Contents
Virgilio Martínez Véliz
Creating tasting menus that explore Peru’s ingredients by ecosystem and altitude.
Central · Central book
- Born
- 31 August 1977
- Birthplace
- Lima, Peru
More people
Virgilio Martínez Véliz
Virgilio Martínez is a Peruvian chef associated with Central in Lima and Mil in the Andes. His cooking draws on research into the landscapes and ingredients of Peru.
Early life
Lima origins
Grew up in Peru’s capital before pursuing an international culinary education.
Training abroad
Studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa and London.
Career
- Early career
International kitchens
Worked at restaurants including Lutèce and Can Fabes.
- 2008
Central
Opened his flagship restaurant in Lima.
- 2013
Mater Iniciativa
Helped establish a research project investigating Peruvian ingredients.
- 2018
Mil
Opened a restaurant and research project near Moray in the Andes.
Restaurants & projects
Central
A restaurant whose menus connect ingredients with Peru’s environments.
Central book
Presented the restaurant’s ideas and research in a book with Nicholas Gill.
Mil
An Andean project combining dining with study of local crops and food traditions.
Beyond work
Research partnership
Works with his sister Malena Martínez on Mater’s interdisciplinary research.
Culinary partnership
His wife Pía León is a chef and collaborator with her own restaurant, Kjolle.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Further source: theworlds50best.com ↗Photo: Central Restaurante. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
