Colombian chef Juan Manuel Barrientos, known worldwide as JuanMa, has once again made history in Latin American gastronomy. His restaurant Elcielo Washington, D.C., received yet another Michelin star in the 2025 edition of the prestigious guide, solidifying its position as one of the leading culinary destinations in the United States.
This marks the fifth consecutive year that the restaurant receives this distinction, a milestone that highlights its consistency, creativity, and excellence. Additionally, Elcielo Washington was the first Colombian cuisine restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star in the 125-year history of the guide, a landmark achievement that continues to define the chef’s career.
Elcielo Washington, the Michelin-starred Colombian restaurant by Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos
Since its opening in 2020, Elcielo Washington, D.C., has stood out for elevating Colombian cuisine to new heights. Its concept blends ancestral ingredients, avant-garde techniques, and multisensory experiences that define the Elcielo universe. Among its most iconic dishes are:
- The chocolate therapy, an immersive experience in which diners interact with chocolate as part of the gastronomic ritual.
- Reinterpretations of Colombian ingredients such as corn, cacao, coffee, avocado, and several varieties of native tubers.
- Preparations that integrate scientific research, neuroscience, and culinary art.
The 2025 edition of the Michelin Guide once again highlighted the restaurant’s coherence and its ability to surprise while staying true to its roots. For Barrientos, this fifth consecutive star reflects “the evolution of Colombian cuisine around the world and the possibility of expressing our identity through fine dining.”
The career path of Colombian chef Juan Manuel Barrientos
Juan Manuel Barrientos Valencia was born in Medellin and trained in contemporary cooking techniques in Colombia and Spain. At just 24 years old, he founded Elcielo Medellin, a restaurant that quickly positioned itself as one of the most innovative in the country thanks to its blend of tradition, ritual, and experimentation.
His international expansion began with Elcielo Bogota (2011), which was included in the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2014.
He later opened Elcielo Washington, D.C., (2020), which in 2021 became the first Colombian restaurant to receive a Michelin star in the United States, a distinction it has renewed every year since.
In 2022, Elcielo Miami also earned its own Michelin star, consolidating the Elcielo Group as a global ambassador of Colombian gastronomy.
In addition to his culinary career, Barrientos has built a meaningful social legacy through his “Cooking for Peace” program, training and employing victims and former combatants of the Colombian armed conflict.
First Colombian to receive a Michelin Key: The hospitality success of Elcielo Medellin
In October 2025, Barrientos achieved another historic milestone: His Elcielo Hotel Medellin became the first hotel in the city —and one of the first in Latin America— to receive a Michelin Key, the new award created by the guide in 2024 to recognize exceptional hospitality.
The hotel, located in the El Poblado district, features:
- 28 luxury rooms.
- Contemporary design and integrated green spaces.
- A concept where gastronomy, art, wellness, and sensory experiences converge.
- The restaurant Elcielo Medellin, a central pillar of its holistic hospitality concept.
The Michelin Key highlights the hotel’s exceptional service and Barrientos’ vision of creating complete experiences where cuisine and hospitality merge into one creative universe.
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