Chef Álvaro Clavijo's contemporary Colombian creation El Chato takes the top spot at Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, marking the first time a Colombian restaurant has been ranked No.1 on the list.
Determined to redefine Colombian gastronomy and earn a spot on the global culinary stage, the hard work behind El Chato has paid off as it is named The Best Restaurant in Latin America 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
Led by chef Álvaro Clavijo, El Chato is the first restaurant in Colombia to be awarded the coveted No.1 spot on Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list, which was revealed at a live awards ceremony on 2 December in Antigua Guatemala.
Kjolle in Lima took the No.2 spot on the list, making it the highest placed restaurant in Peru, with Don Julio in Buenos Aires rounding out the top three as The Best Restaurant in Argentina.
El Chato, named after a Bogotan word of affection used by grandparents towards their grandchildren ('chaticos'), opened in 2017 and debuted on the Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list at No.21 in 2018.
Located in the bohemian Bogotan neighbourhood of Chapinero Alto, the newly crowned restaurant works with local ingredients and small-scale producers to create a culinary offering that reimagines typical Colombian cuisine.
Dishes including reen mussel with oregano and guatila, a type of gourd, feature on El Chato's ever-changing menu
"[El Chato being named The Best Restaurant in Latin America 2025] is incredible for Colombian restaurants and Colombian cuisine. It's a source of great pride because Colombia really is on such an important podium. It's impressive," says Clavijo.
The chef's hard-won relationships with local farmers means the menu adapts to the season's harvests, so diners can expect dishes such as crab with aged corn tamales and pusandao (a coconut and plantain-laden stew) or beef tartare with Andean yacon tubers and mushroom garum (fermented mushroom sauce), depending on the time of year.
Colombian ingredients come together with Clavijo's global contemporary techniques, honed first in Paris and Barcelona, refined later at Per Se, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Noma.
"I think what makes El Chato special is that we don't focus on just one region, but rather we cover everything from salt to fruits used in desserts and drinks, and without intentionally trying to, we are showing that there are flavours that are very different from what people are probably familiar with," says Clavijo.
Back in his home country, Clavijo's first solo venture was created with the aim of making fine dining more accessible for Colombians. The goal at El Chato is to create a laid-back atmosphere that takes diners on a transportative gastronomic adventure through the country's rich biodiversity and culinary heritage.
As the party vibe climbs to its late-night crescendo in Antigua, the chef reflects on what tonight, and the future, will bring for the talented El Chato team:
"I'll be with the team tomorrow – I'm flying back early. I just want to go back to my country and celebrate with my team.
Latin America's gastrononmic community gathered on stage at the awards ceremony in Antigua to cheer on El Chato
"[The future for El Chato focuses on] programming to be able to focus much more on service. We are involved in projects that are entirely growth-orientated. We have a production centre where we are doing all the production and research on the whole subject of fruit fermentation and continuing to enjoy it," says Clavijo.
El Chato's success no doubt will inspire a generation of aspiring chefs across Latin America. Of his newfound legacy, Chef Clavijo says: "It's good to learn that [50 Best] is not really about numbers, it is not about egocentricity, but rather about taking advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate, at this moment in time, what we have to offer as chefs and the beauty of our countries and our cuisines."
The list of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was announced on 2 December from Antigua Guatemala.
