Ana

Guatemala City

A Colombian chef explores the flavours of his adopted home

Sometimes it takes an outsider to rethink the norms of a local food culture. In the case of Colombian chef Nicolas Solanilla, who arrived in Guatemala aged 25, his love of the country's food and curious exploration of its ingredients and history has led him to develop a style that's all his. At Ana, memories of Colombia, curious exploration of local culinary history and a passionate desire to connect through food combine to create a unique dining experience.

Ana started out as a series of pop-ups more than five years ago and to say it's a personal project is an understatement. Named for his maternal grandmother – the restaurant's elegant logo is also her real signature – whom Solanilla credits for introducing him to cooking, there are occasional flashes of Colombian inspiration in the dishes, so that the menu reads as a kind of biography of the chef. Fittingly for a restaurant grounded in memories of family dinners, Ana isn't interested in adhering to the strict codes of traditional fine dining; instead, Solanilla aims to create a relaxed environment where diners feel as if they're being taken care of by friends.

Dishes here celebrate the best of Guatemalan produce, looking to the country's history and traditional recipes for inspiration. Take the heirloom tomato dish, a consistent feature of Ana's menu since its days as a pop-up: after finding a producer in Antigua Guatemala who grows organic heirloom tomatoes, Solanilla built a dish that also incorporates sal negra, a traditional black salt from the country's Quiché region, sourced from Guatemala's last black salt artisan. This early dish helped Solanilla to clarify his vision for the food at Ana, and he continues to experiment with local ingredients, such as the loroco, a Central American climbing vine with edible flowers.

For its championing of local producers, its creative experimentation with Guatemalan ingredients and its welcoming approach, Ana is the winner of the American Express One To Watch Award 2025, as part of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants.

Learn more about Ana and chef Nicolas Solanilla.

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