Virgilio Martínez and Pía León’s Central restaurant in Lima, Peru, has topped Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, once again, making them The Best Restaurant in Latin America 2022 and The Best Restaurant in Peru for 2022.
Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants ceremony
In the first in-person red-carpet ceremony held since 2109 for these awards, a restaurant community was united in celebration in Mérida, Yucatán (Mexico), as Central was joined on the podium by Don Julio (No.2) of Buenos Aires as The Best Restaurant in Argentina, and Maido (No.3) also of Lima.
Central was also named The Greatest Restaurant in Latin America 2013-2021 as part of the one-off retrospective list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021: Pasado y Futuro, having also being named No.1 in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
A total of 21 destinations made the list this year, with Buenos Aires and Lima coming out on top with eight restaurants each on the list, followed by São Paulo with seven, and Mexico City with five.
Ten restaurants also made their debut onto this year's list, including Fauna (No.16) in Valle de Guadalupe; Villa Torél (No.18) in Ensenada; Arca (No.29) in Tulum; Sublime (No.31) and Diacá (No.47), both in Guatemala City; and Mesa Franca (No.49) in Bogotá; Julia (No.50) in Buenos Aires; and Metzi (No.27), Charco (No.35) and Nelita (No.39), all in São Paulo.
Special awards:
A number of special awards were also given on the night, recognising excellence in chefs, restaurants and sommeliers:
- The Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award went to Oteque, Rio de Janeiro
- Ecuadorian Pía Salazar of Nuema in Quito was named Latin America's Best Pastry Chef
- Beronia Latin America’s Best Sommelier title was awarded to Pablo Rivero, sommelier and owner of Don Julio in Buenos Aires
- Jonatan Gómez Luna of Le Chique in Cancún won the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award, as voted for by his fellow chefs
- Debora Fadul's Diacá in Guatemala City won the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award
