Quintonil, a high-end restaurant in Mexico City, has been recognized as the No. 3 restaurant in the world in the much-anticipated 2025 list from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, marking a historic moment for Mexico’s culinary scene.
No Mexican restaurant had ever made the top 3 until Quintonil’s achievement was announced at a ceremony in Turin, Italy Thursday.
Another Mexico City eatery, Rosetta, cracked the list at No. 46.
Maido in Peru was named the best restaurant in the world, followed by Asador Etxebarri, in Spain, at No. 2.
Run by Chef Jorge Vallejo and his wife Alejandra Flores, Quintonil combines an innovative use of Mexican flavors with exceptional hospitality. It specializes in contemporary Mexican cuisine, reinterpreting traditional ingredients and recipes with modern techniques. It uses fresh, local ingredients, many sourced from a nearby urban garden., bringing unique creativity and authentic flavors to its dishes.
“What we do wouldn’t make sense without the people who make it possible every day,” reads a post on Quintonil’s social media channels. “Thank you to those who are part of our home — to the team that lives here with dedication, to those who provide us with the best of their trade, and to those who come through our doors to be part of this story.”
The coveted spot in the World’s 50 Best adds to Quintonil’s recent achievement of earning its second Michelin star, an honor shared with only one other restaurant in Mexico — Pujol by acclaimed Chef Enrique Olvera.
“Quintonil is the setting for chef Jorge Vallejo’s boundary-pushing Mexican cuisine and his wife Alejandra Flores’ exceptional hospitality,” the World’s 50 Best said. “Together, this charismatic duo brings a winning combination of warmth, energy and exceptional food that has diners returning again and again.”
Quintonil (the name refers to a green herb used in some of the restaurant’s dishes and drinks) opened in 2012 following Jorge and Alejandra’s work at Pujol. Surprisingly, Pujol didn’t make it to the World’s 50 Best. That restaurant fell 27 places and was ranked No. 60 this year, leaving it out of the top 50, although it still appears on the extended list from 51 to 100.
No. 46 Rosetta, led by Chef Elena Reygadas, began as an Italian restaurant in Mexico City, before it moved on to a more Mexican-centered cuisine.
“The focus is now on re-interpreting traditional dishes in a new light,” the World’s 50 Best said.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is an annual ranking created in 2002 by the British company William Reed Business Media. The list is compiled from the votes of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy,” made up of 26 regional panels of 40 experts each, including chefs, restaurateurs, food critics, and gourmets. They cast votes based on their recent experiences in restaurants around the world.
Mexico News Daily
