Mexico City’s Quintonil named best restaurant in Latin America

Quintonil, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in Mexico City, was recognized as the best restaurant in Latin America and the fourth best globally in the 2026 edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, presented Wednesday at the Municipal Theatre of Lima, Perú. Led by married couple Chef Jorge Vallejo and restaurateur Alejandra Flores, Quintonil was the only Mexican representative among the top 50 in the ranking. “With a reputation for weaving fresh, local ingredients and traditional Mexican flavours and techniques into modern preparations, [Quintonil] has cemented its place as a Mexico City classic,” 50 Best said. Asador Etxebarri, a Basque restaurant in Atxondo, Spain, was ranked best in the world. Despite securing a place in the top five, Quintonil dropped one spot in the rankings, falling from third to fourth place this year. Founded in 2012 by Vallejo and Flores, Quintonil has built its concept around Mexican fresh local produce and a contemporary interpretation of traditional flavors and techniques. Many of its ingredients are sourced from an urban garden just 30 meters away from the restaurant. Located in the high-end neighborhood of Polanco, the restaurant is named after an edible wild plant belonging to the amaranth family, widely used in traditional Mexican cuisine and featured in some of the dishes and drinks served there. The power duo brings complementary expertise to Quintonil: While Vallejo leads the kitchen, Flores oversees the service experience in the dining room. “Quintonil is the setting for chef Jorge Vallejo’s boundary-pushing Mexican cuisine and his wife Alejandra Flores’ exceptional hospitality,” 50 Best said. 50 Best highlighted dishes including roasted duck with coconut manchamanteles mole (a fruit and chile sauce) and a beetroot reduction, wild mushroom chileatole soup with cacahuazintle (a traditional corn variety) and beans, and ice cream made with honey from stingless melipona bees, served with papaya and lavender marmalade. The tasting menu costs around 4,900 pesos (US $233) featuring four pairing options that include wines from around the world, Mexican wines, a selection of terroir-driven wines and rare finds, and a non-alcoholic option. It also features a cocktail menu incorporating Mexican ingredients. The recognition from 50 Best adds to Quintonil’s list of accolades, which includes two Michelin stars, a distinction it shares with only one other restaurant in Mexico: Pujol, also located in Mexico City. With reports from El País