The highly anticipated list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 was recently revealed at a live awards ceremony held in Valencia's stunning City of Arts and Sciences.

The 21st edition of the annual ranking features restaurants in 24 territories, on 5 continents and 12 new entries.

Twelve restaurants located in Latin American cities that stand out, not only for their quality and exquisiteness, but also for celebrating their cultures with innovative techniques and unforgettable recipes, appear on this year's list.

Meet the chosen ones and their reviews shared by ‘The 50 Best.’

Bogota, Colombia

The Capital of Colombia provided two representatives for this year's edition:

43. Leo — Leonor Espinosa, The World’s Best Female Chef 2022, leads the kitchen of this Colombian restaurant that celebrates the country’s diversity. The menu offers a culinary trip around the Amazon rainforest, Andean highlands and the Pacific coastline. All the dishes are perfectly paired with the exceptional beverage options carefully selected by Laura Hernández, a trained sommelier as well as Leo’s daughter. 

33. El Chato (New entry) — This contemporary Colombian bistro, led by chef Álvaro Clavijo, pays homage to the producers it works with and applies global techniques to highlight local ingredients. The imaginative seasonal menus may include yucca arepa, chicken hearts, mussels with coconut rice, or Paletero beef with ‘culona’ ants béarnaise.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

A classic that does not go out of style in the capital of ‘Tango:’

19. Don Julio — This paradise for steak lovers, owned by renowned sommelier and restaurateur Pablo Rivero, serves pretty much every part of the cow. However, Rivero recommends ordering house cuts like bife de cuadril (rump steak) and entraña (skirt steak). Match the homemade charcuterie with a glass (or bottle) of delightful Malbec.

Mexico City, Mexico

Three restaurants were highlighted in the Mexican capital:

49. Rosetta (New entry) — Located in an old mansion in a popular neighbourhood of Mexico City, Rosetta combines Mexican ingredients with indigenous and modern cooking techniques. The restaurant is led by the visionary Elena Reygadas, who was voted as The World’s Best Female Chef 2023.

13. Pujol — Founded by Chef Enrique Olvera more than 20 years ago, Pujol features an innovative proposal rooted in indigenous, high-quality ingredients and Mexican cuisine’s diverse techniques, adding a modern twist to traditional recipes and serving them in the most elegant way possible.

9. Quintonil — Quintonil is the setting for chef Jorge Vallejo’s boundary-pushing Mexican cuisine and his wife Alejandra Flores’ remarkable hospitality. Focused on fresh, local produce and traditional Mexican flavours and techniques weaved into modern preparations, it is fast becoming a classic.

Lima, Peru

The Latin American city with the most representatives on this list (4), including number 1.

1. Central — Virgilio Martínez founded Central in 2008 and Pía León joined him one year later with a mission to create a fine dining experience rooted in Peruvian ingredients and cooking techniques. In 2018, they moved Central to a spacious building in Lima where diners can enjoy a trip through 15 different Peruvian ecosystems, categorised by altitude – from 15 metres under the Pacific Ocean to 4,200 metres up in the Andes.

Each dish on the menu reflects the origin of its ingredients, from Dry Valley (shrimp, loche squash, avocado) to Amazonian Water (pacu fish, watermelon and coca leaf). Voted No.1 in this year’s list, Central is crowned The World’s Best Restaurant 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.

47. Mayta — Mayta means “noble land” in Aymara, a native language spoken by some Peruvian indigenous communities. Jaime Pesaque’s flagship restaurant is an ode to Peru and its cuisine is based on flavours and preparations inspired by memory and history, brought together with a modern twist.

28. Kjolle (New entry) — Kjolle is Pía León’s first solo restaurant, where she experiments with new styles and lets her gastronomic instincts run wild. The team spend months researching the best ways to use each part of the ingredient to create the least possible amount of waste, while maximising flavour.

6. Maido — In Japanese, ‘maido’ means ‘welcome,’ a greeting that the team gives to each and every diner entering this Japanese restaurant with Peruvian heart. Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura is the chef and tour guide on this trip around the two countries, where he combines techniques from both into Nikkei cuisine.

Add these restaurants to your bucket list! Learn more about this year’s extended list here: https://t.co/65YWcKwzwX #Worlds50Best @sanpellegrino pic.twitter.com/10e90yptNT

— The World's 50 Best (@TheWorlds50Best) June 21, 2023

Santiago de Chile, Chile

29. Boragó — Boragó, which was founded in 2006 by Chilean chef Rodolfo Guzmán, is deeply rooted in Mapuche culture and showcases the bounty that Chile has to offer. The fresh ingredients that make up the seasonal menu come from coastlines, mountain tops, or even the restaurant’s nearby orchard.

São Paulo, Brazil

12. A Casa do Porco — A Casa do Porco is named for its focus on pork in all its forms, with a tasting menu and à la carte that uses every part of the pig. In recent years, it has adapted to changing dietary requirements, introducing a vegetarian menu that tastes as good as the original. 

For its part, the United States contributed 2 restaurants to the list, with Le Bernardin (44), and Atomix (8), both located in New York.

Definitely a gastronomic journey worth taking through Latin American cuisine. Click here for the complete list.