Written by Eny Ramírez
For nearly a decade, the Guía México Gastronómico has recognized some of the country’s best restaurants each year, selected by a panel of approximately 60 experts in restaurants and dining experiences. In this year’s edition, the Guía México Gastronómico 2023, published byCulinaria MexicanaandLarousse Cocina, features 250 restaurants across the country; among them are some with over 100 years of tradition, as well as others that have recently opened (at least one year).
For the second consecutive year, the Princess Mundo Imperial Hotel, located on the Acapulco Diamond Riviera, hosted the awards ceremony for the *Guía México Gastronómico: The 250 Restaurants of 2023* (Mexican Cuisine / S. Pellegrino / Nespresso), published by Larousse Cocina and presented by Audi.
This guide was created with the aim of celebrating and showcasing the diversity of Mexican cuisine and maintaining a balance among the offerings from all states, as well as recognizing each chef regardless of gender.
HOW THE 250 RESTAURANTS IN THE MÉXICO GASTRONÓMICO GUIDE ARE SELECTED
This guide is not a ranking. The restaurants are selected by the Voters' Council—whose members travel throughout the country to visit restaurants—based on certain criteria, such as quality standards, the creativity of the culinary offerings, and the restaurant's social and environmental impact, among others.
Every year, a closed-door vote is held to decide which restaurants in each state will be included in the guide, ensuring that the selection reflects a variety of locations and culinary styles (in other words: not all the restaurants are fine dining establishments, and less than a quarter of the selection are restaurants in Mexico City).
SPECIAL AWARDS
In addition, the guide presents 15 special awards (four of which are new this year), selected by the Voters' Council itself. These awards recognize the careers of certain chefs and restaurateurs, as well as those who stood out for their work in the previous year. Here are the 2023 winners:
✅ Chef of the Year: Javier Plascencia, chef-owner of the restaurants Finca Altozano, Erizo, Animalón, Jazamango, ¡Lupe!, and Caffé Saverios in Baja California.
✅ Rising Star Chef: Thalia Barrios, the Oaxacan chef behind the restaurant Levadura de Olla in Oaxaca.
✅ Head Baker: Carlos Ramírez Roure, from Sucre i Cacao in Mexico City.
✅ Pastry Chef: Daniella Freire, from Casa de Campo in Cuernavaca, Morelos.
✅ Restaurant of the Year: Alcalde, in Guadalajara, by Chef Francisco Ruano.
✅ New opening of the year: Rocasal, in Mexico City, by Chef Atala Olmos.
✅ A tribute to the career of a restaurateur: Ángel García, of El Porvenir restaurant in Tampico, Tamaulipas. This restaurant has a history spanning more than a century.
✅ Food Journalist of the Year: Miguel Conde, host of *La Ruta del Sabor* on Channel 11 for over 20 years.
✅ Sommelier of the Year: Rubén Rodarte, from Sud 777.
✅ Maître d' of the Year: Eduardo Figueroa, from Balcón del Zócalo in Mexico City.
✅ Supplier of the Year: Nuevos Horizontes, from Huasca de Ocampo in Hidalgo.
✅ Mixologists/Bartenders of the Year: Claudia Cabrera and Eli Martínez, both based in Mexico City.
✅ Culinary Families in Mexico: Marta Zepeda and Kievf Rueda, from the Tierra y Cielo restaurant in Chiapas.
✅ Chef of the Year: Guillermina Ordóñez, from Nicos restaurant in Mexico City.
✅ Waiter of the Year: José Luis Nájera, from Contramar restaurant in Mexico City.
✅ 2023 Mexican Culinary Medal: Chef Luis Osuna, chef-owner of Cayenna restaurant in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
✅ Ricardo Muñoz Zurita Medal (7th edition): Abril Salas, one of the most active scholars and advocates of Yucatecan cuisine.
✅ National Sustainability Award: presented to the restaurants La Gruta, Sotero, Kinich, and Los Danzantes Oaxaca, in recognition of their commitment to the environment and society. *This award was selected by a special panel of voters dedicated to promoting national sustainability across various sectors, from education to business.
WHERE TO GET THE 2023 MEXICO GASTRONOMIC GUIDE
It has been available since February 15 at Librería Gandhi, El Sótano, El Palacio de Hierro, Sanborns, and El Librero.
