Latin America’s Food Scene Shake-Up: Stars and a Big Move
Latin America · Food
Key Facts
- Mérida earns a star. Chef Roberto Solís’s Huniik makes the 2026 Michelin Guide, and a second local restaurant wins a young-chef award.
- Bogotá goes flagship. Juan Valdez opens “Juan Valdez 1959,” billed as its largest store worldwide, on Parque de la 93.
- Rio’s Lasai moves. The two-Michelin-star restaurant is leaving Botafogo to anchor the new Sofitel on Ipanema beach.
- São Paulo’s coffee surge. A new generation of specialty cafés is opening across the city.
- Montevideo’s sweet fair. The international alfajor fair runs June 5–7, with more than 70 brands.
The Latin America food scene had a busy week, with news that touches several of the region’s expat hubs at once: a first Michelin star for Mérida, a record-breaking café flagship in Bogotá, a landmark move for one of Rio’s best restaurants, and more. Here is the roundup.
Mérida’s Michelin moment
The Yucatán capital just landed on the global culinary map. Chef Roberto Solís’s creative Yucatecan restaurant, Huniik, earned a star in the 2026 Michelin Guide, and another Mérida kitchen picked up a young-chef award and a Bib Gourmand for good value.
For a city that has quietly become a favourite with retirees and remote workers, it is a meaningful stamp of approval — and a reason to book ahead, since recognition like this fills tables fast.
Bogotá’s record café
Colombia’s most famous coffee brand made a statement of its own. Juan Valdez opened “Juan Valdez 1959,” described as its largest store in the world and its first true global flagship, on Bogotá’s Parque de la 93.
It is part café, part brand showcase, and a sign of how seriously Colombia takes its coffee identity — worth a visit if you want to see the national bean given the full flagship treatment.
Rio’s Lasai heads to the beach
One of Brazil’s finest restaurants is on the move. Lasai, which holds two Michelin stars, is leaving its longtime Botafogo home to anchor the new Sofitel on Ipanema beach, with an intimate room high above the sand.
The relocation pairs fine dining with one of the world’s most famous beachfronts — a notable upgrade in setting for a restaurant already at the top of Rio’s scene.
São Paulo’s coffee wave and Montevideo’s alfajores
Beyond the headliners, São Paulo continues its specialty-coffee boom, with a fresh crop of cafés opening across the city and a coffee festival later in the month — good news for remote workers hunting a reliable flat white. And in Uruguay, Montevideo hosts its international alfajor fair from June 5 to 7, gathering more than 70 brands of the region’s beloved filled biscuit, a sweet, low-key event that doubles as a crash course in local taste.
Why Latin America’s food scene matters for expats
Taken together, the week underlines a regional shift. Latin America’s food culture is no longer concentrated only in established capitals like Lima — recognition, investment and big-name moves are spreading to cities such as Mérida and Bogotá that expats increasingly call home.
For newcomers, it is one more sign that you rarely have to choose between affordable living and a serious food scene, and that the next great meal might be in a city you had not yet considered. It is also a reminder to book ahead: stars and flagships fill tables fast.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Latin American restaurant just earned a Michelin star?
Huniik, Chef Roberto Solís’s creative Yucatecan restaurant in Mérida, Mexico, earned a star in the 2026 Michelin Guide. A second Mérida restaurant also won a young-chef award and a Bib Gourmand for value.
What is “Juan Valdez 1959”?
It is a new flagship store from Colombia’s Juan Valdez coffee brand, opened on Bogotá’s Parque de la 93 and billed as the company’s largest store worldwide — part café, part showcase for Colombian coffee.
Why is Rio’s Lasai moving?
Lasai, a two-Michelin-star restaurant, is relocating from Botafogo to anchor the new Sofitel hotel on Ipanema beach, trading its longtime home for an intimate room overlooking one of the world’s most famous beaches.
When is Montevideo’s alfajor fair?
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