Argentinian chef Dolli Irigoyen is elected Icon of 2023

Argentine cook, writer and TV presenter Dolli Irigoyen was announced by the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking as the winner of the Icon Award 2023, which celebrates personalities in the area recognized for their exceptional contributions to gastronomy, and who use this platform to increase their awareness and promote positive change in the industry.

The announcement of the special awards precedes the final ceremony, where the 50 best restaurants in Latin America will be revealed, on November 28th, in Rio de Janeiro. At the beginning of October, the list had already announced São Paulo chef Janaína Rueda, owner of the restaurant A Casa do Porco and the bar Dona Onça, as the best female chef in Latin America in 2023.

One of the most recognized cooks in Argentina and Latin America, Dolli Irigoyen is an author, TV presenter and owner of Espacio Dolli, a creative culinary workshop in Buenos Aires, where she organizes events and cooking classes and works with a team of young chefs. to innovate culinary concepts.

“Dolli has remained a beloved and influential figure in Argentine gastronomy for decades. Her extensive research has helped shed light on the country’s geographic diversity and rich local ingredients, playing a significant role in bringing them to the world stage. We have a lot proud to honor her today as the icon she became in the world of gastronomy”, says William Drew, content director of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

As one of the first defenders of the quality and richness of Argentine ingredients, Irigoyen dedicated years exploring the region and her country of origin, rescuing ancestral practices and using local ingredients to represent Argentina’s geographic diversity.

“I am very grateful to receive this award. Each region of Argentina is unique and special, and it brings me great joy to see my country and its products being celebrated globally”, celebrated the chef.

50 Best Bars

This year, Argentina also won the same award, but in the bar category, whose winners were announced on October 17th. Bartender Renato ‘Tato’ Giovannoni was elected Industry Icon in 2023 by The World’s 50 Best Bars ranking. A constant presence in the ranking since its first edition, in 2013, the bartender, entrepreneur and visionary, runs Florería Atlántico, in Buenos Aires, eight times named the best bar in South America.

On November 16th, 50 Best reveals the Latin American restaurants classified between positions 51 and 100 in the ranking of the best of 2023. The final list, with the 50 best restaurants in Latin America, will be revealed in a ceremony that takes place on November 28th, in Rio de Janeiro, with live broadcast on YouTube and Facebook.