This month one of the most anticipated foodie lists was released: the Top 50 Latin American restaurants. Local food experts tasted their way through the continent’s best eating establishments and after a lot of delicious hard work (someone has to do it, right?) Restaurant Magazine picked a list of the 50 best in Latin America.
This year, Argentina stormed in with an impressive 12 restaurants making the list. 11 out of 12 restaurants were in the country’s capital, Buenos Aires, but one Mendoza restaurant proudly maintained its presence in the Top 50 – Francis Mallman’s 1884 came in at number 40. Traditionally one of the most renowned restaurants in the wine region, 1884 was praised for its fire cooking methods which celebrity chef Francis Mallman has perfected over the years and also serves up in other restaurants under his guidance like Siete Fuegos in the Uco Valley, andEl Garzon in Uruguay.
Top restaurants to try in Buenos Aires included Tegui (which made it to the Top Ten, taking 9thplace), Tarquino (16), El Baquedano (18), Chila (21), La Cabrera (22), Tomo 1 (23), Oviedo (29) Sucre (47), Elena (48) and last but not least Pura Tierra (50). The list shows a growing diversity in Argentine cuisine: a traditional steak house like La Cabrera was joined by the alternative meat scene offered by El Baquedano (that prefers to serve llama and crocodile over beef), and numerous selected restaurants offer delicately prepared fusion food taking Argentina beyond its BBQ.
The Top Five was dominated by Peru (Central Restaurant 1st, Astrid y Gaston 2nd) and Brazil (D.O.M 3rd, Mani 4th), two countries which are certainly both very hot right now in the culinary scene, and 5th place went to a dark horse in the cuisine scene – Borago, an adventurous Chilean restaurant just the other side of the Andes, in Santiago, where the young and creative chef Rodolfo Guzman serves up all native Chilean ingredients in an exciting tasting menu.
Whatever your fancy may be, the Top 50 list shows the exciting trends and novelties taking place that are making Latin America one of the most delicious places to be right now!
You can see the list here: http://www.theworlds50best.com/latinamerica/en/index.html