Latin America’s Food Scene Shake-Up: Stars and a Big Move

Latin America · Food

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.

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