For the third consecutive year, Chef Virgilio Martinez’s Central restaurant, Lima, Peru is honored as Latin America’s Best Restaurant, as listed by Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Central presents a unique menu where dishes are labeled by the altitude at which the ingredients are found, spanning from 20 meters below to 4,100 meters above sea level. Diners are taken to a vertical tour of Peru through the culinary experience.

The dish “Marine Soil” (labeled 20 meters below sea level) features a medley of clams, pepino melons, and sweet lemon. Meanwhile, its polar opposite “Aija High Mountain” (labeled 4,100 above sea level) captures the concept of Andes mountains, with ingredients of huacatay, “pamper petals and moraya”.

“Green Highlands” at Central restaurant in Lima, Peru © Central

Brazil, Peru, and Argentina tied for the most number of restaurants inside the top 50 list, with nine addresses each. Panama and Paraguay also made the top 50 list (the first of the year) for Maito (36) and Colorada Gastro (47), respectively.

The awards event held at Mexico CIty also recognized Enrique Olvera’s Mexico City restaurant Pujol with the inaugural Art of Hospitality Award. The Chef’s Choice award went to Guillermo Gonzalez Beristain of Pangea in Monterrey, Mexico. The ranking is based on the votes of 252 members of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy.

Here are the top 10 restaurants on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list:

• 1. Central, Lima, Peru
• 2. Maido, Lima, Peru
• 3. D.O.M. Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 4. Borago, Santiago, Chile
• 5. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
• 6. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
• 7. Astrid y Gaston, Lima, Peru
• 8. Mani, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 9. Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 10. Biko, Mexico City, Mexico