Sunday, March 16, 2025

Got 1 min? Find out which restaurant is Mexico’s best for 2023

Mexico’s best restaurant according to the 11th edition of the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants awards is Fauna, located in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe region.

The winners were announced Tuesday in a live awards ceremony at Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Fauna also came in as the fifth best restaurant in Latin America, behind Casa de Porco in São Paulo, Don Julio in Buenos Aires, El Chato in Bogotá and number one on the list, Maido in Lima.

Latin America’s 50 best restaurants 2023. (The World’s 50 Best/X)

After being recognized with the Highest New Entry Award in 2022 and ranked No. 16 on last year’s list, Fauna is now the only Mexican restaurant in the Top 10. It has also surpassed Enrique Olvera’s Pujol (No. 15), a favorite on the 50 Best list in previous years.

“Fauna is one of the most enchanting settings we’ve come across,” the 50 Best list said, as it is “surrounded by astonishing scenery.” 

The restaurant is led by the husband-and-wife team of chef David Castro Hussong and pastry chef Maribel Aldaco Silva, who was also named Best Pastry Chef in Latin America 2023, an award sponsored by Ecuadorian chocolate company República del Cacao. Fauna opened in 2017 and features a tasting menu made exclusively with local and seasonal ingredients. 

With a dynamic menu that changes every day, the 50 Best list added that its menu is a reflection of “the changing seasons and the best produce available.”

Fauna’s menu is particularly recognized for a broccoli dish served with chiltepin chili and a basil oil emulsion. It is also famous for the cauliflower tacos topped with seaweed and ponzu sauce, as well as Aldaco’s honey semifreddo with milk ice cream, blue corn flakes and crunchy caramel.

Another Mexican restaurant on the list is Quintonil, now ranked as No. 12 in Latin America. Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores’ restaurant climbed 31 positions.

With reports from Reforma and El Financiero

1 COMMENT

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
A man making tacos al pastor

State By Plate: Mexico City & Tacos al Pastor

0
Of all Mexico's immigrant-inspired cuisine, there can be no question which has risen to the top.
Some Mexico amaranth in a glass jar

Taste of Mexico: Amaranth

2
This is probably the only entry in this series that ended up in space, by the way.
Dos Búhos winery on the Wine, Cheese, and Art route in Guanajuato.

This El Bajío wine route offers the ultimate in Mexican viticulture

1
Move over Baja California, Mexico's ultimate wine route is having a moment in the spotlight.