Gastón Acurio

La Mar by Gastón Acurio

Renowned chef, writer, entrepreneur, and one of the most important promoters of Peruvian cuisine in the world

In 2005, America Economía Magazine, the most prominent and influential business magazine in South America, named Gastón Acurio “Entrepreneur of the Year.” Today, having collectively created close to a dozen restaurant brands and operate over 70 venues in 10 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East, Gastón Acurio’s portfolio of restaurants is at the forefront of the Peruvian culinary revolution.

In the late 1980s, Acurio attended law school, but his passion for food prevailed, and he left to study culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. During his time in Paris, Acurio met his German-born wife Astrid. Together in 1994, they opened Astrid & Gastón in Lima, Peru establishing it as one of the first Peruvian haute cuisine restaurants in the world. Originally, the restaurant was very French-oriented, reflecting Acurio’s classical French training, but he soon began experimenting with Peruvian ingredients and taking inspiration from local traditions. In 2012, Astrid & Gastón debuted at #35 on San Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and in 2013, it climbed to the #14 spot – in the inaugural year of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Astrid & Gastón received the coveted #1 position.

In 2009, Acurio received the international Prince Claus Award in the Collective Memories and Journalism category for his significant contribution to culture and development. That same year, he was honored by the Madrid Fusión panel for his defense of Peruvian and Latin American biodiversity and UNICEF named him Ambassador of Good Will. Gastón has also served as the keynote speaker at the Madrid Fusión conference in 2011.

Lima, Peru has become the gastronomic capital of South America, hosting Mistura, the region’s greatest culinary festival. Gastón Acurio led the festival’s organization for three years as president of APEGA (the Peruvian Gastronomy Society) and currently remains involved as a board member.

Through Acurio Restaurantes, Gastón is a primary supporter of the Pachacútec School of Cuisine, a culinary school located in one of Lima’s poorest areas. The school provides underprivileged youth from across the region with the opportunity to study under industry leading professionals and pursue culinary careers.

Gastón Acurio has authored and published over 20 national best-sellers in Peru, including one of his latest publications, 500 Años de Fusión (500 Years of Fusion), published by the renowned publishing house Phaidon and which was voted the best cookbook worldwide at the 2008 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

In 2018, Acurio was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, a major award that few chefs have won. He now shares the ranks of this prestigious accolade with Alain Ducasse, Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and others. Today, Gastón frequently travels the world continuing to promote Peruvian cuisine and bringing it to the forefront of the world’s gastronomic stage.