Juan Luis Martínez

Juan Luis Martínez is a Venezuelan chef who arrived in Peru in 2014 for a stage at Central, the restaurant of Virgilio Martínez, after training in France and Spain. In 2018, he opened Mérito in Lima's Barranco district with partner José Luis Saume, fusing Venezuelan and Peruvian cuisines featuring dishes like reinterpreted arepas and choclo with Venezuelan cheese. Mérito ranked #37 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, #13 in 2023, #26 in The World's 50 Best 2025, and received 3 knives from The Best Chef Awards.