DOM returns to the podium of the 50 best Latinos and reverses leadership with Casa do Porco

Some things do not change and, in the case of the 50 Best Latin America award, it is the presence of Peruvian restaurants among the top positions. In the ceremony that took place this Monday (22), the first and second place were, respectively, Central and Maido, both in Lima, reaffirming a hegemony of almost a decade — pierced only last year by the Don Julio parrilla, who came first.

Among Brazilians, there was a real dance of chairs: the best placed, DOM (3rd position), by Alex Atala, rose ten positions. Then came Maní (7th place), who rose 16 positions, and Casa do Porco (11th place), who fell seven, but still holds the best ranking among Brazilians in the global version of the ranking.

The award, named Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021: Pasado y Futuro, was reorganized this year: the list features 100 restaurants, instead of 50 addresses as in previous editions, and was the result of a compilation based on votes of the eight editions of the award, which took place between 2013 and 2020. The ranking is the regional arm of The World’s 50 Best, considered the Oscar of the sector and whose world version took place last month in Antwerp.

Following among the Brazilian restaurants came Lasai, from Rio de Janeiro, which dropped one position and appears in 22nd, and Mocotó, which climbed ten places and is now in 23rd. Fasano from São Paulo (66th), after seven years, and Oro from Rio (51st) returned to the list. Lost positions were Manu from Curitiba (49th), Oteque from Rio de Janeiro (41st) and Evvai from São Paulo (65th)

With the expansion of the list, new Brazilian restaurants gained space in the ranking. Among the people from São Paulo are Komah (88th), Arturito (86th) and Tordesilhas (75th). Another novelty is the entry of restaurants from other Brazilian capitals. Vitória is represented by Soeta (77th). Belo Horizonte, in turn, has the Glouton restaurant, at number 68, by chef Leonardo Paixão.

Two addresses in São Paulo that had closed their doors during the pandemic were remembered: Corrutela (90th), which also received the sustainability award, and Tuju (54th). The news is that both will reopen soon — Corrutela in December and Tuju in mid-2022, at a new address, as their old house now houses the Tujuína.

The event took place virtually last year and this year had simultaneous celebrations in seven countries in Latin America to avoid air travel. Oaxaca (Mexico), Mendoza (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Lima (Peru), Bogotá (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador) and São Paulo hosted the party. In Brazil, the party was scheduled at the new B32 theater, designed by Eiji Hayakawa, on Avenida Faria Lima.

As part of the 2021 schedule, there was also the announcement of other awards with Brazilians among the finalists. Charco, in São Paulo, was nominated for One To Watch, recognition given to “potential” restaurants that opened in the last two years — won by Anafe, from Buenos Aires. Telma Shiraishi, from Aizomê, competed for the Chefs’ Choice Award – Best Reinvention, given to a chef who reinvented himself in the pandemic, but was not chosen. Telma made the Água no Feijão movement viable, which, with the help of volunteers, delivered more than 100,000 lunchboxes to alleviate hunger.

Some awards had already been announced, such as The Macallan Icon, received by the couple Rodrigo Oliveira, from Mocotó, and the historian, Adriana Salay, for the social impact of the Quebrada Alimentada project.

In April of this year, another World’s 50 Best award was announced: the 50 Next, which elects young people who are shaping the future of gastronomy, with the presence of two Brazilians. Unlike the 50 Best bar and restaurant rankings, the list of young leaders has no rank order. The performance in peripheral regions is an element in common between the two representatives of Brazil: Mariana Aleixo is in charge of projects in the Maré complex, in the north of Rio de Janeiro; Thiago Vinícius de Paula da Silva works to democratize access to organic food in Campo Limpo, in the south of São Paulo.

Discover the 10 best restaurants in Latin America and the Brazilians on the list

1.Central (Lima, Peru)
2. Maido (Lima, Peru)
3. DOM (São Paulo, Brazil)
4. Astrid y Gaston (Lima, Peru)
5. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
6. Boragó (Santigo, Chile)
7. Maní (São Paulo, Brazil)
8. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
9. Tegui (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
10. Don Julio (Bueno Aires, Argentina)
11. The Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)
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22. Lasai (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
23 . Mocotó (São Paulo, Brazil)
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41. Oteque (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
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49. Manu (Curitiba, Brazil)
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51. Oro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
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54. Tuju (São Paulo, Brazil)
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65. Evvai (São Paulo, Brazil)
66. Fasano (São Paulo, Brazil)
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68. Glouton (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
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75. Tordesillas (São Paulo, Brazil)
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77. Soeta (Vitoria, Brazil)
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86. Arturito (São Paulo, Brazil)
88. Komah (São Paulo, Brazil)
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90. Corrutela (São Paulo, Brazil)