Astrid y Gastón came in at #1 and D.O.M. at #2 at the initial edition of the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants List, even though D.O.M. ranked considerably higher on the World’s Best list a few months ago. Pujol was at #3 and Central, which after my meal there the other night I can safely call as my choice for #1, was at #4. In my opinion any of those four restaurants could really be #1 on any given day. It is all subjective. With the top ten there was little argument – some might say one restaurant should up or down a spot or two – but the rest of the list was where there were some oddities.

Andres Carne de Res in Bogota was listed as the number #24 restaurant in Latin America, while La Cabrera in Buenos Aires was at an astounding #17. These are steakhouses. Steakhouses. Steakhouses. Steakhouses. Great ones. Both are places that I love to eat at again and again. But best restaurants? Better than Hernán Gipponi in Buenos Aires at #49, which I think could have very easily gone as low as the top 20? Or better than Laja in Mexico that was at #46? Hardly.

Some countries were completely overrepresented and others underrepresented. There were 15 restaurants from Argentina! And only two from Chile. Panama wasn’t there, even though Maito very well should be on the list. None of the three chairs probably even knew that it existed. Bolivia was left off the map too, though it’s safe to say that the newly opened Gustu will be there next year. Other restaurants were surprisingly absent. What happened to Amaranta in Mexico? Deckman’s en El Mogor in Mexico? Or Senzo in Cuzco when they thought that adding La Huella in Uruguay should be there. This wasn’t a popularity contest. This was the 50 Best awards. Did any of the voters even visit some of these out of the way places? Part of the issue was the structure of the 252 voters. They were divided into three regions: Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Peru, which, along with Mexico, should probably have its own region. So should Central America. Should Argentina really have more names on the list than Mexico or Peru? At the same time, there were also a considerable amount of over-hyped, overpriced, and undeserving restaurants that were left off the list. Perhaps this was a wake up call for them.

Argentine grillmaster Francis Mallman, whose restaurant 1884 in Mendoza was #37 on the list, wrote an open letter to chefs to boycott the event (as he did), saying that it encouraged young chefs to try and become famous rather than work on their craft. To some extent he is right, but at the same time, these lists, as unfair, biased, and poorly chosen as they may be at times, bring customers into restaurants and they at the very least get a conversation started. It might not be the exact conversation we want to have, but at least were talking.

Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants

1. Astrid y Gastón, Lima, Perú OUR REVIEW
2. D.O.M., São Paulo, Brasil OUR REVIEW
3. Pujol, México City, México OUR REVIEW
4. Central, Lima, Perú OUR REVIEW
5. Mani, São Paulo, Brasil OUR REVIEW
6. Biko, México City, México
7. Malabar, Lima, Perú OUR REVIEW
8. Boragó, Santiago, Chile OUR REVIEW
9. Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
10. Roberta Sudbrack, Rio De Janeiro, Brasil
11. Maido, Lima, Perú
12. Pangea, Monterrey, México
13. Rafael, Lima, Perú
14. Fiesta, Lima, Perú
15. La Mar, Lima, Perú
16. Mocotó, São Paulo, Brasil OUR REVIEW
17. La Cabrera, Buenos Aires, Argentina OUR REVIEW
18. Tomo 1, Buenos Aires, Argentina
19. Criterión Bogotá, Colombia
20. Parador La Huella, José Ignacio, Uruguay
21. Quintonil, México City, México
22. Harry Sasson, Bogotá, Colombia
23. Fasano, São Paulo, Brasil
24. Andrés Carne de Res, Chia, Colombia OUR REVIEW
25. Alto Caracas, Venezuela
26. Merotoro, México City, México
27. Oviedo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
28. Chila, Buenos Aires, Argentina
29. Sucre, Buenos Aires, Argentina
30. Corazón de Tierra, Valle de Guadalupe, México
31. Aramburu, Buenos Aires, Argentina
32. Attimo, São Paulo, Brasil
33. Pura Tierra Buenos Aires, Argentina
34. Casa Oaxaca Hotel, Oaxaca, México
35. Olympe, Rio De Janeiro, Brasil
36. Sud 777, México City, México
37. Francis Mallmann 1884, Mendoza, Argentina OUR REVIEW
38. Remanso do Bosque, Belém, Brasil
39. El Baqueano, Buenos Aires, Argentina
40. Unik, Buenos Aires, Argentina
41. Epice, São Paulo, Brasil
42. La Bourgogne, Punta del Este, Uruguay
43. Pitiona, Oaxaca, México
44. Paraje Arévalo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
45. Casa Umare, Buenos Aires, Argentina
46. Laja Ensenada, México
47. El Cielo Bogotá, Colombia
48. Osaka, Santiago, Chile
49. Hernán Gipponi Restaurante, Buenos Aires, Argentina OUR REVIEW
50. Elena, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nicholas Gill (470 Posts)

Writer and photographer Nicholas Gill is the editor/publisher of New World Review. He lives in Lima, Peru and Brooklyn, New York. His work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CondeNast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, and Penthouse. Visit his personal website (nicholas-gill.com) for more information.