Chef Profile
Chef Jorge Vallejo
Founder and Executive Chef, Quintonil
Mexico City
One of Latin America’s most celebrated culinary voices, recognized by the Michelin Guide and ranked #3 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants (2025).
Contemporary Mexican cuisine rooted in biodiversity and place.
Now bringing his philosophy of place-driven cuisine to the polar regions.
The Story
From Mexico City to
the edge of the world.
Trained in Mexico City, Jorge Vallejo’s early career was shaped by curiosity—understanding ingredients at their source and honoring traditional techniques.
In 2012, he and his wife, Alejandra Flores, opened Quintonil, a restaurant devoted to Mexican biodiversity and the dialogue between tradition and innovation, recognized globally for precision and respect for local ingredients.
Today, his work is internationally recognized.
For Jorge, cuisine is not just flavor—it is context, storytelling, and place.
Recognition
A Two Michelin-starred chef, celebrated by the world's most respected culinary institutions.
A Two Michelin Star chef, recognized at the highest level of global gastronomy.
Since opening Quintonil in 2012, Jorge Vallejo has earned international recognition from institutions, critics, and peers worldwide, including the Estrella Damm Chef's Choice Award (2022).
Philosophy
Cuisine as a dialogue between place, technique, and restraint
Jorge’s cuisine is rooted in Mexican biodiversity—native ingredients, ancestral techniques, and the landscapes that shape them.
At the same time, his work embraces precision, innovation, and balance.
Bringing this philosophy to the Arctic opens a new dialogue:
How does warmth respond to cold?
How does fire translate to ice?
“Cooking in the Arctic challenges everything I know about cuisine.”
— Jorge Vallejo
Quintonil, Mexico City
A celebration of Mexican ingredients, techniques, and the deep connection between food and land.
Opened in 2012 by Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, Quintonil is a celebration of Mexican ingredients, techniques, and ecosystems and has become one of the world's most acclaimed culinary destinations.
The menu evolves with the seasons, highlighting native ingredients sourced from trusted local producers.
An intimate dining experience grounded in origin, intention, and creativity.
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Polar Expeditions
With Polar Table, Jorge Vallejo hosts a curated Arctic journey
In Svalbard, light lingers over ice and water.
Glaciers breathe into fjords.
Life moves along the edge of the ice.
Each evening, the day’s landscape finds its way to the table.
