For the first time, the world’s most influential restaurant awards will come to Latin America, shining a spotlight on Peru’s food, hospitality, and cultural traditions for a global audience.
From November 2 to 4, Lima will welcome The 50 Best Restaurants 2026, the first time the global edition lands in Latin America. The city will host around 1,200 chefs, food writers, and hospitality leaders for a week that ends with the awards ceremony at the historic Teatro Municipal de Lima.
For chef Virgilio Martínez, who participated in the program’s presentation in Miraflores, the gathering’s significance extends beyond the ranking. “This goes beyond restaurants,” Martínez said. “We understand that this has much greater potential for industries such as tourism, art, and culture in general.”
His remarks pointed to an opportunity to build on the international recognition Peruvian chefs have earned over many years. Martínez urged attention to the country’s ancestral knowledge and culinary traditions as sources of future innovation, broadening the conversation about what Peru can share with the visiting restaurant community.
The November program will draw participants from over 34 countries. It begins with a welcome lunch on November 2, then moves into 50 Best Talks on November 3, where chefs and industry voices will share ideas and tackle the challenges shaping the future of global gastronomy and hospitality.
Another highlight will be the 50 Signature Sessions, where international chefs join forces with Peruvian talent in the kitchen. These collaborative meals will blend diverse culinary styles with local ingredients, giving guests a new way to experience Peru’s food culture. Details on which restaurants and chefs will take part are still to come.
The week will reach its peak on November 4, when the new restaurant ranking is announced at Lima’s Municipal Theatre. The ceremony will also honor achievements in sustainability, rising talent, and women’s leadership in gastronomy, with awards like the Sustainable Restaurant Award, One to Watch, and The World’s Best Female Chef.
In a recorded message presented at the launch, Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Rogers Valencia, emphasized the gathering’s role in connecting hospitality businesses with potential investment. “It is also about bringing the industry and investors together and showing them the opportunities in this city,” Valencia said.
PROMPERÚ estimates the event will bring a surge of activity to Lima, with millions of dollars expected to flow into hotels, restaurants, transportation, and local services. The impact will be felt not just in the city’s dining rooms, but across the wider hospitality and creative industries.
This gathering is also a chance to introduce visitors to the people behind Peru’s celebrated restaurants: the farmers, fishers, producers, and cooks whose skills and traditions shape every dish that reaches the table.
That connection is important in a country where food is already a powerful reason to visit. According to PROMPERÚ, one in five international travelers now lists gastronomy among their main motivations for coming to Peru, staying nearly two weeks and investing in the full experience.
For those planning to be in Lima this November, the next big reveal will be the Signature Sessions lineup, with details on which chefs will be cooking and how to reserve a seat. While the awards ceremony will draw the spotlight, the week’s events will give Peru a chance to show the world just how much there is to discover beyond the rankings.
