Ranked one of the 50 best chefs in Latin America, Colombian chef Juanma Barrientos combines fine dining with social activism, using his kitchen as a way to train former guerillas, war victims and indigenous people who have been forcibly displaced. With three thriving restaurants in Medellín, Bogotá and Miami, Barrientos offers a unique proposition that melds the warmth of home cooking and the flavors of local produce with a flair for style and social consciousness.
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Our focus isn’t just on making fantastic dishes inspired by avant-garde and traditional techniques, we believe in creating experiences and rituals.
-Juanma Barrientos
Juanma Barrientos
Juanma Barrientos is the creator and founder behind ElCielo (Medellín, Bogotá, Miami), which combines Colombian cuisine and innovative cooking practices in an effort to “cook the peace in Colombia.” Barrientos has been consistently ranked among the 50 best chefs in Latin America and has also been recognized as a “Young Leader of Peace in Latin America” for his efforts to use cuisine as a way to bridge conflicts in Colombia. Recently he published the book “The Recipe of Success” with recommendations for entrepreneurs, under the AGUILAR seal of the Penguin Random House publishing house.
