Ignacio Mattos

Born in Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, chef Ignacio Mattos discovered his proclivity towards cooking and baking at a very young age, thanks to his family of great cooks. In his family’s farm, there was a constant traffic of family dinners, BBQs, fishing and baking which made a huge impact on his career path. After cooking with great chefs and pioneers of European cuisine such as Michel Kerever, Alice Waters, Francis Mallman and Judy Rodgers, he moved to New York City for a brand new adventure filled with kitchens helmed by none other than himself. Followed by Bon Appetit naming him the Tastemaker of the year in 2012, Esquire crowned him as America’s Chef of the Year in 2017. The James Beard Award-nominated chef Ignacio is now the chef and owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Estela and the acclaimed Café Altro Paradiso in New York, bringing something new to the table every day in the city’s lively gastronomy scene.