Chef Jorge Vallejo at Quintonil in Mexico City exemplifies Mexican culinary tradition and has crafted his own distinctive style.

Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico – Mussel tostada with mole de mar
Credit Juan Pablo Tavera – JPark Studio

Chef Jorge Vallejo at Quintonil in Mexico City exemplifies Mexican culinary tradition and has crafted his own distinctive style.

Chef Jorge Vallejo’s vision has earned Quintonil a third-place spot on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. In 2012, Jorge chose to start his own venture. Together with his wife, Alejandra Flores, he opened Quintonil, where the couple has maintained a continuous dialogue between the memory and the present of Mexican culinary tradition for the past twelve years. They have developed their own unique cuisine, which has earned Quintonil a third-place spot on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, recognition as the Best Restaurant in North America, and two Michelin stars in 2025.

Credit Juan Pablo Tavera – JPark Studio

Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico Pibil pork tamal, young corn cream
Credit Juan Pablo Tavera – JPark Studio

Vallejo also received the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award 2022, an accolade awarded solely through the direct votes of chefs from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The winning chef is regarded by his peers as the most influential at the moment in global gastronomy. This honor has placed Jorge Vallejo among renowned chefs like Alain Passard, Dan Barber, Virgilio Martínez, Joan Roca, Daniel Humm, Alex Atala, Grant Achatz, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Massimo Bottura, Heston Blumenthal, René Redzepi, Pierre Gagnaire, Ferran Adrià, and Víctor Arguinzoniz.

Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico Aged duck with coconut manchamanteles mole, beet reduction, and apple honey
Credit Juan Pablo Tavera – JPark Studio

Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico Main Dining Room
Credit Juan Pablo Tavera – JPark Studio

Alejandra Flores earned a degree in Restaurant Administration and completed a master’s in Hospitality Business Administration with a focus on Marketing at Les Roches School in Switzerland. In 2012, she and her husband, chef Jorge Vallejo, launched Quintonil.

Quintonil, Mexico City Stone crab in pipián verde with sunflower seeds, makrut lime and Thai basil, blue corn tostadas
Credit Juan Pablo Tavera – JPark Studio

Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico Kitchen Counter Experience
Credit Juan Pablo Tavera – JPark Studio

Alejandra has played a vital role in Quintonil’s growth, developing a personal approach that emphasizes hospitality and service just as much as the menus and pairings. Her influence has fostered an environment in which the kitchen and dining room engage in a close dialogue, creating a warm and seamless gastronomic experience.