Virgilio Martínez

Véliz’s menus reflect the gastronomic diversity of its country. Next to each of its dishes, it prints the ‘altitude of origin’ of the ingredients used, which, due to Peru’s geographical variation, can vary from the highest point of the Andes, to the depths of the Amazon rainforest, and to the sea level of Lima’s crystalline coast. Its flagship restaurant, Central, is considered one of the best restaurants in the world and was even the first Peruvian restaurant to be awarded a Michelin Star. In addition to managing its restaurants, Veliz also manages a parallel project, Mater Initiative, a research organization dedicated to registering all Peruvian indigenous ingredients to communicate their value to chefs and their guests around the world.