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.
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
I am so happy for the owners of Fauna and for my beloved Mexico! The menu looks fascinating and so pure and sensible. Would be a sure favorite in organic California. The is scenery out of this world, truly fascinating. I am confident that the Mexico City restaurants once on top will soon recover. I suspect the temporary decline has to do with the current problems in the country that keep the tourists away as well as the locals. Breaks your heart.
As to the other winners, I am not surprised that Lima, Peru is once tops the list. Suddenly we have all become aware of Peru being the forerunner in the culinary area and Peruvian restaurants are opening everywhere and not disappointing eager food lovers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many of whom have visited beautiful Peru in the past.
Of course, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia are always on top. I’m happy for Guatemala whose people show the most outstanding work ethics up here. I would rather be back there but too late now. How I miss mi Mexico querido…