Juan Luis Martínez is executive chef of Mérito, Lima, Peru, a post held since 2018. (source)
The restaurant is No. 13 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026.
Career
- Sous chef, Central, Lima 2014 to 2018 (source, 27 November 2022)
Training
- Studied at La Casserole du Chef (Caracas) (source)
- Trained at Ferrandi (Paris), per TheBestChef profile (source)
- Worked at DiverXO (Madrid, under Dabiz Muñoz) (source)
- Internship at Martín Berasategui's restaurant, after completing a cooking course in Venezuela (source)
- Studied Social Communication before turning to cooking (source)
Recognition
- Mérito ranked No. 13 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 (restaurant-level distinction; chef leads the kitchen) (2026) (source)
- Mérito ranked No. 26 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 (restaurant-level distinction) (2025) (source)
Context
What the role involves, and what the best in it say about the work, is set out in the executive chef's role.
Also in Lima
- Pía León, Kjolle
Checked 10 November 2026. Corrections are welcome at press@theluxuryofattention.com.