best works with consulting firm Deloitte as its official independent adjudicator. This partnership reinforces transparency and trust in the list.
The Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy is made up of 300 expert voters from across the region. Each member is selected for deep knowledge of Latin America’s restaurant landscape. Their combined votes determine the final list of the 50 best restaurants.
The Academy is divided into five regions: Mexico, Central America, South America (North), South America (South) and Brazil. Each regional panel includes leading journalists, influential critics, renowned chefs, successful restaurateurs and experienced gourmets. Every member casts 10 votes, at least four of them for restaurants outside their home country.
Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list
See the full Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 ranking:
1 El Chato – Bogotá 2 Kjolle – Lima 3 Don Julio – Buenos Aires 4 Mérito – Lima 5 Celele – Cartagena 6 Boragó – Santiago 7 Quintonil – Mexico City 8 Tuju – São Paulo 9 Cosme – Lima 10 Nuema – Quito
11 Mayta – Lima 12 Nelita – São Paulo 13 Lasai – Rio de Janeiro 14 Casa Las Cujas – Santiago 15 Alcalde – Guadalajara 16 Villa Torél – Ensenada 17 Fauna – Valle de Guadalupe 18 Maito – Panama City 19 Sublime – Guatemala City 20 Evvai – São Paulo
21 Niño Gordo – Buenos Aires 22 Arca – Tulum 23 Leo – Bogotá 24 El Preferido de Palermo – Buenos Aires 25 A Casa do Porco – São Paulo 26 La Mar – Lima 27 El Mercado – Buenos Aires 28 Yum Cha – Santiago 29 Cordero – Caracas 30 Máximo – Mexico City
31 Demo Magnolia – Santiago 32 Huniik – Mérida 33 Rafael – Lima 34 Afluente – Bogotá 35 Aramburu – Buenos Aires 36 Trescha – Buenos Aires 37 Diacá – Guatemala City 38 Oteque – Rio de Janeiro 39 Rosetta – Mexico City 40 Crizia – Buenos Aires
41 Humo Negro – Bogotá 42 Mercado 24 – Guatemala City 43 Sikwa – San José 44 Osso – Lima 45 Karai by Mitsuharu – Santiago 46 Manuel – Barranquilla 47 Cantina del Tigre – Panama City 48 Arami – La Paz 49 Mil – Moray 50 Julia – Buenos Aires
About Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants
Launched in 2013, Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants was created to celebrate the region’s gastronomy. The list promotes Latin American restaurants to food lovers around the world. It is compiled by the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a group of 300 industry leaders selected for their expertise.
The ranking is published by William Reed, which also organizes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants and North America’s 50 Best Restaurants. Together, these lists map the key dining destinations worldwide. Latin America now figures prominently within this global network.
About S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna
As main partners of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna are leading natural mineral water brands in fine dining. They promote Italian lifestyle as a symbol of excellence, pleasure and well-being. Their support helps recognize and elevate the best of global gastronomy.